LL Cool J cancels his Fourth of July concert in Philly, refusing to cross a picket line as city workers strike for fair wages and better healthcare.
LL Cool J has officially withdrawn from this year’s Wawa Welcome America Fourth of July concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, citing his refusal to “cross a picket line” amid Philadelphia’s municipal workers’ strike.
In an Instagram video posted Thursday evening, the hip-hop icon expressed his long-standing respect for the city and his fans, but made clear he could not perform “and pick up money when I know that people are out there fighting for a living wage” while thousands remain on strike.
The walkout involves more than 9,000 members of AFSCME District Council 33—the city’s largest blue-collar union—who represent sanitation crews, 911 dispatchers, pool attendants, and other essential municipal staff.
After contract talks broke down over wage increases, full health-care coverage, cost-of-living adjustments, and pandemic bonuses, workers commenced their strike at midnight on July 1.
The action has already halted residential trash collection, curtailed pool operations, disrupted non-emergency city services, and prompted a Philadelphia judge to order a subset of 237 911 dispatchers back to work to maintain critical emergency response capabilities.
Mayor Cherelle Parker has maintained that all July 4 festivities will proceed as scheduled, instituting temporary trash drop-off sites and deploying cross-trained personnel to essential functions.
Nonetheless, LL Cool J stated he would not “perform for money when people are hurt,” and urged both the city and union leaders to reach a fair agreement.
He added that he plans to remain in Philadelphia over the holiday and will be ready to take the stage should a deal be struck before Friday’s concert.
LL Cool J had been announced alongside Philadelphia native Jazmine Sullivan as one of the headliners for the free, annual festival concert, which traditionally draws hundreds of thousands of attendees and culminates in a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. on July 4.
Festival organizers and Mayor Parker have emphasized that the celebration is a citywide affair; however, LL Cool J’s solidarity with the striking workers underscores the broader tensions between labor rights and public festivities as the city honors Independence Day.
