Music Incident at P&L District shocks DJ Jazzy Jeff - Page 88

Deberg_1990 · 06-08-2009, 07:17 AM

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.”

**SAUTO** · 06-10-2009, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dartgod

I think this thread has finally flamed out into a cripple fight.

WHAT??? i'm no ****ing cripple and if i was what would be the problem you biased against cripples?

Dottefan · 06-10-2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

i'm not giving out my real name but mr. pitman was a close friend, charlie the security guard too, if you were in silver city much you would know him.

YOu mean chester the child molester pittman..lol..that mother****er got me kicked out of Harmon.

**SAUTO** · 06-10-2009, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottefan

I know Man, curly, bubspy, sed, Penrod, Paul(rip), OG Perry, OG Big Gill...shit bro..Dre, Ant, Big Paul...man come on bro..you want me to name homies from Silver CIty also?

which paul died? and i built cars for "man" back in the day with rick tinoco. but lowriders are a mexican thing right?

**SAUTO** · 06-10-2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottefan

YOu mean chester the child molester pittman..lol..that mother****er got me kicked out of Harmon.

damn i would think you would LOVE mr. pitman he was like one of the first blacks to play football for OU IIRC

Dottefan · 06-10-2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

i'm not giving out my real name but mr. pitman was a close friend, charlie the security guard too, if you were in silver city much you would know him.

its cool..I aint tripping, aint like I am going to come gunning for you..lol..shit it aint that serious bro.

**SAUTO** · 06-10-2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottefan

its cool..I aint tripping, aint like I am going to come gunning for you..lol..shit it aint that serious bro.

i'm not worried about that,trust me i can handle myself, chiefs planet is a scary place to throw out too much personal stuff.

Dottefan · 06-10-2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

which paul died? and i built cars for "man" back in the day with rick tinoco. but lowriders are a mexican thing right?

Man my homie Paul with the delta 88(rip) and perry had the Baby herse green malibutwagon, penrod had the green coupdeville all of them on juice..it used to be a gang of lowriders down there back in the day....and when I was refering to lowriders, I was just giving props to my brown brothers for starting lowriding thats all...My homie be be had a blue four door malibu on juice , I used to always be with him, or sed who had a primered up four door bo on juice.

**Lzen** · 06-10-2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

i'm not worried about that,trust me i can handle myself, chiefs planet is a scary place to throw out too much personal stuff.

True, but that's only if you piss off the wrong people.

KC native · 06-10-2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

which paul died? and i built cars for "man" back in the day with rick tinoco. but lowriders are a mexican thing right?

Oh shit, there's a family name I haven't seen in years. I was good friends with a chick that was related to him (can't remember if it was cousin or a niece).

Hell, my old Reginald Denny (regular weed for the slow folks) hook up lived in Argentine. I used to spend a fair amount of time over there.

Dottefan · 06-10-2009, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

damn i would think you would LOVE mr. pitman he was like one of the first blacks to play football for OU IIRC

He was cool tell he caught me with a dime sack..lol..but I got what I deserved.

**SAUTO** · 06-10-2009, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottefan

Man my homie Paul with the delta 88(rip) and perry had the Baby herse green malibutwagon, penrod had the green coupdeville all of them on juice..it used to be a gang of lowriders down there back in the day....and when I was refering to lowriders, I was just giving props to my brown brothers for starting lowriding thats all...My homie be be had a blue four door malibu on juice , I used to always be with him, or sed who had a primered up four door bo on juice.

funny, i know sed

Dottefan · 06-10-2009, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lzen

True, but that's only if you piss off the wrong people.

the most I would do is send a hatefull email..lol

Micjones · 06-10-2009, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

No, you didn't. You fabricated a storyline.

I can do that too ... let's see ... okay, here ...

I suppose you think the refugees would be better off continuing a generational culture of drug abuse, fatherless homes, and crime? Is that your preferred approach?

FAX

If pointing out the fact that there's something inherently wrong with you parading your philanthropic efforts around (while simultaneously calling their American brethren you previously cast judgmental stones at "illegitimate babymaking, cockeyed hat wearing miscreants who only aspire to sell crack") can be called fabrication.

I think I get the picture now though Mr. Fax.
No worries.

**SAUTO** · 06-10-2009, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC native

Oh shit, there's a family name I haven't seen in years. I was good friends with a chick that was related to him (can't remember if it was cousin or a niece).

Hell, my old Reginald Denny (regular weed for the slow folks) hook up lived in Argentine. I used to spend a fair amount of time over there.

his cousin gabe used to detail cars in arrowhead parking lot, until grandpa dickie shut that down

**SAUTO** · 06-10-2009, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottefan

the most I would do is send a hatefull email..lol

not what he's talking about nOOb

06-08-2009, 07:17 AM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3844454	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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