Incident at P&L District shocks DJ Jazzy Jeff
 

Wow......Unreal.



http://www.kansascity.com/226/story/1238798.html



Another day, another racial controversy at the Power & Light District.

For a year, the black community has been in arms about perceived racism at the entertainment district, a place their tax money helped fund. But it’s always rebutted. Everyone is welcome at the P&L, officials say.

Well, those who follow the hip-hop music scene have more to chew on since late Saturday night, when one of hip-hop’s icons, DJ Jazzy Jeff, cut short a set of music and left the stage in a dispute over the kind of music his show was spinning.

I walked in just as he was walking off the stage. He had performed less than 30 minutes.

The crowd booed and I heard people, both black and white, yell about how the Power & Light didn’t want him to play hip-hop. I wasn’t sure what happened, but I knew it was bad.

A conversation I had with him early Sunday confirmed it.

He might be best known as one half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, but he is more than Will Smith’s old DJ and friend. The two won the first rap Grammy.

Jeff Townes, his given name, is legendary. He introduced “transforming,” the scratching technique turntablists use. This man has toured for 25 years. He’s an acclaimed producer.

So what exactly happened?

According to his tweets (twitter.com/djjazzyjeff215), he was kicked offstage for playing hip-hop. Jon Stephens, president of the Power & Light District, says it was about the sound levels.

“The issue that arose with the performance last night was completely about the sound levels,” he said Sunday. “His audio tech was maxing out the sound system to a point that risked damage to the speakers and sound system. His sound techs and management refused to bring the decibel level down. They were told to bring it down or cease performance. They refused to go on.”

Hours after he returned to his Philadelphia home, I spoke to Jazzy Jeff on the phone to hear his side.

His set started with sounds of hip-hop and pop favorites — Jay-Z, Biz Markie, Rihanna. His MC, Skillz, hyped up the crowd.

But after 15 minutes or so, in the middle of an R&B hit by Ne-Yo, “Miss Independent,” he was told to stop.

“My road manager walked up to me and said they were having problems with the music I was playing,” Jazzy Jeff told me. “I played three more songs and he comes back. I knew something was wrong. They said I had to kick Skillz off the stage, change the format of the music I was playing or quit. They said if I continued playing they had 30 cops ready to come escort me offstage. So I stopped.”

Jon Stephens says that isn’t so.

“Obviously we have a desire to book a diversity of acts,” he said. “We booked Jazzy Jeff on a Saturday night, the biggest night of the week in the district. We were excited to have him there. It’s unfortunate that his sound and management people had problems adhering to the sound and audio rules. We wanted him to play. That’s why we booked him.”

Jazzy Jeff was excited to play here too.

But it all went wrong. Venue officials said the set attracted the wrong kind of element, he says.

“They said they didn’t like Skillz’s posture,” Jeff said. “They said he made gang-like signs and grabbed at his genitals.”

So P&L officials wanted him offstage. But Jeff felt it was wrong because Skillz is no gang member. He is a father. His hand gestures were the kind of excited movements you make to get the crowd excited.

He wasn’t cursing or being offensive.

“I was playing Rihanna; she is Top 40,” he says. “If they would have let my set play, they would have known I play everything. I play rock, funk, soul, pop, hip-hop, reggae. I don’t play for a certain genre, race or gender. I play for music lovers.”

In his 25-year career, at 44 years old, Jeff has never been told to end a set because of hip-hop. He says he has never felt that kind of racism. The “element” that officials referred to felt like a reference to black people, a hip-hop crowd.

“I’m in shock,” he says. “I didn’t understand what element they were talking about. I looked out in the crowd and it was multicultural, but about 75 percent white. Everyone was having a great time. I wondered what was so offensive. I never had a race issue. I didn’t know how to feel. I was playing ‘Just a Friend.’ Is that offensive? What element? It’s uncomfortable when you feel unwanted.”

I'm not sure I'm buying the claim that they didn't like the hip hop. It doesn't make sense why they would book a hip hop performer if they didn't want that "element".

Yea, kind of strange isnt it?

...and how is that racial if they invited him? At the very least they hate Hip Hop not black people.

Don't care

For a year, the black community has been in arms about perceived racism at the entertainment district, a place their tax money helped fund. But it’s always rebutted. Everyone is welcome at the P&L, officials say.


I would go as far as saying that most of the black people complaining about this so called racism at the PL district, DON'T pay taxes. But thats just me.

Who can blame them though? They're revamping that entire side of the city and they don't want it to completely and immediately turn into what Westport has become, which has been take over by crime and drug addicts and gangs.

They should just play Amish music. But then again, they'd have to deal with horse poop.

