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.”

[Kyle DeLexus]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

That doesn't mean that the historically advantaged group is not still advantaged. Nor does it imply that. So it may be reverse discrimination, it is absolutely not racist.

And at m-w.com the definition of the word racism is "racial prejudice or discrimination"

2nd definition that is.

[KCChiefsMan]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

What?

nobody would give a shit

[FAX]

If the historically disadvantaged group gains an advantage over the historically advantaged group, how long does it take for the historically advantaged group to become the historically disadvantaged group and the historically disadvantaged group to become the historically advantaged group and start taking advantage of the historically disadvantaged group just like the historically advantaged group did to start the whole thing?

FAX

[Kyle DeLexus]

Originally Posted by SportsRacer

Heh. Reverse racism is a highly dubious concept. It's hardly racist to try and amend for a traditionally racist system. Does stuff like affirmative action go too far? Perhaps, in some cases. But I'd be wary to categorize it as racism.

It is discrimination to a certain race and that is a definition of racism.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by FAX

If the historically disadvantaged group gains an advantage over the historically advantaged group, how long does it take for the historically advantaged group to become the historically disadvantaged group and the historically disadvantaged group to become the historically advantaged group and start taking advantage of the historically disadvantaged group just like the historically advantaged group did to start the whole thing?

FAX

We'll find out in 2030 when the U.S. population is scheduled to be comprised of more Hispanics than Caucasians.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by FAX

If the historically disadvantaged group gains an advantage over the historically advantaged group, how long does it take for the historically advantaged group to become the historically disadvantaged group and the historically disadvantaged group to become the historically advantaged group and start taking advantage of the historically disadvantaged group just like the historically advantaged group did to start the whole thing?

FAX

47.4 years.

[macdawg]

I don't like Jazzy Jeff getting shut down, but I do believe that the day you let P&L get thugged out is the day all the businesses there go out of business.

Mark my words, allow gangbangers inside or people who emulate gangbangers and shootings will occur, people with money will stop going whether they are black or white.

[Thig Lyfe]

Originally Posted by Kyle DeLexus

It is discrimination to a certain race and that is a definition of racism.

Sure. An incredibly imprecise and oversimplified definition.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by Kyle DeLexus

And at m-w.com the definition of the word racism is "racial prejudice or discrimination"

2nd definition that is.

I can't really argue with the dictionary. What SportsRacer said is how it's been explained to me in the corporate world.

[Kyle DeLexus]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I can't really argue with the dictionary. What SportsRacer said is how it's been explained to me in the corporate world.

Oh I get what your saying and really the only place that I feel reverse racism is prevalent is the media.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by Kyle DeLexus

Oh I get what your saying and really the only place that I feel reverse racism is prevalent is the media.

I think the media inspires more prejudices than any other source. It's really kind of perverse when you see what gets covered and what doesn't.

[FAX]

Maybe it's because I've spent so much time as a young man playing blues clubs alongside black guys and hanging out with them and their fellow black peeps, but I've never seriously entertained what most people would probably call "racist feelings". I have, however, run into ladies that reminded me of my Aunt Wilma and I couldn't stand those bitches at first sight. Also, people with extremely large noses bug me or those people with noses where, when you look straight at the peep in question's face, you can see straight down their nostrils almost all the way to their brain (I surmise that the ancient Egyptians like those kinds of peeps, though, on account of the fact that they were particularly easy to mummify when they used that crooked stick to pull their brains out through their sinus passages. Probably made that whole operation a lot faster). Oh. And, of course, I'd just as soon kick a midget in the nads as look at him.

FAX

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Kyle DeLexus

Oh I get what your saying and really the only place that I feel reverse racism is prevalent is the media.

Reverse racism is everywhere. /penz/

[Kyle DeLexus]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I think the media inspires more prejudices than any other source. It's really kind of perverse when you see what gets covered and what doesn't.

That's very true, I should have been more specific with comedy and radio.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I think the media inspires more prejudices than any other source. It's really kind of perverse when you see what gets covered and what doesn't.

I know exactly what you mean, Mr. Mr. Flopnuts. Listening to the press, one would think a midget could do no wrong.

FAX