Local Rapper Suing KBXX

[DToTheJ]

Trae The Truth - a popular local rapper who was honored with his own "Trae Day" two years ago - is filing a lawsuit against Radio One, citing "a consistent pattern of business disparagement, conspiracy and tortious interference" as a result of a ban on his music at 97.9 The Box, which happened as a result of a tiff with Box morning show DJ Nnete.

Full story:
http://blogs.chron.com/peep/2010/05/trae_files_suit_against_979_th_1.html

 

[ChuckTiller]

A radio station does NOT have to play a song unless it wants to do it. There have been many situations where stations made a decision NOT to play an artist's record. This is not anything new. Others have tried and failed. Franklin Thompson the 3rd (Trae Da Truth) is wasting his time. However, if he can prove defamation of character, he can sue for that.

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

A radio station does NOT have to play a song unless it wants to do it. There have been many situations where stations made a decision NOT to play an artist's record. This is not anything new. Others have tried and failed. Franklin Thompson the 3rd (Trae Da Truth) is wasting his time. However, if he can prove defamation of character, he can sue for that.

Very true, but he mentioned Krackernuttz being fired for playing his song. He may be on to something. Same situation happened in DC at 95.5 WPGC where a DJ was fired for playing a song in the mix.

 

[ChuckTiller]

Actually, it's irrelevant. If they were ordered not to play a song or and artist and they go ahead and do it, then they set themselves up for dismissal. This puts the program director in the position to fire them. If the PD doesn't, then he/she will have lost the ability to command while sending a message to other DJs that they too, can get away with it. It is not against the law; therefore Thompson cannot use that as a basis for suit. His only recourse would be a provable defamation of character.

 

[distortion1]

I'm not taking one side or the other, but defamation of character seems probable, from what I've read thus far. Supposedly the ban from his songs on the airwaves stems from the TSU incident in which there was gun play, in which morning personality Nnette made a comment tying Trae's music to "those kinds of activities."

Only going by what I've read.

 

[bucwhyl]

And the song played by the Kracker Nuttz wasn't even by Trae. Trae was featured in the song. Also, what about GT getting suspended for putting one of Trae's songs in a mix he did away from the station? Was that a correct decision?

 

[mr.ric]

Thank Nnete for all of this. I listened to the interview that morining when it was actually on. Had she not opened her big mouth by blaming his music for the shooting at his concert, none of this (lawsuit, banning, etc) would be happening. Trae's reason for that concert was to help the people in the community, not to have people in danger by being in the middle of a gang war. Only the gang members intended to do that stupidness, not Trae. Even Bun B called into the show later on saying it wasn't Trae's fault and Nnete was wrong for what she said. She sounds like the messy type anyway, in my opinion.

This has defamation of character written all over it. I hope he wins the lawsuit.

 

[ColonelStJames]

I remember a similar situation on time at KILT. It was before I was there. An "artist" complained to Marvin Zindler that he couldn't get his record played on KILT. So, Marvin, camera rolling, stormed into complain to Dickie Rosenfeld. Dickie, realizing the publicity that would be garnered for KILT, took Marvin and his cameraman upstairs to the AM control room. I think Beau Weaver was on the air at the time. Dickie took the record from Marvin, handed it to Beau, and said "Podnah, this goes on next." And of course, it did. It was handed back to Marvin after it played, and it was never played again, but that was AFTER the camera had stopped rolling. Dickie....What a showman! There has never been and there will never be another one like him!

 

[rapking]

Does KBXX listeners want to listen to this rap artist music ? If so, play his music . P D's may dislike the song or the music artist but if the listeners want to hear it, PLAY IT !

 

[bucwhyl]

Trust me, Texas love Trae. "Swang" is a classic! Nnete should have been yanked off the air instead of Trae's music. Ain't nothing worse than a messy-a$$ broad and her mouth!

 

[mr.ric]

Ain't nothing worse than a messy-a$$ broad and her mouth!

That's the first true thing I have ever read on this board in a long time.

And now the theme for NBC's "The More You Know": Da Ding Ding Ding

 

[urbanradio704]

Yup, that sounds like Radio One.

 

[urbanradio704]

He doesn't have a case, wasting his time. Radio stations can play what they want. An artist can't sue a radio station just bc they don't play his song. It's called insubordination, failure to follow directions, it's very elementary, and that's what they were fired for. If your boss tells u to do or not to do something, u have to listen or u'll get fired. Defamation of character? Yeah, good luck proving that. No case. Just a publicity stunt.

 

[aunti-terrestrial]

Oh, I don't know. The aught decade was riddled with artists' antitrust lawsuits against Clear Channel for their [ alleged ] practice of strong-arming artists to either sign touring contracts with CCE or not gain airplay. Those suits, of course, were avoided by the company's diversification of CCE, selling back 10% of the entertainment division (the name, basically) to Pace, and then dissolving the name CCE and converting/"selling" the division's assets to LiveNation/venue marketing, with Mays family members serving on its board of directors. Basically, they [allegedly ] shuffled it so the venues themselves could demand that exclusive touring promotion contract---bands who sign with the "advertiser" get supported, naturally. So, artists suing stations or owners for blackballing airplay is not something that's unheard-of. It may not have legal legs in the long run, but it does raise a bigger issue.

