TMZ is reporting that rapper Lil’ Wayne was overcome with greed last night and refused to play a concert that was for a good cause.

The concert was being promoted as a “Stop the Violence” event, inspired because of eight gang-related murders in the small community of Wilmington, NC. Lil’ Wayne was the draw, with ministers and local celebrities taking the stage to speak out against violence.

They were expecting a crowd of around 3,000 people who had paid $40 for floor seats and $30 for balcony, but only about 1,000 kids showed up.

As a result of the low turnout, Lil’ Wayne, who had been paid a part of his fee up front, wasn’t able to collect the rest of his fee. The rapper then sat backstage for around three hours waiting for a crowd to arrive.

When the crowd didn’t grow, about 80 sheriffs and officers in attendance offered to raise the money themselves to get Wayne to perform! The extra dough couldn’t be raised until Monday, which wasn’t good enough for the rapper, who left without appearing.

Normally, I wouldn’t blame anyone for making sure their money situation is correct. In this case he was only owed around $2,000 or so, and the concert was for a good cause.

Lil’ Wayne is a multi-millionaire who wouldn’t even perform a few songs at a “Stop The Violence” concert, because he was owed a couple of thousand dollars.

Even worse, Mitchell Entertainment Group — who fought to make the concert happen and to have Lil’ Wayne appear, now has to deal with refunding tens of thousands of dollars to irate concert goers.

Thanks to Lil’ Wayne that event was more likely to start the violence than stop it.

-Chris Jones