Detroit radio station leads #muteKanye movement
A radio station in Detroit has come up with a proactive way to address Kanye West’s series of off-the-cuff remarks last week: boycott his music.
The #muteKanye movement started as a stunt on 105.1 The Bounce’s morning show, where hosts Bigg and Shay Shay told listeners they planned to avoid playing any songs in which West so much as featured.
“He has a huge platform and I just think that’s reckless,” Shay Shay said of the musician’s head-turning remarks, which included claiming slavery was a “choice” for black Americans and questioning the importance of Civil Rights-era leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
“I mean, you’re basically saying history is irrelevant.”
The hosts then pulled a pro- ducer on the air, “the boss man”, who told them that if listeners agreed, station would consider banning West’s music. The calls began pouring in. “Mute that clown!” said one. It appeared a majority of listeners were on board.
“I don’t want Kanye speaking for my people,” said one caller from Detroit.
West’s latest turn in the spotlight began with an endorsement of President Donald Trump — “we are both dragon energy” — but didn’t fully crest until the rapper went on TMZ to issue his remarks about slavery, drawing a rebuke from the show’s Van Lathan. the
“When you hear about slavery for 400 years — for 400 years?” West said. “That sounds like a choice.”
Of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., he said, “Certain icons are just too far in the past and not relatable and that’s what makes them safe.”
The Bounce producer John Candelaria approved the ban, the Detroit News reported.
“We feel like Kanye has gone too far with his latest statement declaring that ‘slavery was a choice’,” the morning show hosts posted on the station’s Facebook page.
“We are refusing to give him a platform.”
One caller noted it was a slippery slope to start banning artists; would they consider banning Chris Brown and R. Kelly over allegations of misconduct toward women?