OT: POWER n White district in kc

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Thevillian

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#1
Jan 31, 2006
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http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-story-hiphop-concert-pandl-060709,0,4820974.story

KANSAS CITY, MO - Kansas City concertgoers were left angry and confused after a performance by hip-hop star DJ Jazzy Jeff at the Power and Light District was cut short on Saturday night.

According to attendees, the show abruptly ended after about 30 minutes due to what officials said was an unwillingness by the performer to turn down the volume.

DJ Jazzy Jeff. a.k.a. Jeff Townes, rose to stardom in the late 1980's with The Fresh Prince, a.k.a. rapper-turned-movie star Will Smith.

According to Power and Light president Jon Stephens, the performer and his crew were repeatedly asked to turn down the volume or risk damaging the venue's expensive sound system. DJ Jazzy Jeff then refused to return to the stage, and left the packed venue.

Police said that there were no reports of problems with the audience after the show abruptly ended.

Members of the local hip-hop community lit up Twitter and local blogs after the show, claiming that race was the primary reason the show got shut down, an allegation that Stephens vehemently denies.

"The Power & White District & The Cordish Co. do not want black people in their establishments," wrote Damon Smith on the blog ThisMayConcernYou.com. "The companies do not want hip hop music - an original and popular form of American entertainment - to be played in KC Live."

Smith also noted that the district included "a dueling piano bar, an Italian wine lounge, two Irish pubs, an upscale bowling alley, a posh Las Vegas-wannabe techno lounge, a place called Rock Bar and a Mexican cantina among other things," but no hip-hop venue.

The Power and Light District had previously stirred controversy over it's dress code policy that some people felt was aimed primarily at the African-American community.

On his Twitter page, DJ Jazzy Jeff wrote "HOW DID THEY KICK ME OFF STAGE IN KANSAS CITY FOR PLAYIN HIP HOP...I'M A 25YR LEGEND...THIS IS SOME BULL****."
 
jaydub816

jaydub816

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#2
Nov 13, 2002
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www.70mile.com
#2
they should of just let him play.. and if he did blow the sound system.. they should of made him pay for it... dumb decision imo.. but hey im just your average mexiwhite guy.. EDIT: thismayconcernyou.com turning that into a racist thing is going way too far.. douche's
 
smittycal

smittycal

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#4
Aug 16, 2003
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That shit is lame...if Im a venue and I ask Jazzy Jeff to come and do show it better be loud lol....What did they expect from him? Personally I would have left to because there basically telling him that they dont like his show the way he is brining it to them. I just hope he got paid in advance lol


Oh and I REALLY hope Tech does Let Me In @ Summer Jam and shout out Jazzy Jeff...that shit would be tight as hell
 
Sketchy B

Sketchy B

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Feb 1, 2006
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I've never been to KC, but the mayor of Portland, OR is in talks with the folks that build Power + Light district to do a development like that on the Inner-Eastside of Portland around the Rose Garden arena. I heard its cheesy corporate white-person thing for suburban folks who want to party in the city but don't want to mix with people from the streets. Not surprised they are trying to keep folks of color out and not scare white middle-aged/ex-frat boy types. Bullshit.
 
KEEP_IT_KEEBLER

KEEP_IT_KEEBLER

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Jan 4, 2005
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Controversy reappears at P&L District

By KEVIN COLLISON

The Kansas City Star



Courtesy of http://pbinderphotography.com
One of hip-hop's icons, DJ Jazzy Jeff, cut short a set of music and left the stage Saturday evening at the Power & Light District in a dispute over the kind of music his show was spinning. JAZZY0607

