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06-08-2009, 07:17 AM | |
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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.” |
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06-08-2009, 11:12 AM | #136 | |
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06-08-2009, 11:13 AM | #137 |
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I understand that many places can have their bad parts of town. Generally what I was referring to though was that when people think of Troost and Prospect and that area, they don't exactly first think of "good n safe community" I understand there are good people in bad areas and bad people located in good areas.
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06-08-2009, 11:15 AM | #138 | |
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What if Tat Boy was a world class candidate with a huge upside? You just did your company a disservice didnt you? |
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06-08-2009, 11:16 AM | #139 | |
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06-08-2009, 11:16 AM | #140 | |
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06-08-2009, 11:18 AM | #141 | |
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06-08-2009, 11:20 AM | #142 | |
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He had 4 pictures and asked everyone if they would like to meet person A or person B on the street, A was a "thug" looking black man and B was a corporate white man. The overwelming majority chose B. He then asked if anyone felt this was racist and there were a lot of people that said that it was. He then went to C and D, C was a "thug" looking white man and D was a corporate black man. The majority again went with the suit and tie over the street look. He had the same question about racism and not one person said that is racist. To me he showed that profiling doesn't equal racism and that reverse racism is becoming a problem. Long story short, I agree with you. You need to dress for how you want to be preceived. |
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06-08-2009, 11:21 AM | #143 | |
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Using your argument, what if you hired the tatoo'ed individual and he later was the center of multiple sexual harrasement claims? See how that works when you add information to the equation after the fact? |
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06-08-2009, 11:22 AM | #144 |
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Turn off you damn caps lock!
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06-08-2009, 11:23 AM | #145 |
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Seriously? That's you'r response to his post? You're going to unleash the spelling police on him? ........................moron
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06-08-2009, 11:23 AM | #146 | |
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I lived in the city of KC for about 9 years. Behind the Bannister Mall close to Raytown. Racially mixed neighboorhood. I never felt unsafe. I live in one of the nice clean suburban cul-de-sac's in Lee's Summit. Just in my cul-de-sac there are two black families and an "Indian(dot)" family out of the 8 homes in the cul-de-sac. I've never felt unsafe. I don't think race is a major factor in how "most" people consider feeling safe. I know its a non-issue for me and my family. Thugs are thugs. Criminals are criminals regardless of race/creed/religion.
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06-08-2009, 11:23 AM | #147 |
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06-08-2009, 11:23 AM | #148 | |
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06-08-2009, 11:23 AM | #149 | |
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No body wants to say the truth or whats really on peoples mind because its not PC, but it is the way it is. When these companies have millions of dollars invested in projects they are going to make sure they are protected. I just hope that the f'ed up city council doesn't try to screw this up like everything else they touch. |
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06-08-2009, 11:24 AM | #150 | |
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I said both candidates were equal in all respects. So I bet on one horse. maybe its the wrong horse but they pay me to make that call. In the college interview game the candidate has to run the gauntlet of recuiters. You do not have second chances in the process, you dot appeal to the recuiters boss. The recruiter is trained to do the job and he or she has to make those cuts on a 30 minute interview. It sucks and its not easy. But you have a limited number of slots to fill. Tatboy is an example where his decisions well before the interview play a role that he never intended. I can only use the data I have in hand when I make the decision. I dont wish him ill, in fact I'd hope he finds his way. But on that given day, with the alternatives I have..I have to bet on the hand Im playing. I interviewed at Oklahoma State a number of years back. Had a really nice kid interview and he had died his hair purple right down the top of his head. My customers dont die their hair purple. I wonder where he ended up. He was smart as hell too.
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