Still ‘Hot’ over ‘Tsunami Song’
By UrsUla Liang
news.asianweek.com/news/v...ba865db563
NEW YORK –– It’s another oppressively hot summer in The Big Apple, but Filipina American DJ Kuttin Kandi isn’t steamed about the weather. She’s still hot over the cold January morning when hip-hop station WQHT/HOT 97 aired a racist parody of “We are the World” called the “Tsunami Song.” The broadcast included references to “screaming chinks” and “chinamen,” and a radio host who wanted to start “shooting some Asians.”
The station made amends by firing a co-host and producer, donating $1 million to tsunami relief and suspending the morning show crew for two weeks. But activists say the fight is not over.
Kandi, aka Candice Custodio, co-founded R.E.A.C.Hip-Hop, a multicultural coalition dedicated to eradicating negative stereotypes, discrimination and hate speech in urban media.
“Our demands have not been met,” said the DJ-turned-activist. “[Morning show host] Miss Jones has not been fired. There has been no diversity or anti-bias training.” The group’s town hall meeting is part of a series of rallies, which have united the Asian community with industry icons Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Jazzy Jay, the Zulu Nation, M1 from Dead Presidents and Grandmaster Caz, and Korean American Def Poetry Jam star Ishle Park.
Rapper Jin also released a song in response to the controversy.
“I’m proud of Jin. It’s tough to take a stand as an artist,” emphasizes Kandi. “It affects my career as a DJ and my relationships in the business. I don’t know who’s going to spit on me at the next event. But you have to love your people more than your job or art.”
“While thousands of people in the city and across the world were spending time and energy helping with tsunami relief,” says New York City Councilman John Liu, “these sick individuals were putting their time and energy into an atrocious broadcast.” He adds, “We’re not going away.”
Although host Miss Jones, aka Tarsha Nicole Jones, gave an on-air apology, APA advocates say her continued presence is not acceptable. When Korean American gossip tattler Miss Info, aka Minya Oh, protested the song on-air, Miss Jones ridiculed Oh, saying, “You think you’re superior because you’re Asian.”
Miss Info, who considered suing the station, won her own victory –– radio-style. When she returned on May 14, she had her own Saturday morning show, a groundbreaking role for an Asian American.
“The Asian community is not happy with her returning to HOT 97,” says Kuttin Kandi. “She’s back on-air supporting a station that spews ignorance. There is no real victory if there aren’t structural changes.”
By UrsUla Liang
news.asianweek.com/news/v...ba865db563
NEW YORK –– It’s another oppressively hot summer in The Big Apple, but Filipina American DJ Kuttin Kandi isn’t steamed about the weather. She’s still hot over the cold January morning when hip-hop station WQHT/HOT 97 aired a racist parody of “We are the World” called the “Tsunami Song.” The broadcast included references to “screaming chinks” and “chinamen,” and a radio host who wanted to start “shooting some Asians.”
The station made amends by firing a co-host and producer, donating $1 million to tsunami relief and suspending the morning show crew for two weeks. But activists say the fight is not over.
Kandi, aka Candice Custodio, co-founded R.E.A.C.Hip-Hop, a multicultural coalition dedicated to eradicating negative stereotypes, discrimination and hate speech in urban media.
“Our demands have not been met,” said the DJ-turned-activist. “[Morning show host] Miss Jones has not been fired. There has been no diversity or anti-bias training.” The group’s town hall meeting is part of a series of rallies, which have united the Asian community with industry icons Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Jazzy Jay, the Zulu Nation, M1 from Dead Presidents and Grandmaster Caz, and Korean American Def Poetry Jam star Ishle Park.
Rapper Jin also released a song in response to the controversy.
“I’m proud of Jin. It’s tough to take a stand as an artist,” emphasizes Kandi. “It affects my career as a DJ and my relationships in the business. I don’t know who’s going to spit on me at the next event. But you have to love your people more than your job or art.”
“While thousands of people in the city and across the world were spending time and energy helping with tsunami relief,” says New York City Councilman John Liu, “these sick individuals were putting their time and energy into an atrocious broadcast.” He adds, “We’re not going away.”
Although host Miss Jones, aka Tarsha Nicole Jones, gave an on-air apology, APA advocates say her continued presence is not acceptable. When Korean American gossip tattler Miss Info, aka Minya Oh, protested the song on-air, Miss Jones ridiculed Oh, saying, “You think you’re superior because you’re Asian.”
Miss Info, who considered suing the station, won her own victory –– radio-style. When she returned on May 14, she had her own Saturday morning show, a groundbreaking role for an Asian American.
“The Asian community is not happy with her returning to HOT 97,” says Kuttin Kandi. “She’s back on-air supporting a station that spews ignorance. There is no real victory if there aren’t structural changes.”
