12 News reports “The president of North Carolina A&T University’s student body apologized Wednesday for inviting rappers affiliated with gangs to perform at next month’s homecoming concert. The apology came after questions were raised about having gang-related performers at the school in light of the slayings of two students within the past year and a half. Student body president, Syene Jasmin, and his chief of staff, Gary Brown, said they should have done a better job screening the performers scheduled for the concert at the Greensboro Coliseum on Halloween night. “Gang violence is something we don’t condone as student leaders. It’s wrong,” Jasmin said. The performers in question are rappers Gucci Mane and OJ Da Juiceman. “They are affiliated with gangs that do things that we don’t condone,” Jasmin said. Gucci Mane, whose real name is Radric Davis, was arrested on murder charges in Atlanta and later released when authorities said they didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute. He has served jail time on other offenses. OJ Da Juiceman, whose real name is Otis Williams Jr., doesn’t have an arrest record, but he was shot eight times last spring. School officials said they weren’t made aware of any problems with the concert until recently — long after contracts were signed. NCA&T vice chancellor of student affairs, Sullivan Welborne, said several years ago the school prevented rapper 50-Cent from performing when administrators learned about his troubled background. Jasmin and Brown said that following the recent murders of Derek Hodge and Dennis Hayle, and concerns about gang activity on campus and in Greensboro, they want their school to send the right message. “NCA&T is an historic university known for the sit-in,” Brown said. “That’s what we’re about. Social change. Not gang violence or gang affiliation.” Jasmin and Brown said they’re meeting with both Greensboro police and campus police next week to discuss the upcoming concert in hopes of preventing any trouble.”
NCA&T Student Leaders reject rap concert artists due to lyrical content
12 News reports “The president of North Carolina A&T University’s student body apologized Wednesday for inviting rappers affiliated with gangs to perform at next month’s homecoming concert. The apology came after questions were raised about having gang-related performers at the school in light of the slayings of two students within the past year and a half. Student body president, Syene Jasmin, and his chief of staff, Gary Brown, said they should have done a better job screening the performers scheduled for the concert at the Greensboro Coliseum on Halloween night. “Gang violence is something we don’t condone as student leaders. It’s wrong,” Jasmin said. The performers in question are rappers Gucci Mane and OJ Da Juiceman. “They are affiliated with gangs that do things that we don’t condone,” Jasmin said. Gucci Mane, whose real name is Radric Davis, was arrested on murder charges in Atlanta and later released when authorities said they didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute. He has served jail time on other offenses. OJ Da Juiceman, whose real name is Otis Williams Jr., doesn’t have an arrest record, but he was shot eight times last spring. School officials said they weren’t made aware of any problems with the concert until recently — long after contracts were signed. NCA&T vice chancellor of student affairs, Sullivan Welborne, said several years ago the school prevented rapper 50-Cent from performing when administrators learned about his troubled background. Jasmin and Brown said that following the recent murders of Derek Hodge and Dennis Hayle, and concerns about gang activity on campus and in Greensboro, they want their school to send the right message. “NCA&T is an historic university known for the sit-in,” Brown said. “That’s what we’re about. Social change. Not gang violence or gang affiliation.” Jasmin and Brown said they’re meeting with both Greensboro police and campus police next week to discuss the upcoming concert in hopes of preventing any trouble.”
0 responses to “NCA&T Student Leaders reject rap concert artists due to lyrical content”
Good for them. Hip Hop music has shown a steady decline in the last 12 years. Most of the new rappers (the last 10 years) have no talent in terms of style and/or content.
As a child of the South, I love my region and its people. I think that the best of what it is to be African American can be found in the South. But when it comes to Hip Hop, we southerners have F’d up Hip Hop. I long for the late 80s-early 90s of the content/talent battles between the East and West Coast. That was truly the golden age of Hip Hop.