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.”

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by thebrad84

I have only read the first four pages on this thread, so perhaps this has already been mentioned by someone else in the other 5 pages, but I have to say this:

Can't this statement be used to explain why you see this dress code as simply only targeting young, black males? That is to say, perhaps the dress code was created by Cordish Co. to ensure that the gang culture and violence that it is so well known to come with would not become a part of the night life crowd at the P&L, but unfortunately with doing so has included many otherwise gang and violence free subjects that choose to dress in a similar fashion as those the code sought to keep out?

That might work if I didn't have personal relationships with people who've come from the gang culture you're speculating over.

Sorry, but workboots and necklaces aren't exactly derivatives of gang culture.

But I'm sure the 50-year old rich White men who are not native to Kansas City area understand the landscape of gang culture in the Midwest. Or even have the faintest idea what the trappings of gang culture would be.

[stevieray]

it's their venue and their equipment in their house..

...noone runs my stereo during a party...

[Simplex3]

Originally Posted by stevieray

it's their venue and their equipment in their house..

...noone runs my stereo during a party...

If I bought your stereo I might get a say in it.

This is precisely why mixing government into private enterprise is beyond stupid.

[Spott]

Where exactly is the P&L district?

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by stevieray

it's their venue and their equipment in their house..

...noone runs my stereo during a party...

And if for some reason you allowed them to...
I'm guessing you wouldn't give them a full half-hour headstart at ruining your stereo before you intervened.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by Micjones

And if for some reason you allowed them to...
I'm guessing you wouldn't give them a full half-hour headstart at ruining your stereo before you intervened.

if i came to the conclusion they were abusing the system after a while....absolutlely.

..you gonna run the rpm's on your car as high as it can go for as long as it can take it before it blows up?

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Micjones

But I'm sure the 50-year old rich White men who are not native to Kansas City area understand the landscape of gang culture in the Midwest. Or even have the faintest idea what the trappings of gang culture would be.

That's my biggest hangup with this thread. So many posts made out of sheer ignorance.

[homey]

Originally Posted by Simplex3

This is precisely why mixing government into private enterprise is beyond stupid.

The conversation has officially ended when the neo-socialism card has been played.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Spott

Where exactly is the P&L district?

Downtown KC, across from the Sprint Center.

[FAX]

These P&L peeps need to get an amplifier with knobs that only go to 5 or 6 or whatever instead of 10.

Problem solved. Good race relations restored.

FAX

[Spott]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Downtown KC, across from the Sprint Center.

Thanks.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by Micjones

But I'm sure the 50-year old rich White men who are not native to Kansas City area understand the landscape of gang culture in the Midwest. Or even have the faintest idea what the trappings of gang culture would be.

your post sounds racist

I know several older rich black men who don't understand the landsacape of gang culture or it's trappings...they don't want to. It's not glamorous.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by Micjones

That might work if I didn't have personal relationships with people who've come from the gang culture you're speculating over.

Sorry, but workboots and necklaces aren't exactly derivatives of gang culture.

But I'm sure the 50-year old rich White men who are not native to Kansas City area understand the landscape of gang culture in the Midwest. Or even have the faintest idea what the trappings of gang culture would be.

http://www.cityofkannapolis.com/dept...nformation.asp

http://laethnic.blogspot.com/2009/02/los-angeles-metropolis-defined-by.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/..._street_c.html

http://www.gangresearch.net/ChicagoG...schigangs4.htm

http://www.gaylords712.com/whitegangs.html

http://www.nwgangs.com/white_race_gangs.html


yeah, gangs never wear work boots.

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by FAX

These P&L peeps need to get an amplifier with knobs that only go to 5 or 6 or whatever instead of 10.

Problem solved. Good race relations restored.

FAX

I've always liked the ones that go to 11.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Micjones

That might work if I didn't have personal relationships with people who've come from the gang culture you're speculating over.

Sorry, but workboots and necklaces aren't exactly derivatives of gang culture.

But I'm sure the 50-year old rich White men who are not native to Kansas City area understand the landscape of gang culture in the Midwest. Or even have the faintest idea what the trappings of gang culture would be.

Yes, i cant understand why 50 year old white men would want to distance their business's from gang culture??