The Kansas City Power & Light District faces new controversy after a hip-hop artist said his weekend show was stopped abruptly because of the music he was playing.
The president of the Power & Light District, Jon Stephens, said his staff just wanted DJ Jazzy Jeff’s production crew to turn down music that was too loud for the sound system. But DJ Jazzy Jeff, one of the nation’s premier hip-hop performers, said the Power & Light District staff stopped his show at the Kansas City Live pavilion shortly after it began Saturday night because of the style of hip-hop he was playing.
“How did they kick me off stage in Kansas City for playin’ hip hop,” stated a posting on DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Twitter page. “I’m a 25-year legend … this is some (expletive).”
The message continued: “I mean, I was playin’ (expletive) like “Just a Friend” … it’s a Heineken commercial for god’s sake … 3,000 people were rockin … KC Live sucks … they said they wanted Top 40 … look at the Top 40 list.”
Officials at the downtown entertainment district disputed his accusation, saying DJ Jazzy Jeff was invited because of his hip-hop reputation.
“We would not have booked him if we weren’t aware of his style of music,” Stephens said.
His performance was stopped, Stephens said, after DJ Jazzy Jeff’s production crew refused repeated requests to turn down the volume.
“The sound technicians were exceeding the acceptable levels of the sound system and we ran the risk of blowing speakers,” Stephens said.
“Our production staff asked them to turn it down a half-hour into the performance. … They refused, so the show was halted to adjust the sound. We invited them to start again and they refused.”
Stephens said the show then continued with other DJs.
Patrick Binder, who was at the show, said the area was full of people enjoying the performance when it ended abruptly with no announcement to the crowd. Some booed briefly, but otherwise the incident was uneventful, he said.
DJ Jazzy Jeff did not reply to a message seeking a comment for this report on Sunday evening.
The accusations by DJ Jazzy Jeff that his show was stopped because of hip-hop revived concerns by some that the Cordish Co., which operates the entertainment district, is insensitive to how it’s perceived in the black community.
“Just when it seemed like the racial issues and drama surrounding the Power & Light District were calming down, Cordish decides to throw more drama and bad publicity at themselves,” posted a person identifying himself as Jeffisageek on the SocialMedian Web site.
Last year, Cordish was criticized for its dress code, which some believed unfairly discriminated against young African-American men because of its ban on hip-hop styles such as sagging pants, extra loose clothing and oversize jewelry.
The City Council passed an ordinance in April that addressed some of the concerns.
Stephens said the district is aware that some people are treating the DJ Jazzy Jeff incident as a racial issue.
“We’re seeing it on the blogs, and it’s an unfortunate rumor not founded on truth,” he said.
Other performers have been asked to turn down the volume without incident, he said.
Many performers are not familiar with the special nature of the Kansas City Live venue, Stephens said. The area, which occupies almost a city block, features a stage facing a large courtyard covered by a canopy with two levels of bars and restaurants on each side.
“It’s happened on a frequent basis,” Stephens said. “So many of the production technicians are used to being in amphitheaters where there’s just music. … We need to restrict the music level, and some of them have problems.”
Stephens added that DJ Jazzy Jeff is scheduled to perform at another entertainment venue operated by Cordish, Fourth Street Live in downtown Louisville, Ky. He said the hip-hop artist also has been asked to come back to the Power & Light District.
“We’d hope they’ll come back and do a performance,” he said.




The Star’s Tony Rizzo contributed to this report. To reach Kevin Collison, call 816-234-4289 or send e-mail to [email protected].
 
KEEP_IT_KEEBLER

KEEP_IT_KEEBLER

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#9
Jan 4, 2005
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#9
Incident at P&L shocks Jazzy Jeff

By JENEÉ OSTERHELDT

The Kansas City Star




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.”
 
mocheezkc

mocheezkc

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#11
May 20, 2006
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This is typical Kansas City. If you KNOW Kansas City, this is not surprising or shocking, it's just the way KC is when it comes to Hip-Hop/Rap events in venues that don't care to do business with the urban community.
 
J

JOINT

Fresh
#12
Aug 8, 2008
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#12
Well maybe if every hip hop club or concert didn't have a shooting or stabbing then things wouldn't be this way. He should have just turned it down and went on with the show. Almost every venue has a max volume restriction.
 
mocheezkc

mocheezkc

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#14
May 20, 2006
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#14
JOINT said:
Well maybe if every hip hop club or concert didn't have a shooting or stabbing then things wouldn't be this way. He should have just turned it down and went on with the show. Almost every venue has a max volume restriction.
Click to expand...
You obviously don't know Kansas City potna. There are weekly stabbings at Mexican Clubs, monthly shootings at Honky Tonk Bars and i have NEVER heard of a venue having a "max volume restriction". Kansas City's new "Power & White" Entertainment district has a short history, but has been very OPEN about the kind of clientle they CHOOSE to cater too.
 
J

JOINT

Fresh
#15
Aug 8, 2008
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My statement wasn't mean't as a diss. You are correct, people get shot and stabbed at every type of place. I was just saying that it seems like everytime someone opens a hip hop club it does good for a short time then gets shut down because of an incident. People stop going because they don't want to deal with drama.
 
Twiztidmn

Twiztidmn

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#17
Nov 14, 2003
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#17
FreedomLost said:
How common or uncommon is it for performers to bring their own soundsystem
to concerts?
Click to expand...
uncommon. performers (booking agents really) usually contact the club while booking the show to figure out details. max. capacity, stage dimensions, sound equipment/lighting used, etc. they then work around that. some performers will have set minimums that they require the club they are performing at to meet, and if they do not meet them, they do not do the show there.
 
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