American Idol Season 23 winner Jamal Roberts is turning down a key to the city of Laurel, Miss. — a rare move that’s ignited backlash just weeks before his scheduled performance there. Roberts, who will be performing the Noir & Blanc event at the L.T. Ellis Center on Aug. 2, told fans during a recent Facebook Live he planned to turn down the key and was met with a firestorm of backlash from the Laurel community, which is also the hometown of HGTV stars Ben and Erin Napier.

Roberts said he wasn’t aware he’d be receiving the honor until local event organizer Drake Paige announced on Facebook that Mayor Johnny Magee had approved it. Unfortunately, this announcement was met with an eruption of disapproval, as residents of the town, which lies just minutes away from Roberts’ hometown of Meridian.

Jamal Roberts Received Backlash for Turning Down Key After ‘American Idol’ Win

With the flurry of comments, it was evident that many citizens of the infamous town missed the point of the honorary distinction. Many supporters acknowledged how it’s equivalent to earning an honorary college degree. Alas, Roberts opted to remove himself from the controversy and the conversation by declining the key to the city. Despite some support and praise for the honor, Roberts was also met with death threats.

During his Facebook Live, the singer said, “You have people sharing the post, making threats, talking about they’ll have guns at the event. I worked with kids before American Idol, and it’s crazy that … kids can comprehend (how to behave) more than grown folk. It’s a sad world we live in.” He continued, “I don’t want it, respectfully. You can have it. Tell them I’m appreciative, but I politely decline.”

The results might already be in.

Despite the hiccup in Laurel, Roberts will debut a new song dedicated to his home state of Mississippi. “I’m gonna dedicate a song back to the state,” Roberts said. “That’s gonna be my first record. My first record I’m gonna drop is gonna be a song back to the to the state. Tell them how appreciative I am. You know, people just don’t expect good things to come out of Mississippi no more, and when they do, they don’t know how to handle it.” Beyond the Napiers, Laurel is also the hometown of notable celebrities, including NSYNC‘s Lance Bass and The White Lotus star Parker Posey. Roberts’ hometown of Meridian is also the home of actress Diane Ladd.