P&L should be a little more concerned about their bar in the public area,I paid $10(including $2 tip) to have a margarita brought to me that tasted like bad,weak lemonade and when I complained the waitress offered me $1 of my tip money back :spock: so I went to the bar to complain and that did no good.They're dead to me,if and when I go back I'll drink from the other bars.

P&L Just Don't Understand

The MAN is trying to keep DJ Jazzy Jeff down!

That was my thought. His story makes less sense than the owner's.

Yeah, I'm not buying the race card in this one. Why book him if you don't want rap played in the P&L district? Thats his musical style.

But, I do agree that the P&L is bordering on racial profiling with its rules. And I understand why. Just look at how fast and far Westport has fallen. You can't operate a business if the clients are scared to park and walk outside near your business.

Reading between the lines, Jeff may actually believe and have been told that by his people. It makes his management look better to be railing against the man than to admit they thought they were above the rules.

I live in the river market and have never stopped in the p & l. Its a joke.

I actually visited Westport for the first time in many years a couple of weekends ago because a friend of the wife wanted to celebrate her 30'th down there.

I was expecting to get stabbed, shot, aids and then robbed. It actually seemed more tame than it did 10 years ago.

clubbing is overrated...too many posers....and prices for drinks...?

the hell with that..rip someone else off.

I like to take my 30,000 dollars and work out all day long just to get bombed and wear sandles, button down shirt and extra spikey hair all its like minor league dankcman! I have no problem with the dog and pony show down there actually. Good for them I rarely take my money out of lenexa these days though

I love the idea that there's some large contingent of Black people who are speaking out against Cordish's business practices that've found a way to circumvent being taxed.

This seriously calls your credibility into question CoMo.

Unfortunately, when you're being subsidized by some of the very people you'd like to exclude you can't play the "picking and choosing" game.

A week ago Friday P&L had Liverpool,the Beatles cover band there and it wasn't just good it was excellent,too bad I had the bad experience with the margarita or it would have been a perfect evening.

awe yeah

That is just DUMB! Hate to turn this into a race thread but ignorance is ignorance. And you wonder why black people play victim... It's because YOU think we're nothing but government assisted filth. You're THAT GUY that fuels the issues with your stereotypes! You're too young to be THAT ignorant.

I know... You probably have black friends.


Another ignorant statement. It's not the Plaza but it's not The Wire either. EVERYBODY can still go there and have a great time without having to look over your shoulder the entire time.

~ Thought you were better than that.

This Friday at the P@L district is wear your bling day.

They should have had Carlton come down and spin records.

I don't think the dress code is racist if it's applied to everyone equally. it's a good thing if you ask me.

As far as Jazzy Jeff goes... right, they didn't want hip hop played, that's why they booked you at great expense.

I don't buy it. I think they probably asked him to turn it down to avoid damaging the sound system just like they say, but he and his crew took it as disrespect to them and stormed off. Punk MFers trying to ban hip hop.... right...

until sundown

He's being an idiot. The only way somebody could avoid taxes is to move to Montana and live off the land. That's why I ignored it. You should too.

I agree with most here. There's no chance Cordish would book an R&B act if they didn't want R&B played. I'm no fan of Cordish or the P&L but I buy the explanation of the rich white guy this time.

Anyone with an ounce of experience and knowledge on the subject realizes that Jon Stephens' explanation of what took place is a load of shit.

You simply don't invest $500,000 into a soundsystem without also putting safety features in place to protect it. Compressors, limiters, etc. I'm sorry, but after having 12 hours to circle the wagons that was the lamest excuse he could've come up with.

It sounds like a communication problem between Jazzy Jeff and the P&L people more than anything.


Lets hope both parties cool off and try and try to re-establish open communcation again.

Hopefully its not too late....

Why would you book a hip hop artist only to boot him off mid set because you dont like the type of music he plays? Doesnt compute??

Okay, I'll defer to your $500,000 sound system experience.

Are you suggesting that maybe they booked DJ Jazzy Jeff expecting some Winger cover songs? "She's only seventeeeeeeeeeeen, Daddy says she's too young but she's old enough for me!"

Probably. They could have walked off in a huff, been too proud to come back on, and then they have to cover themselves. "They kicked us off for playing hip hop..."

Sorry, but that doesn't wash. Like what they wanted was for the show to end early and have an angry crowd on their hands and a mountain of bad publicity. They aren't idiots. They have nothing to gain by doing that.

By the way, this would be funnier if they had thrown him out of KC Live like Uncle Phil used to throw him out of the front door.

probably just a case of people complaining for the sake of complaining. P & L and DJ JJ etc.

LMAOLMAO

Yes it's much more plausible to assume he booked Jazzy Jeff and then after he had people in the club and the show started decided he didn't want any hip-hop music being played.

Okeydokey.

