Incident at P&L District shocks DJ Jazzy Jeff

[Deberg_1990]

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.”

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by Dottefan

Good post, but that was to simple for the Bill Oriely crowd..they will just blame Obama for this

Yeah, being black means that you MUST wear the hip hop attire. YOU MUST I tell ya!!!

[Dottefan]

Originally Posted by Dayze

If I don’t like the way I’m treated at a business, I don’t give them my business/money.

The same goes for the crooks in suits (I agree; they’re crooks)
If you were robbed by them (join the club), then don’t give them your business.
Don’t use loans of any form; don’t use any form of credit w/ interest;
BUY all your stuff etc. Those dudes made all that money because of credit. Credit = the worst thing you can enter into.

I got jobbed on my 401k too from those dudes; which is why it’s my goal to keep all my money; no mortgage, no CC, no car payments. I will own all my sh*t outright so those dudes can’ take sh*t away from me.

I agree .. I went to the PW district once. I will never return, even if they throw out the dress code.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

Right. So the target market for hip hop is black males? Who are you kidding? If it wasn't for white, suburban, America, mainstream rap would've died years ago. That's just silly.

Thats not true Rap would be even better if it wasn't for white suburban America. Listen to Hip-Hop before it was popular and listen to it now. It's like disco today.

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

I asked before if you can explain the tax assitance they get that impacts the person who does not go to Pand L? How does it cost me tax dollars?

Kansas City taxpayers are on the hook for something like $300 million.

I also asked for more info on this cuffed pants thing, can you give more deatil?

Happened last year.
One of my guy friends had just come from a wedding reception, was dressed to the nines, and was still denied entrance because his pants were cuffed.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Dottefan

The bottome line is that if you are not a minority , or a kid who dresses "hip hop" you will not know how it feels to be discriminated against by the power and white district. Most of the people who dress this way are young people, who are not thugs and work all week and want to go blow off some steam at a club. All of us when we were younger dressed in some form that older people did not like. Its just ironic that the same people who are calling these kids thugs, were the kids in the ripped jeans and metal t shirts and long hair who peopel thought were trouble makers when they were young. How easily we forget. If you have a problem with how this KIDS dress get over it. Most of these kids will grow out of this fase( just like almost all of us did) and will dress a little more mature as each year goes by.

Oh, I was one of those kids with long hair and all that stuff you mentioned. Of course, I didn't go into interviews wearing ripped jeans and concert t-shirts. But I did have an interviewer tell me (on more than one occasion) that if I wanted the job, I had to cut my hair. So yeah, I do know what it is like. And no, I have not forgotten that. That's why I try to see what a person is like on the inside rather than just the outside.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by Dottefan

I agree .. I went to the PW district once. I will never return, even if they throw out the dress code.

You'll be missed!

[Dottefan]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

Right. So the target market for hip hop is black males? Who are you kidding? If it wasn't for white, suburban, America, mainstream rap would've died years ago. That's just silly.

They are targeting young black males. and as far as rap it would not of died, but would not of been so mainstream.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Dottefan

You miss the point.. Any intelligent person could see that they are targeting black males with this dress code

Not true at all.

Ive seen plenty of hispanic, white, and asian kids dress in this manner.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by Dottefan

I agree .. I went to the PW district once. I will never return, even if they throw out the dress code.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Is a white t-shirt targeting a particular demographic?

Black youth, for sure.

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

Right. So the target market for hip hop is black males? Who are you kidding? If it wasn't for white, suburban, America, mainstream rap would've died years ago. That's just silly.

Good thing there isn't an accompanying culture that transcends the consumer.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by Micjones

No business that receives benefits from public taxpayers should have the right to be discriminatory.

dress codes are not disciminatory. Enforcement may be biased, but a dress code itsself cannot be unless it regulates skin color.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by Micjones

Kansas City taxpayers are on the hook for something like $300 million.



Happened last year.
One of my guy friends had just come from a wedding reception, was dressed to the nines, and was still denied entrance because his pants were cuffed.

Not to mention the whole thing was built on the premise of KC getting a professional Sports team at the Sprint Center. Nevermind it was built by an out of town group that just so happened to fund Mayor Barnes when she ran for congress.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

they should just open up a belt kiosk win-win!

[HonestChieffan]

Originally Posted by Micjones

Kansas City taxpayers are on the hook for something like $300 million.



Happened last year.
One of my guy friends had just come from a wedding reception, was dressed to the nines, and was still denied entrance because his pants were cuffed.

Is that all TIF Money?


Was he tring to get into a certain business. Ive only walked through the P and L once and it was noon in the summer so I dont really know what the business all are. Id like to learn more on this cuffed pants issue.