An open letter to black radio from Tony MF Rock – UPDATED
June 22nd, 2009 by Rodney Carmichael in Music news
UPDATE: George Clinton, Dionne Farris, Rhymefest and more to speak out on Performance Rights Act H.R. 848 today (1-3 p.m. Mon, June 22) in Atlanta.
Tony MF Rock (Anthony Durham) and contemporary MC Shy D pioneered Atlanta hip-hop in the ’80s via releases on Luther Campbell’s Luke Skyyywalker Records. Durham went on to play bass for the Atlanta rap-rock group El Pus and collaborate with Anthony David.
In this “open letter,” Tony Rock discusses the response of black-owned radio stations to the pay to play Performance Rights Act:
Lately black radio has been on a jihad, so to speak against bill HR 848. They’re distorting it as a bill to “get rid of black radio”, and sadly, most of their audience will not take to time to research it and find out what it actually is. Black radio, knowing that they have done the black community a disservice for the most part, has decided to fall back on the “brotherhood” crutch. Unfortunately, and predictably, black radio has made HR 848 an “us (black) vs. them (white)” issue, even going as far as to tell their listeners to call Senators and Congressmen and threaten their seats. I promise you, those that make those calls, will make damned fools out of themselves, but I digress. In a nutshell, HR 848 is simply a bill that will allow artists that perform on the records that are being played, to receive a royalty payment.
So, since people like Warren Ballentine, Michael Baisden, and others in black radio have decided to go with this “bill to get rid of black radio” nonsense, let’s play along, shall we? Black radio is “reaching out” to the same community that they have done a disservice to over the past 2 decades for help. They want us to save them. Why should we? Black radio, in its essence, was a medium to truly serve the community. Nowadays, not so much. You want us to save something that constantly bombards our children with music that denigrates women and living lawfully? Black radio was a place where talented local artists could be heard. The only local artists that get played in Atlanta are the ones who are making crap. It’s like the artists are trying to outdumb each other. Atlanta was the VERY last market to play India.Arie, and she’s from here, but unfortunately for her, her music was positive. There’s no room for that on black radio here in Atlanta!! Black radio in Atlanta doesn’t support local artists, unless they’re making music that makes the community look bad, or if they’ve gone elsewhere to achieve notoriety first.
Black radio used to be a place where you can learn something about your culture. Black people complain that they gave us the shortest month to celebrate Black History Month, and sadly, that’s a whole lot more than we get from black radio! Black radio will make you jump through hoops if you wanted to promote an event that helps the community, but they’ll gladly run promos 6 times a day for the “Miss Biggest Booty” contest at the local club next weekend. A few years ago, Hot 107.9 in Atlanta was doing a call in show teaching teens the correct way to have anal sex. Is that what you call “giving back to the community”? Really?! That’s what you want us to save?! You want us to save something that constantly markets malt liquor, predatory payday loans, unhealthy food, rent to own scams, and Pars Cars to us? You really think that crap is worth saving? When I was an artist back in the 80’s, my label turned to black radio for airplay, and they gave us alot of support…………$2500.00, a hooker, and 2 bags of cocaine later, and this happened on more than one occasion! Black radio also wants black artists to speak on their behalf. The same black artists that they were shaking down for payola, which still goes on today, but only now they force them to perform for free at the stations’ “Birthday Bash” concerts.
Do you honestly think, deep down inside that you deserve saving? There are some people willing to help you, and there are others that are willing to just let you wither away. To the ones that want to help, you need to ask black radio: What are you willing to do for the community, instead of to the community? — Tony MF Rock
UPDATE: George Clinton, Dionne Farris, Rhymefest and more to speak out on Performance Rights Act H.R. 848 today (1-3 p.m. Mon, June 22) in Atlanta.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
i gree with tony..black radio has been in the toilet for at least 20 years….no local artist…no substansial music…V-103 is the worst…i only listen to 1380AM talk radio
i expect nothing from black radio…i get my music from the internet…i search out artists and find their music that way
nothing but booty shaking music and fools lying that they can ” do it” all night
i dont support anything black radio is doing….they need to die a dignified death
June 17th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I certainly agree. I tune into warren ballentine, al sharpton, michael baisden, tom joyner, and that’s about it. V103 and all the rest of the stations are garbage, they have all that power to say meaningful things but 90 percent of the time is wasted talkin or promotin some nonsense. And BET is even worser, some of these artists should be a shame of themselves. I don’t knock nobodys hustle but damn have a bit pride about yourself.
June 17th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
The next sound you hear will be Frank-Ski and the rest of the Payola Posse organizing protests among uninformed in the black community, when their real beef is the payoff cookie jar closing on them.
Not just Black radio, but ALL radio needs to die in it’s present form. It’s the same 10 songs played 24/7 across the dial due to Payola and double dealing.
At least the artists get a cut of airplay with this legislation.
June 18th, 2009 at 3:57 am
I appreciate this article, I thought that it was just me. I can only listen to CD’d in my car because I can’t stand the so called music that they play on so called “black radio”, and the conversation is even worse. Who can be the most ignorant is what it summs out to be these days. There are so many great artist out there and a new type of R&B that many radio listeners don’t know about because they are not experiencing it on the radio. If you don’t go out to listen to or envolve yourself with live entertainment then all you know is what is on the radio. It is truly sad….Hopefully, the radio stations will get it together or they will desolve and a new generation of ownership will take over the air waves.
June 18th, 2009 at 9:37 am
This is a pretty bold statement that needed to be made. The fact that there are only four comments above my own indicate that a) CL may not be a big enough stage for this issue b) Black Radio has already “jumped the shark” or both.
I feel like commercial radio (in general) is hurting regardless of demographics for Sooo many reasons, but if Black radio (or primarily marketing to any other demographic) wants to make a difference in the community, then bring back LOCAL talent and drop the syndicated shows. Station owners will have to work harder to make profit since it’s more expensive to hire more staff than pay syndication fees, but shouldn’t they be working hard? Wouldn’t they be more accountable to the community and feel more responsibility for the community if the programming was local?
This and the HR 848 issue are not as far apart as you might think. They’re about protecting profits through greed and not conducting their businesses in a responsible way. Tony MF Rock’s open letter needs to be nailed to all radio station doors.
June 18th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I know they better not eff with Gangsta Grillz Radio on Saturday nights, hot 1079 cuz that shit is the really real. I am not even trying to be funny. DJ Drama is local talent that came up in the ATL underground and they play local music (sometimes).
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Finally someone got it right! Black radio (in Atlanta at least) is more about bringing down the community than it is about serving it. This bill is going to put more money in the pockets of black artist. I know most of the money will go to labels and others but at least the artist will get some of it. Black radio on the other hand takes money from artists to get songs played, and are very picky and choosey about the community events they sponsor.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:10 am
IMO ‘Black Radio’ needs to be saved…from ITSELF! I can’t get past the ig’nant & triflin’ slang used by the DJ’s, much less the nasty, repetitive garbage tossed out as music (& I am a musician!). It has been poisoning our youth & selling out the community, now it expects to be helped by the very same people it raped and abandoned looong time ago? Please, spare me the drama!
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:47 am
Well, I trust any radio station that plays great hits like “Stanky Leg”. Only an idiot would think that song has anything but a positive message. It teaches us about the value of shaking poop out of our pants if we are ever unfortunate enough to soil ourselves. Thankyou 107.9…you’ve changed my life in such a positive way.