Music Incident at P&L District shocks DJ Jazzy Jeff - Page 15

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** · 06-08-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micjones

Is it a 1:1 with "no jerseys or work boots"?
Think McFly.

so are you saying that me, a white guy, wearing my work boots would be turned away? what's discriminatory about that?

Brock · 06-08-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottefan

No you just need to get over yourself. I love putting on my white t`s and baggy shorts and watching you uptight ****s in JO get all scared when a big black brother shows up. I have the right to dress how I want. I will assume you dress in dockers in Polo's, and suits, just like those men from Enron, and the guys who started the savings a loan mess, and all the rest of those THUGS who stole money and robbed the American Dream from so many people...that's what I will think when I see you. Does that seam fair to you? No, and it shouldn't.So if they don't let black guys in clubs in white tees them........... From now on any White Male in a Suit and Tie should not be let near any bank or any financial institution because you know how all those white guys in suits are..they will still all the money..lol..because from your logic that's how the world is right?

You get dumber with every post. Nobody's afraid of you, "Big Black Brother"

. You have the right to dress however you want, except in places where there's a dress code. I need to get over myself? You're a freaking joke who has nothing better to do than complain about how you can't dress the way you want, whenever you want. Sounds like a high school dropout complaining about school rules.

Dottefan · 06-08-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

If thats the case, why cant they conform to the dress code? Seems simple enough to me?

Why should be have to? How about no suits, because all those corparate THUGS that stole my 401k and destroyed our economy had suits on.

**Kyle DeLexus** · 06-08-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottefan

No you just need to get over yourself. I love putting on my white t`s and baggy shorts and watching you uptight ****s in JO get all scared when a big black brother shows up. I have the right to dress how I want. I will assume you dress in dockers in polos, and suits, just like those men from Enron, and the guys who started the savings a loan mess, and all the rest of those THUGS who stole money and robbed the American Dream from so many people...thats what I will think when I see you. Does that seam fair?

Seriously, if you are going to dress like a gang member why wouldn't you get treated like one. It's the same for white guys as it is blacks. It's not like there is a group of black and white kids dressed like that and someone will go up to the white guys saying "alright you upstanding taxpayers can come in, but only you" It should be common knowledge for everyone that if you dress a certain way, you'll be treated a certain way. Again, this is not new.

I will say if you dress like that be prepared you should know how you'll be treated, but I won't say people that dress that way are scum and couldn't get a job except at pizza hut.

Micjones · 06-08-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

Cuffed Pants? Where did that happen?

KC Live.

Fairplay · 06-08-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micjones

Is it a 1:1 with "no jerseys or work boots"?
Think McFly.

Again, do you agree or disagree with the statement?

You won't answer the question because you know it is true.

Therefore all your petty debates about this are all for not.

Dottefan · 06-08-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

You get dumber with every post. Nobody's afraid of you, "Big Black Brother"

. You have the right to dress however you want, except in places where there's a dress code. I need to get over myself? You're a freaking joke who has nothing better to do than complain about you can't dress the way you want, whenever you want. Sounds like a high school dropout complaining about school rules.

and you sound like a stupid ****..oh, and I am working on my masters, just to let you know.

HonestChieffan · 06-08-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micjones

KC Live.

They wont let people in with cuffs on their pants?

CoMoChief · 06-08-2009, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micjones

A better question might be... Why should they have to?
Why should a dress code be discriminatory?

How is the dress code discriminatory?..... is the better question.

Micjones · 06-08-2009, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

so are you saying that me, a white guy, wearing my work boots would be turned away? what's discriminatory about that?

Sauto, you're smarter than this...
I said earlier that the code will always affect those for whom it was not intended.

But you're not going to tell me that if I owned an establishment that banned, say, cowboy hats/boots that I'm not sending a pretty obvious message.

**Iowanian** · 06-08-2009, 12:04 PM

No white Tshirts? No cuffed pants?

Holy Crap....They're banning Fonzie and the entire male cast of GREASE!! THESE BASTARDS HATE SINGING and dance routines!!!! They hate every male in American Graffiti too!!! Holy Crap...fans of The Outsiders aren't going to be happy either.

Dottefan · 06-08-2009, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyle DeLexus

Seriously, if you are going to dress like a gang member why wouldn't you get treated like one. It's the same for white guys as it is blacks. It's not like there is a group of black and white kids dressed like that and someone will go up to the white guys saying "alright you upstanding taxpayers can come in, but only you" It should be common knowledge for everyone that if you dress a certain way, you'll be treated a certain way. Again, this is not new.

I will say if you dress like that be prepared you should know how you'll be treated, but I won't say people that dress that way are scum and couldn't get a job except at pizza hut.

So then, by your logic, white guys in suits should be classified just like the black guys in white T`s. What is the diffrence? I would say 99% of the people that destroyed our economy with their greed had on suits when they did that...

Micjones · 06-08-2009, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fairplay

Again, do you agree or disagree with the statement?

You won't answer the question because you know it is true.

Therefore all your petty debates about this are all for not.

It's not the same thing Albert.
Requiring a coat and tie is not a 1:1 with "no jerseys or work boots".
Are you really this dumb?

Brock · 06-08-2009, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottefan

and you sound like a stupid ****..oh, and I am working on my masters, just to let you know.

That may be, but you come across as being dumber than a bag of hammers, and your maturity level is definitely pretty low if all you can complain about is not being able to wear your jailhouse garb anywhere you want.

Micjones · 06-08-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowanian

No white Tshirts? No cuffed pants?

Holy Crap....They're banning Fonzie and the entire male cast of GREASE!! THESE BASTARDS HATE SINGING and dance routines!!!! They hate every male in American Graffiti too!!! Holy Crap...fans of The Outsiders aren't going to be happy either.

Hey watch it pal. "The Outsiders" is one of my favorite films of all-time.

06-08-2009, 07:17 AM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3914454	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.”
Posts: 66,914

06-08-2009, 12:04 PM	#221
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $4738454	No white Tshirts? No cuffed pants? Holy Crap....They're banning Fonzie and the entire male cast of GREASE!! THESE BASTARDS HATE SINGING and dance routines!!!! They hate every male in American Graffiti too!!! Holy Crap...fans of The Outsiders aren't going to be happy either.
Posts: 61,539