Roberts Broadcasting is banning the naughty and offensive language on WRBJ 97.7. Russ Parr could be on the chopping block according to a report on the local news. This in response to the Don Imus flap. I'm not sure how long it will last. More power too them if they can pull it off. By the way, if they ban offensive rap, what would be left to play? dead air, white noise? I've always thought that station's music was a little raw especially when the previous owners had it.
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hot 97 bans offensive lyrics
- Thread starter flytrap
- Start date
M
menotti1
Guest
just a publicity and ratings ploy.hard to find non offensive rap.maybe we could get a clean version of the Happy Nappy HO song.97.7 playing pure virgin cuts of all your favorite rap songs, NO DIRTY LYRICS. Please get real..
This was the top story on WAPT last night and on the Clarion-Ledger's front page this morning. If they do ban all these songs, they might as well change the format because there won't be much left. All that will be left is Ciara and old-school music.
T
theairdownthere
Guest
So we can expect a flip to hot ac any day then?
I can't think of ANY rap album in recent years that didn't have an explicit lyrics label on the cover. The only rapper that I can think of that doesn't curse is Will Smith. And the hip hop "community" normally doesn't respect Will Smith because they accuse him of being "soft" and not "keeping it real". no "street cred" I guess you maybe could play some old Little Bow-wow or Lil' Romeo.
Obviously, many of the posters above do not listen to rap music on the radio. There are two versions made of many rap recordings, the regular and the "Walmart" versions. The Walmart version was so named because that retailer (and many others) refuses to sell CDs with explicit lyrics. Rather than lose all that huge market (Walmart is the largest music retailer in the country) a sanitized version is also made. It is that version which is usually played on the radio (in some cases, the radio stations do their own edit).
I'm sure most of the people on this board know that this is a publicity stunt. People are more hip that you think. Its just like when WAPT banned NYPD Blue. And we all know that didn't last either. I also recall that many stations banned Elvis and that evil pelvis gyrating rock and roll music from the airwaves back in the 50's. And we all know how long that lasted didn't we.
People are also making the easy assumption that what's played on the radio and seen on BET/MTV is representative of EVERYTHING crafted musically in hip-hop. What music you do observe likely has a big promotional machine behind it (locally, regionally, and nationally, by the labels).
It's been mainstreamed by the mere fact it's in the public eye/ear. It represents a significant chunk of what's being done. But by no means is it the whole pie. You've heard of 50 Cent, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg--what about Murs, Little Brother, MF Doom, The Coup, dead prez?
Here's a more telling example of how the game is played--I'm sure that someone here has heard of The Roots. (You've definitely seen their Afro-ed drummer '?uestlove' on TV commercials.) The hip-hop band has toured and performed to sold out shows for years. But I'll bet you can't remember the last time you've heard them on the radio. And they've only been recording for about 15 years.
Gosh forbid that anyone think that country music begins and ends with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, George Strait, or Alan Jackson. It has WAY more depth than "Hawkey* Tonk Badonkadonk" or "Country Boys and Girls Gettin' Down on the Farm". :
Getting back to my original thoughts--there's PLENTY of hip-hop acts and music to choose from. Radio only plays what makes them the most profit--i.e., listeners to numb with advertising. Rapper David Banner was right--our society loves the sex and violence and the vulgarity, and to try to pass it off as just a 'rap problem' is convenient and short-sighted.
*spelled as such due to language filter
It's been mainstreamed by the mere fact it's in the public eye/ear. It represents a significant chunk of what's being done. But by no means is it the whole pie. You've heard of 50 Cent, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg--what about Murs, Little Brother, MF Doom, The Coup, dead prez?
Here's a more telling example of how the game is played--I'm sure that someone here has heard of The Roots. (You've definitely seen their Afro-ed drummer '?uestlove' on TV commercials.) The hip-hop band has toured and performed to sold out shows for years. But I'll bet you can't remember the last time you've heard them on the radio. And they've only been recording for about 15 years.
