Memphis Club Crave Controversy: Tear It Down Or Preserve Beale Street History?!

After a shooting that left one dead, two shot and one injured on Christmas eve and afterward being closed down, as covered on MemphisRap.com, the location where Club Crave sits at 380 Beale St is still causing controversy after Memphis Mayor A. C. Wharton expressed that he would like to now tear down the historic building, after too many incidents at the location.

The venue location was a theater in its preceding days and also home to a historic and monumental club known as Studio G or Club 380, the club where an era of Memphis rap culture was born and many legendary Memphis rappers’ careers launched including the likes of DJ Squeeky, Al Kapone, 8Ball & MJG, and Three 6 Mafia, just to name a few.

Now, city officials are contemplating turning the historic 380 Beale location into a parking lot.

One Memphis citizen, Erskine Gillespie, a former candidate for the District 7 City Council is taking an initiative to save the location which he believes has historic value and could be utilized to become something more meaningful than what it has been used for over the past decade.

Gillespie, who says that there is already enough vacant spaces in the City of Memphis, started a petition which seeks to get 200 supporters. Gillepie’s efforts has already gain 160 supporters to support bringing new life to the 380 Beale location.

Meanwhile, according to Randy ‘Twin’ Williams, who is co-owner of Club Crave with his twin brother Rodney Williams, they went to great lengths to make sure their patrons who came into the building were safe. Williams feels as if they are being smeared and other parties are not trying to work with them.

George Miller, owner of the infamous building located at 380 Beale St, on Wednesday had a court date, which was reset to Friday. Miller’s attorneys aim to have the petition and injunction dismissed citing that they were not given the appropriate notification when a temporary injunction was made on the property, which closed it down.

Developing…