Obviously it was a grand racial conspiracy this guy took weeks setting up, just to get at the wildly famous DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Cordish didn't book Jazzy Jeff.
I know the promoter who did...personally.

Oh Blaise...
You're always so misinformed.

Again...
Cordish DID NOT book Jazzy Jeff.

And apparently had no idea who would be playing there either. I don't go down there but someone let me know if they ever play Rhianna or Jay Z music. If they play them on other nights then it pretty much blows Jazzy Jeff's argument to hell.

why would the book a crap dj and if they didn't want that style music

Not 5 minutes ago you were certain that Cordish had personally booked DJJJ for the KC Live performance. I'm sure now you're certain that Cordish officials were aware of who Jeff Townes was and what his playlist would comprise. Got it.
:rolleyes:

KCL typically does not entertain Rap acts of ANY kind.

If his name as George Smith would thay have booked him...or thrown him out?

and another thing, Power and Light. Is there a power plant there or something? Do they have tours?

KC Power and Light bulidng downtown ...14th and Baltimore.

My mom worked at IBM across the street for 30 years

Since there's so much speculation in this thread how about this angle....

P&L booked the act knowing exactly what they were getting and upon hearing about all this so called racial profiling going on Jazzy J and his posse decided to pull this stunt to try and stick it to the white man knowing the bad press it would create.

Either way I could give 2 shits,I don't much care for the place except that Gordon Biersch brew pub,damn tasty beers there.

yeah I don't actually know I am just throwing passing dumb comments. I would defer to MicJones he seems to be the most plugged in. on a tee/

I don't remember ever saying Cordish at all. And I didn't ask if they typically booked rap acts. I asked if they play hip hop music.

Thats very cool. Too bad downtown sucks these days. I bet she saw KC in a good time to be in the city.

Why wouldn't ol boy turn it down, they get paid no matter what the volume level.

I could care less, but my speculation is they didn't have a problem with Rhianna and that other crap, but when the scary MC starting hyping they pulled the plug. I'm sure more will be coming out as it plays.

jazzy shoulda called up his old pal freddy kreuger

Exactly what I was thinking.

Don't take my word for it.
Do some research.

I've had experience with soundsystems that expensive though.
Hell... Anyone who invests 1% of what Cordish has, into their PA, would be foolish not to put such features in place.

Who is they?

And they stand to gain exactly what from pulling such a stunt?
Jazzy Jeff lives in Philadelphia.
Boy I tell ya...

The more i think about it, this could have been what happened.


Thats what this other storys says. They strayed from the requested "Top 40" playlist.

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1238957.html

ROFL That was your first mistake.

Cordish head Jon Stephens said nothing at all about Jeff straying from a set playlist.

Cordish Pres. Jon Stephens is on 610AM right now.

I call it how I see it. Bottom line is KC PL District doesn't want it to become another Westport for obvious reasons.

This isn't racial profiling. I went to PL one Sat night and at the entrance they were telling a group of thugs they couldnt come in because of what they were wearing. They had their pants sagged down with their asses hanging out, wife beaters, and red tilted hats all the same color. These hoodlums are the ones that are calling out P&L people racists. The people complaining about this are the ones that come out of the bad parts of town, claiming that city officials are trying to keep them away by having dress code requirements. You know what? If you dont wanna change out of your gang attire then go somewhere else that allows it (Westport).

There's nothing racist about it. No one is telling them they have to wear those kind of outfits. They CHOOSE to wear that kinda clothing. P&L is trying to stop trouble before it begins. It's been proven over and over again. People like that cause trouble at large gatherings like at late night clubs etc.

Had they come in with jeans just a regular shirt they would have been fine, but the culture they want to bring into that place isn't allowed. It isn't a racist thing as they choose what they want to look like. Put on some clothes that actually makes you look like you give a shit about life and there isn't any problem. The dress code is nothing more than a step to prevent certain issues from ever happening. They never once said "blacks can't come to P&L." There are a lot of african americans that go there. They just dont want any of the gang like activity or atmosphere to even step foot into the place which I totally agree with. The same goes for the white trash that want to present themselves in that manner as well. P&L doesn't want it there, and that's comepletely up to them.



As far as the Jazzy Jeff, I don't really believe his claim in stating they didn't want him to play Hip hop, he's a rap legend and officials KNOW that he's a hip hop legend and they wouldnt have booked him to play there if they didn't want to hear it. Just like they wouldnt book Garth Brooks there if they didn't want to hear country music.

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you holmes smell you later

I think they heard or saw something that made them feel uncomfortable.

Given your previous comment about Black people who've found a way to circumvent the tax system...I'm not sure you're seeing much of anything. Seems to me that there's a huge tree in your line of sight. And that tree...is called ignorance.