Gosh forbid that anyone think that country music begins and ends with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, George Strait, or Alan Jackson. It has WAY more depth than "Hawkey* Tonk Badonkadonk" or "Country Boys and Girls Gettin' Down on the Farm". :
Getting back to my original thoughts--there's PLENTY of hip-hop acts and music to choose from. Radio only plays what makes them the most profit--i.e., listeners to numb with advertising. Rapper David Banner was right--our society loves the sex and violence and the vulgarity, and to try to pass it off as just a 'rap problem' is convenient and short-sighted.
*spelled as such due to language filter
Another point in regards to hip-hop: It's easy to blame and shame the artists who record the music--what about the very people with the power (and the profit) who determines what is mainsteam?
While folks are busy scolding Young Buck or The Game for their potty mouths, why not Sumner Redstone, Lyor Cohen, or Lowry Mays? They didn't write their lyrics or produce their songs--but they all share some responsibility for the success of their careers too.
If NBC decided to replace its children's E/I programming with hardcore porn movies, who do you think will be in more trouble--Jenna Jameson (who might star in the films), or NBC CEO Jeff Zucker? If what's heard in hip-hop is really so problematic, shouldn't the same logic apply?
While folks are busy scolding Young Buck or The Game for their potty mouths, why not Sumner Redstone, Lyor Cohen, or Lowry Mays? They didn't write their lyrics or produce their songs--but they all share some responsibility for the success of their careers too.
If NBC decided to replace its children's E/I programming with hardcore porn movies, who do you think will be in more trouble--Jenna Jameson (who might star in the films), or NBC CEO Jeff Zucker? If what's heard in hip-hop is really so problematic, shouldn't the same logic apply?
beefjerky said:
I don't think you're following me. There were several hoops jumped through BEFORE the rapper-of-the-month started getting hundreds of radio spins and selling CDs/downloads.
Some A&R rep thought their particular act was worth investing in and signed him/her to a recording contract. Some record label higher up gave the go-ahead to promote their recording effort with paid spins, music videos, live appearances, and a concert tour. Some station(s) music/programming director thought it'd be worth it clearing his/her songs on the radio.
There are literally dozens of people involved who know what Rapper X's sound and flow will be like before he makes his regional/national debut--they know his stuff will be dumbed down, controversial, and possibly offensive. Yet he gets the gets the big push anyway. If he catches heat, they should too.
With all that said, your point about the people making the hit isn't wrong by any means. It actually reinforces the point that Mississippi's own David Banner was making--way too many people love the violence and the sex, despite saying otherwise publicly.
I have a problem with the whole game... record labels, artists, audience & parents who allow it. The record labels definitely are putting the $$$ behind this controversial "stuff", the artist are recording it because the audience wants it, but the audience craves just this genre of hip-hop because, in too many cases, they're not exposed to other artist like The Roots, Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli. And parents need to step up and tell their kids why the images and lyrics that are shared over the radio is wrong. Take time to listen to what your kids are listening to. Many parents don't. I'm a parent of a teen and half the time he doesn't even know what they're rapping about until I break it down for him. Even still it's hard to get him to see the impact because this is what his friends are listening to.
How can we get the lesser-known, more positive rappers more exposure? Common has garnered some success. What about the others? Hip-hop/urban radio, as it is now, is unlistenable to me.
How can we get the lesser-known, more positive rappers more exposure? Common has garnered some success. What about the others? Hip-hop/urban radio, as it is now, is unlistenable to me.
I think parents should be required to google the lyrics of some of the songs their kids are listening too. I have. And believe me, I felt dirty after doing so. Some of the lyrics are so nasty that its far worse than anything you'll ever see on a porn site. There are rappers that don't cuss in their records but they won't play them on the radio. I guess clean rappers have no "street cred" or maybe they aren't "keeping it real".
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