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.”

Originally Posted by Micjones

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.

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!"

[wild1]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

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

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.

[wild1]

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.

[Dayze]

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

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by wild1

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.

[blaise]

Originally Posted by Micjones

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.

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.

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

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??

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

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by blaise

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.

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

Again...
Cordish DID NOT book Jazzy Jeff.

[blaise]

Originally Posted by Micjones

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.

[Demonpenz]

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

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by blaise

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.

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.


KCL typically does not entertain Rap acts of ANY kind.

[HonestChieffan]

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?

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

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

[Nzoner]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

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

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.

[Demonpenz]

Originally Posted by Nzoner

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/