I am kind of interested to see how the defamation part of the suit plays out. If successful, that could set a precedent that might send big ripples throughout the talk format pond. The implications could be wide-reaching and it might force some hosts to review their own liability when defaming another person. It would certainly force a clarification of what's defamation and what can resonably be considered satire. Since the rapper isn't running for political office anytime soon, he may certainly be entitled to defend his character.

Recently, Tiger Woods' mistress #1 threatened Joy Behar of The View for cracking wise about her name, "Yeah, U-ca-tell she's a hooker." That chick lawyered up within three hours to demand a retraction and an on-air apology, which Behar delivered, albeit with a remarkable lack of sincerity. So, I'll be interested to see how this part of the suit turns out.

 

[jd]

He doesn't have a case, wasting his time. Radio stations can play what they want.

While it's far from being over, it looks like Trae has lost the first round in this one. His request for a temporary injection against The Box has been thrown out: www.theboombox.com/2010/05/18/judge-rejects-trae-tha-truths-charge-against-radio-station/

 

[jayxs]

Brandi Garcia/Krackernuttz Fired

I'm hearing Brandi Garcia was shown the door yesterday after playing the same track - not on the air, but at a KBXX event. The Box needs to get out of politics and focus on being a radio station. For the first time in a long time, I DO hope another Urban comes along on a strong signal just to kill KBXX off.

 

[mr.ric]

Re: Brandi Garcia/Krackernuttz Fired

I'm hearing Brandi Garcia was shown the door yesterday after playing the same track - not on the air, but at a KBXX event. The Box needs to get out of politics and focus on being a radio station. For the first time in a long time, I DO hope another Urban comes along on a strong signal just to kill KBXX off.

Thanks for reminding me why i don't listen to The Box that much anymore. :

I think the powers that be at The Box need to loosen up on the music and content and just do what it is supposed to do, be a regular hip-hop station that plays the music that Houston people want to listen to. I've recently talked to a few friends of mine and they have told me how different 97.9 has sound within the past year or two and how they just sound so stale. But of course, we can thank Radio One for that. In general, i think they just need to quit being so stuck-up on everything, from the music to what the DJ's do and just run a radio station.

This is one of the reasons why i STILL think Houston needs a hip-hop station. But i hope Brandi and The Krackernuttz land on their feet somewhere sometime soon, and i hope to god soon.

 

[DJboutit3]

With this happing in a yr or so kbxx will be playing oldies or country

 

[johndavis]

With this happing in a yr or so kbxx will be playing oldies or country

You're underestimating Cathy Hughes.

Now let's get something straight... if you've been told that Trae is persona non grata at Radio One and several people have already been fired for insubordination for playing him, what made her think that she'd be treated differently?

If you haven't been told that you can't do x because the owner doesn't like it, you haven't been in radio. I've worked for stations that didn't play number one hits because the owner didn't like the song or the artist. I've worked for stations where if you didn't slant your news to the hard right, you'd be fired, even if that means you had to skip over top stories because it made the owner's favorite politician look bad that day. Heck, I've worked for stations where we've dropped songs from an entire record label because the label screwed us.

It's business. I don't like Best Buy, so I buy from Fry's. Best Buy can't sue me to shop there, and if they did I'd hate them more.

Radio One is under no obligation to play Trae just because he's local, just as The Buzz is under no obligation to play a local band. Or any other band.

If Trae wants to challenge Radio One, get some investors, buy a radio station, and go after the Box. After all, KCOH is probably still for sale... preserve some history. But suing the largest black broadcaster in the country does poison the well for getting future airplay anywhere.

 

[kilamanjero]

Re: Brandi Garcia/Krackernuttz Fired

I'm hearing Brandi Garcia was shown the door yesterday after playing the same track - not on the air, but at a KBXX event. The Box needs to get out of politics and focus on being a radio station. For the first time in a long time, I DO hope another Urban comes along on a strong signal just to kill KBXX off.

Thanks for reminding me why i don't listen to The Box that much anymore. :

I think the powers that be at The Box need to loosen up on the music and content and just do what it is supposed to do, be a regular hip-hop station that plays the music that Houston people want to listen to. I've recently talked to a few friends of mine and they have told me how different 97.9 has sound within the past year or two and how they just sound so stale. But of course, we can thank Radio One for that. In general, i think they just need to quit being so stuck-up on everything, from the music to what the DJ's do and just run a radio station.

This is one of the reasons why i STILL think Houston needs a hip-hop station. But i hope Brandi and The Krackernuttz land on their feet somewhere sometime soon, and i hope to god soon.

I've been saying for awhile now about Houston and it's lack of urban competition for the Radio One cluster. CBS is the only radio group that has shown consistently in multiple markets to give Radio One a run for its money.