Black History Month Message to Radio Stations

Dear Radio Personality,


As you know, we have entered into another Black History Month, a month set aside to honor the contributions of African Americans. One thing that I would like to point out is that Hip Hop is part of Black History, too. Therefore, we are asking that you add music to your playlist that reflects the richness of Black culture. Our children need to know that there is more to Black music than Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Niki Minaj. What about Public Enemy, Rakim and the X-Clan? Not to mention local underground acts with a socially relevant message.

Our children are in desperate need of knowledge about their history and culture. Also, with the current political climate in this country, they must become more politically aware. It is difficult to try to convince our children to strive for educational excellence when they are being "dumbed down" everyday by the music that they hear on the radio. This month, your station can help change the mind state of thousands of young people by just adding some Hip Hop with substance to your rotation.

Please choose to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.



Thank you,


TRUTH Minista Paul Scott
No Warning Shots Fired.com
Durham NC
(919) 451-8283

Radio One Needs to Stop Snitchin'

Radio One Needs to Stop Snitchin'

Paul Scott



Since Black America is still buzzing about the recent events involving swimming pool discrimination and police misconduct, when I heard Lil Wayne's latest song preempted on the local Radio One affiliate by a news flash, I thought that surely they must be tackling one of these pressing issues.

Nope. It was just the latest attack by Cathy Hughes on Rep. John Conyers, Rep Shelia Jackson-Lee and anyone else who doesn't follow blindly behind the anti Performance Rights Act propaganda wagon.

Now I've heard a few spots on Ms. Hughes' soapbox, Reality Radio but episode # 9 is some foul stuff. To borrow from old school group, Club Nouveau, "situation # 9 is blowin' my mind."

The spot is an attempt to discredit Rep. Conyers by trying to tie him in with his wife's ongoing legal troubles.

Now, I'm not a fan of the "Stop Snitchin'" Movement as I believe that it has caused irreparable harm to our community. However, in this case, I do feel like rollin' up on the next Radio One customized van I see and slapping a big "Stop Snitchin'" sticker over the logo.

In the hood, a "snitch" is someone who rats a homie out (often fabricating the truth) in order to save his own hide. I guess in this case it also means rattin' someone out to get legislation blocked.

Cathy Hughes is carrying this beef with John Conyers entirely too far.

This is definitely some grimy Fox News type stuff. I would expect this from Bill O'Reilly but a black woman?

It's one thing to have a disagreement with someone but to use the airwaves to assassinate the character of a well respected black leader over a difference of opinion is a darn shame.

Haven't we learned anything from Biggie and Tupac?

As much as we chastise the boyz in the hood for going to war with each other because of a perceived "mean mug," is this really any different than trying to destroy someone's political career over of a, relatively, simple disagreement?

Maybe Ms. Hughes has been listening to too many of those gangsta songs that she pumps on her stations. And all this time I thought that the violent lyrics only had a negative affect on young folks.

I guess episode 10 of Reality Radio will feature Hughes and her posse of Radio One execs rappin' about rollin' into D-Town and bustin' a cap in Rep. Conyers.

It's a shame that in 2009, even with a black man in the White House, black folks have not learned to respectfully disagree with each other without gettin' into some hot ghetto mess.

Even though some are claiming that we are in some sort of "post racial" America, it seems that intra racial hatred is still alive and well.

I guess the O'Jays were right when they sang:

"For the love of money people don't care who they hurt or beat"

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com (919) 451-8283

Listen to "On the Real" Discussion of the Disappearance of Black Radio

This program aired 5/17 on Chuck D's (Public Enemy) "On the Real" show on Air America. The discussion was about the current controversy over the condition of black radio.

To listen click on:

http://airamerica.com/content/broadcast-real-chuck-d-2009-05-17-file-full

NWSF Bullet: Tom Joyner Snitchin' on the Record Industry

When I heard the Tom Joyner Morning Show, today I thought about the scene from New Jack City when drug dealer Nino Brown, facing a possible trip to the electric chair, started fingering everybody in the courtroom.

This morning, Joyner had Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee on to discuss her support of HR 848 (Performance Bill) , which will force radio stations to pay more money so that musicians will be compensated for their music.

Well, it didn't take too long for Joyner to start squealin' on the record industry.

(In the 'hood they call it snitchin')

"It's not us. It's the record companies!"

Bingo, Tom! But black radio has been an accessory to the crime.

