Hot 97 Still in the Hot Seat

January 31, 2005

Also, many thanks to the generous folks who came out to the Tsunami Fundraiser on Friday night at Varnish. Exact figures are not in yet, but we raised more than $2,700 to help tsunami vicitms in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Best of all, a donor has pledged to match the funds!

Speaking of the tsunami, the latest on the Hot 97 controvery is that an email is circulating claiming that Miss Jones did not write or perform the racist tsunami song and places the blame on producer Rick Delgado.

Right. I can't believe someone would even try to deflect the blame like that, especially if you listen to the clip and hear the yelling that goes on between Miss Jones and Miss Info, the only person on the show who objected to the song. If anyone gets ahold of this email, please post it. I'd like to read it for myself.

(Credit: Pop Life)

Contributor: 

Melissa Hung

Founding Editor

Melissa Hung is the founding editor of Hyphen. She was the editor in chief for the magazine's first five years and went on to serve in many other leadership roles on the staff and board for more than a decade. She is a writer and freelance journalist. Her essays and reported stories have appeared in NPR, Vogue, Pacific Standard, Longreads, and Catapult, among others. She grew up in Texas, the eldest child of immigrants. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.

Comments

Comments

OMG thats ignorant, hes an aussie.That show is pathetic and id wish the british never created modern usa or wiped out the ozzies, But murdoch is a nob.
Here's a link to a transcript of that pathetic email:http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.3025Am I wrong, or is Rick Delgado the only person involved not of African-American descent? What a coincidence!
SRI LANKANS DENOUNCE HOT 97's RACIST TSUNAMI SONGSri Lankans in the United Kingdom have joined with the Sri Lankan Community in New York in denouncing the cruel and racist Tsunami Song by Miss Jones and Todd Lynn aired over Hot 97, the hip hop radio station in New York.The news of Hot 97's racist tsunami song is filtering through to the tsunami hit countries of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand, South India. People are incensed at the song which goes beyond human decency. The governments of the tsunami hit region have been urged to take the matter up with the US Government as it insults the deaths of so many tsunami victims. Sri Lanka has lost over 40,000 people in the tsunami according to the latest count.Sri Lankans have joined in the demonstrations in New York supported by New York City Councillors.Here are the lyrics:TSUNAMI SONGDate aired: Morning of January 18TH-27TH 2005 (multiple airings)Station call letters: WQHT-New York (Hot 97)Offending DJs: Miss Jones and Todd LynnOffending lyrics:“There was a time, when the sun was shining brightSo I went down to the beach to catch me a tanThen the next thing I knewA wave 20 feet high came and wash your country awayAnd all at once, you can hear the screaming chinks.And then no one was save from the wave.There was Africans drowning, little Chinaman swept awayYou can heard god laughing, swim you bitches swim.So now you're screwed, it's the the tsunami,You better run and kiss your ass awake, go find your mommyI just saw her float by, a tree right through her head.And now your children will be sold in child slavery.(Imitating Micheal Jackson)"Oh on, please not the kids. I'll pay for all the kids.all the little Indonesian kid, the little Asian kids, the Chinese kids.the black, oh well, not the Black kids.the White kids, the Puerto Rican kids.I love them all. I'll pay for everything.I promise I won't touch them."Sri Lankans all over the world wishing to protest are requested to write to their local American Embassy and to -HOT 97395 Hudson St. 7th Fl.New York, NY 10014HOT 97 E-mailhot97 [at] hot97.com
British Parliamentarians have raised the issue of the racist Tsunami Song aired over Hot 97 the hip hop radio station. The song was blatantly racist and was a slur against the Sri Lankan victims of the tsunami. Sri Lanka lost well over 40,000 people in the disaster. Over 2 million have been made homeless. No one is laughing in Sri Lanka and the song has angered Sri Lankans.Hot 97's Tsunami Song laughed at the deaths of tens of thousands of people who perished as a result of the terrible tsunami of 26th December 2004 which devastated Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South India, Thailand, Maldives, Andaman Islands and even affected Malasiya and Myanmar. It was the world's worst natural disaster.US President George Bush has been urged to take action against Emmis Radio and Hot 97 for bringing America into disrepute.Emmis Radio have only suspended Miss Jones for two weeks despite her racist outbursts and being a willing singer of the Tsunami Song. People in the UK are calling for the resignation of Miss Jones. Others have even called for the resignation of Richard Cummings, President of Emmis Radio for ignoring the cruel song which was aired for over a week on Hot 97 radio.Now British parliamentarians- of all parties - have deplored the Tsunami Song in an early day motion tabled in the House of Commons in the Palace of Westminster.EDM 638 states:HOT 97'S RACIST TSUNAMI SONG'That this House deplores the racist Tsunami Song aired on Hot 97 radio station in New York; calls upon Richard Cummings, President of Emmis Radio, to take firm action against those who aired the song beyond the temporary suspension; and commends the heartfelt tsunami song composed by British Sri-Lankan Nimal Mendis..... 'EDM 638 was sponsored by the highly influential British Parliamentarian, Linda Perham, MP for Ilford North.to send your protests in writing:Hot 97 WQHT-FM395 Hudson Street, 7th FloorNew York, NY 10014Phone: 212-229-9797Fax: 212-929-8559E-mail: jdimick [at] hot97.emmis.comE-mail: hot97 [at] hot97.comE-mail: morningshow [at] hot97.comBarry Mayo, General Manager, Hot 97 WQHT-FMJohn Dimick, Program Director, Hot 97 WQHT-FMEmmis CommunicationsOne Emmis Plaza40 Monument Circle, Suite 700Indianapolis, IN 46204Phone: 317-266-0100Fax: 317-631-3750E-mail: IR [at] emmis.comJeffrey H Smulyan, Chairman and CEO, Emmis CommunicationsFederal Communications CommissionEnforcement Bureau, Investigations and Hearings Division445 12th Street, SWWashington, D.C. 20554Phone: 1-888-CALL-FCCE-mail: fccinfo [at] fcc.govWeb: www.fcc.gov/parents/content.htmlTo listen to Hot 97's Tsunami Song:http://www.asianmediawatch.net/missjones/index.html
While I am certainly pissed at Emmis and the light rebuke Miss Jones has received, I don't know if I am ready to cede to the UK the right to discipline our broadcasters or revoke licenses. It's not like the UK has a sterling (no pun intended) history of wandering about the globe and leaving only sweetness and light in its wake. Isn't Ruperrt Murdock a Brit? or is he Aussie?
yo this is the worst station so please can i work there and the world will be listening soshowdow
I HAVE A COMMENT 4 MISS JONES FAT STUPID AZZ U NEED 2 STOP DISSIN PEOPLE DAT SHIT AIN'T COOL YO DAMN RADIO STATION NEEDS 2 DOWN DA DRAIN CUZ DAT IZ CRAZY YO FAT AZZ JUS DISS PEOPLE CUZ U ARE JEALOUS U STUPID ASS BITCH DIS IZ BOOTZ AND I AM BACK U CAN KISS MY AZZ
answer the phone