O.J. Simpson was greeted with cheers and boos Saturday night as he spent six minutes on the Music Hall stage during a hip-hop concert.

        The former National Football League star who was acquitted of killing his ex-wife in 1995 talked about how Cincinnati was a fun city where he had good times during his playing days.

O.J. Simpson looks in the crowd before tossing an autographed football at Music Hall on Saturday. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        Mr. Simpson told a crowd estimated by the promoter at 1,200 — consisting mostly of teens and 20somethings — that he had read about Cincinnati's racial unrest and wanted to try to help restore the city's good image.

        “Rap has gotten a bad rap,” Mr. Simpson said. “And I know about bad raps. We are trying to bring back hip-hop to Cincinnati. Let's not do anything to spoil it.”

        He walked on stage at 9:40 p.m. for the Return of Hip-Hop show, talked briefly to the audience and threw three autographed footballs into the crowd. One of the balls sailed into the second balcony.

        “Let's not give them any problems tonight,” he said. “Don't give the media anything bad to write about.”

        The concert had been billed as a “healing” event for Over-the-Rhine, a neighborhood rocked by April's riots.

        Most concertgoers interviewed said they were there for the music, not Mr. Simpson.

        Cornelius Dean came to the concert to see the headliner, Juvenile.

        “I didn't know O.J. was coming,” said the 20-year-old Clifton resident. “I didn't know he liked rap. That shocks me.”

        Jerome Jenkins, 18, of Westwood was at the concert to chaperone his 15-year-old cousin, Abdul Rankin, 15, also of Westwood. He hoped to catch a football autographed by Mr. Simpson.

        “I respect O.J. as a great running back but I'm really here for the music,” Mr. Jenkins said.

        “O.J. should stay home where he belongs,” said Thelma Johnson, 34, of Price Hill. “People are here for the music.”

        Earlier, the promoter said he was hoping to sell at least 1,000 of the 3,400 available tickets, which went for $30 to $50 per ticket.

        Mr. Simpson was acquitted in 1995 in the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and an acquaintance, Ronald Goldman.

        He was later found liable in a wrongful-death civil lawsuit.

        Mr. Simpson declined repeated requests for interviews.

        “We come to all cities promoting peace,” Mr. Simpson's spokesman, Norman Pardo, said Friday from Fort Myers, Fla. “We just like to have fun.”

        Mr. Pardo is chairman and CEO of Spiderboy International Inc., a Florida-based organization that handles Mr. Simpson's bookings.

        In the last seven months, Mr. Simpson has made publicity stops in Estero, Fla., East Hartford, Conn., Philadelphia and New York City.

        In each event, Mr. Simpson has been shadowed by a camera crew filming a documentary on the former football star.

        The film crew was present Saturday night at Music Hall.

        Some of Mr. Simpson's appearances have brought consternation among residents. In East Hartford, the city's former mayor urged lawmakers to ban the concert. The show went on as scheduled, but lost money when building inspectors wouldn't allow more than 350 concertgoers into the venue, which seats 800.

        Mr. Simpson's appearance Saturday created a stir not only because of his notoriety, but because he is not honoring a boycott called by black leaders after April's riots.

        Mr. Pardo said he didn't know about the boycott when he booked Mr. Simpson's appearance here, and learned of it only later from reporters.
       

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