I'm not a hoodlum. I'm a law-abiding taxpaying citizen of Kansas City.
And many of the other people decrying the imbalanced handling of patrons in a taxpayer-funded development are just like me.

Because God knows that baggy pants indicate criminal intent.
No chance troublemakers wear Dockers and Doc Marten's.

The Power and WHITE district is a joke..I never felt comfortable down there and never will. Its funny how Kansas city urban core tax money partially paid to build a place that the urban community is not wanted, Just so some suburban folks can feel comfy from the big bad black man and his jungle music..what a ****ing joke. The same company that built POWER AND WHITE district has already been sued behind these same issues in Kentucky and lost. If they want to build some shit like this and keep us out, at least build it in YOUR OWN ****ING COMMUNITY AND NOT IN OURS.

What's that based on Deberg?

It's ridiculous to play this game about who should and shouldn't be welcome at a development that's being subsidized by many of the baggy pants wearing folk they want to keep out.

This. I meant in the set, not in the crowd:

I think that might have a grain of truth to it, but that would reinforce the theory that these anachronistic ideas about urban culture is problematic.

Skillz has never run afoul of the law as an artist.
And he doesn't, at all, identify with the gangster reality-based Rap contigent that dominates Top 40 corporate radio.

That simply doesn't fit his personality.

LMAO Having trouble understanding economic reality?

Yeah, that whole tax statement was pretty dumb.

As far as dress, we have a club here in Topeka that plays country. Wife likes country and so she has dragged me there. I was wearing a Chiefs jersey and they would not let me in the place. I was like "screw this" and we left. They apparently have a similar type of dress code. But if it were simply a racist policy, would I have been affected?

The economic reality is that that eyesore is already suffering from revenue shortfalls and will eventually fail if things don't change.

The general point I am trying to make is.... the ones calling the P&L officials racist are the ones who choose to present themselves as thugs, and they want to bring in that kinda lifestyle into the district. And props for them not wanting that......I dont think anyone wants that. It causes trouble.

Can someone dressed nice and looks presentable cause crime? Can they too in fact shoot someone? Of course they can. Me, you and anyone can do that. But is it likely? No. If you're a bouncer at a club who are you gonna watch more closely? Who do you generally think is more likely to cause trouble? The person wearing a nice shirt n pants who looks the part of having a good time on a Sat night, or the person walking in with a wife beater, underwear showing out from his ass, cornrows, hat tilted sideways, and his body head to toe in tats. Looked like he had just come from Troost and Prospect.

Nice attempt at covering up ignorance. But you've failed miserably.

You implied that the ones complaining dont pay taxes as if all blacks that complain are on gov assistance. or blacks in that area dont pay taxes. im on my mobile and dont really continuing on your ignorance at the moment
Posted via Mobile Device

It's not a perfect storm.
Any such code, discriminatory or otherwise, will always affect those for which it was not intended. That's the nature of the beast.

$500k??????? In a club sound system??????? How big is this place?

And IF (and I just cannot and do not believe that figure) they somehow spent $500k on a sound system, I hardly think they could push it to the point of destruction.

$500k? That's highly unlikely.

PS - Compressors and limiters would do nothing but alter the sound. They would not stop the speakers from being blown. Furthermore, all high end, digitally powered speakers and subs have automatic shut-offs, making this excuse moot.

This sounds like a stupid deal to me. I have never been there given that I live in Illinois. I do know one thing that is true. There is always the possibility of a certain element that causes problems, and really does not purchase much. At least most of the white trash type fools are drinkers....haha. All joking aside, it is unfortunate that stuff like that has to happen. BTW, Jazzy Jeff is a hip-hop legend.....alright....if you say so.

They finally took down DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Agreed. Can we agree that dress codes can be a good thing then? They can be successful in keeping the riff raff out regardless of color?

Sir Mix-a-lot, you'd better be paying attention!

Damn... this is absurd. It's not racist, the people just need to conform to wearing jeans and a regular shirt? You're a fool.

It's an enormous outdoor courtyard type of thing in the middle of P&L. It's huge, definitely not just a club.

You're either trying to stir the pot or you simply aren't paying attention.
Most of the people I've spoken with today who have recently sworn off of the P&L District cannot at all be properly identified as "thugs". Hell, many of them are just as White as you are.

No one, myself included, wants to be subjected to violence.
There are ways to curb such violence though. And these discriminatory measures aren't always the perfect way to achieve that safety. Again, baggy pants don't indicate criminal intent. I've worn baggy pants and I've never been arrested in my entire life. I spent 2 hours in jail, once, for an unpaid traffic ticket and even then that's only because I turned myself in.

I never would've imagined that you were this myopic.
Certainly there are no good people who live on Troost and Prospect.
:rolleyes:

I've lost a lot of respect for you today.