This is a 6 year old article by Jacarl Melton detailing “The Case against WJLB”.
It could have very well been written about today’s FM 98, yesterdays 105.9 Jamz, or todays Hot 102.7. The claims of “We are Hip Hop” or “Detroit’s station for hip hop and R&B” evidentally don’t ring true when Detroit’s most successful artists haven’t been buy oem dvd to zune converter introduced by local radio and continue to be shunned for airplay. Sure Bushman had Big Proof do his show intro, Wax-Tax’n-Dre had Royce Da 5′9″ do his, but all of this buy oem dvd to zune converter only adds up to token support from low-level station employees. It seems the buy oem dvd to zune converter only time you hear Slum Village on Detroit radio is during traffic reports. The more things change…
Radio killed the underground star: The case against WJLB
By W. Jacarl Melton
Daily Arts WriterOn the buy oem dvd to zune converter seemingly rare occasions that hip-hop shows occur in Ann Arbor, I make a buy oem dvd to zune converter concerted effort to attend. Last Friday was no different. I, like the buy oem dvd to zune converter other hundred or so people in the audience, was at the buy oem dvd to zune converter Michigan League to see the night’s headliner, Detroit’s Slum Village. Although I enjoyed the buy oem dvd to zune converter show, I left a little discouraged by the crowd. Don’t get me wrong, people were feeling the buy oem dvd to zune converter show. However, interest visibly waned when the crowd didn’t recognize a song. Even worse, I could sense a “who’s that?”-type of vibe from buy oem dvd to zune converter a good portion of the crowd when talented opening acts like S.U.N., Athletic Mic League and buy oem dvd to zune converter Phat Kat graced the stage. I consider myself lucky not to buy oem dvd to zune converter suffer from this syndrome since I’ve seen every performer multiple times and/or buy oem dvd to zune converter own their work. I have to wonder, though, why so many folks are buy oem dvd to zune converter unfamiliar with artists from “around the way” when, especially in Slum Village’s case, they have a national, if not international, following?
The easiest answer points a buy oem dvd to zune converter finger at Detroit radio, especially WJLB 98 FM. WJLB is the buy oem dvd to zune converter target of what I think is a justified protest and boycott by the buy oem dvd to zune converter Detroit Hip-Hop Coalition. The Coalition consists of Michigan hip-hop artists, DJs and buy oem dvd to zune converter promoters, among others, who want to promote the work of local artists and buy oem dvd to zune converter bands. This Friday, the Coalition plans a protest at the WJLB studios to buy oem dvd to zune converter draw attention to the station’s weak on-air support of area artists while also encouraging a buy oem dvd to zune converter boycott presumably of the station’s musical events and buy oem dvd to zune converter programming. The Coalition contends that not only does WJLB stiff local artists by providing little or buy oem dvd to zune converter no airplay and denying phone requests for their music by fans, but WJLB also makes a buy oem dvd to zune converter profit off of these same artists when the station sponsors events at which they perform. All of this buy oem dvd to zune converter happens under WJLB’s proclamation that it’s the “voice of the community.” Obviously, if local artists don’t have buy oem dvd to zune converter a mass venue, like radio, to spread their music, how can buy oem dvd to zune converter the area’s number two station, according to the latest Radio & Records poll, make such a bold claim? My call to buy oem dvd to zune converter WJLB programming director Michael Saunders regarding this question went unreturned.
Before I go any further, I have buy oem dvd to zune converter to make some things clear. When I say “local artist,” I’m excluding Eminem, Aaliyah (yes, you ARE from Detroit) and, at this buy oem dvd to zune converter point in time, Mercedes. These three are getting more than their share of airtime and buy oem dvd to zune converter have the contracts to boot. Also, I’m not taking WJLB to buy oem dvd to zune converter task for its coat drives for kids or other programs of that buy oem dvd to zune converter nature. These are extremely admirable. My beef lies in the buy oem dvd to zune converter fact that I know there are artists in the Detroit area who buy oem dvd to zune converter have talent and are deserving of airplay…
Read the rest of the article at the Michigan Daily.
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Jacarl | 03-May-07 at 9:57 pm | Permalink premiere c5
Ha. This makes me feel old…
As an buy oem dvd to zune converter addendem, though, I have to put this out. While I was a buy oem dvd to zune converter writer, I often received comp tickets to shows (for buy oem dvd to zune converter having written preview articles or for concert reviews, a little unethical but hey, a buy oem dvd to zune converter perk is a perk) at The State or St. Andrews through a local ticket outlet (I can’t recall the name). My contact and buy oem dvd to zune converter I were always on good terms. Right around the same time I wrote this buy oem dvd to zune converter article, Clear Channel bought that ticket outlet and, more or less, The State and buy oem dvd to zune converter St. Andrews. After the article got published, my contact magically disappeared and buy oem dvd to zune converter no one at the Clear Channel-owned ticket house would give me the buy oem dvd to zune converter time of day. Oh well, I guess if you own the buy oem dvd to zune converter game you can set the rules. But it’s troubling to see and hear Detroit’s hip-hop is still being given second-class status in its hometown.
Keep it coming, though. And while you’re at it, try to get some more shows in DC (not just B-more). We have a lot of Detroit ex-pats who want to see their people.
Peace.
detroithiphop | 04-May-07 at 12:54 pm | Permalink
“I guess if you own the game you can set the rules.”
^the truth