In drug dealer terminology you might not be the king pin who brings the drugs over from South America but urban radio is the main distributor. So both of you are guilty of putting poison in the black community.

But if you are willing to rollover on the record label king pins the court of black public opinion may be willing to show you some leniency.

Of course it's the record labels that have jerked black artists for generations. Hey, I saw the movie Cadillac Records.

We have often pointed out the role that the record labels play in the promotion of negative music to our youth but urban radio has escaped criticism.

The reason why is because the people to whom most black folks look to be their mouthpieces depend on black oriented radio to get their messages out.

As on point as Rev. Al Sharpton is on many issues facing black folks can he really, objectively, critique black radio and keep his room in the Cathy Hughes Radio One mansion?

I don't think so.

I found it strange that during the Hip Hop witch hunts in the aftermath of the Don Imus scandal a few years back when folks were pointing at rap music as the cause of America's problems, black radio was strangely left out of the conversation.

But if black radio wants to take on EMI, Universal and the rest of the big boys; more power to 'em.

Personally, I hope they beat the stuffin' out of each other.

I can't wait to see the boxing match between the radio execs and the record industry.

Edgar Bronfman vs Cathy Hughes?

Yeah, that's worth the price of admission.


Paul Scott writes for No Warning shots Fired.com

Live or Let Die: Should We Save Black Radio?

Live or Let Die:
Should We Save Black Radio?

Paul Scott


"I can't explain why Hip Hop died or the fact that it did and no one cried."

Big Swagg (local artist)




Funerals are funny things, sometimes. Never mind that the dearly departed cheated on his wife, borrowed a small fortune of unpaid loans from friends and habitually kicked his neighbor's dog, according to the pastor during the eulogy, the man was a saint.

I thought about that scenario when I heard folks mourning over the impending doom of black radio.

Radio One's owner Cathy Hughes was on the Tom Joyner Show this morning begging for a black community bailout of black radio because of a proposed bill by Rep. John Conyers that would make radio stations have to shell out some major dollars to stay on the air. The best part is when she mentioned that Conyers turned on his boom box during a meeting with radio execs, drowning out their whining.

She considered it an an insult. I call it karma.

For years, members of the African American community have begged "urban" radio stations to be more responsive to the needs of the community, especially highly impressionable black youth. Unfortunately, our cries have largely fallen on deaf ears. Seems that profit before people has been the order of the day.

The politicians are selling the proposed legislation, HR Bill 848, (the Performance Tax) as a way to put more money in the pockets of musicians who were forced to work at Mickey Dee's after their short careers were over but the radio folks are saying that it is a conspiracy to not only silence black voices but to prevent us from ever hearing good black music ever again.

Let's be honest. For many of us, black radio died a long time ago. We aren't producing any more Marvin Gayes and Stevie Wonders. What passes today as classic Soul music is Jamie Fox's "Blame it on the Alcohol." It's not that the black community is not full of talented, would be musicians singing and rapping on street corners in every hood but black radio is too busy playing Soulja Boy every five minutes to give aspiring artists a fighting chance.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the strong legacy of black radio stations, as the companies were instrumental in not only giving us the latest hits but giving the community critical, need to know info during the 60's and 70's. Ms. Hughes should be especially honored for her innovative approach to black talk radio with WOL in Washington DC.

But this ain't the early 80's and the days of radio hosts like Petey Green have long been replaced by the Lil Waynes of the world.

I find it very disappointing that while the Right wing media moguls are up in arms over the FCC's new diversity committee that could possibly break their vice grip on the air waves, black folks are concerned about whether or not they can get their hourly Beyonce fix.

As my grim faced college professor once told me when I ecstatically told him that I had scored an internship at the local station that would allow me to gangsta-rize the airwaves back in the late 80's.

"What our people need is information."

In all fairness. There are a few black radio talk shows in major cities and the syndicated guys do devote ten minutes or so every day with serious dialogue but these efforts are quickly negated by mind dulling music and slap stick comedy.

I must admit that when I heard Ms. Hughes' impassioned call to arms, this morning I was caught up in the moment as she, convincingly, warned that the end of black radio would totally devastate the African American community . I was just getting ready to grab my protest sign and bullhorn before reality set in.

If Fox News' top dog, Rupert Murdoch decided to start a new network of stations to target the urban consumer, would our children know the difference? Or would they even care as long as they could still hear T-Payne?

I didn't see too many of our people boycotting BET when it was bought up by Viacom. As long as they played the same gangsta videos and kept Comic View, life went on.

See, the execs are expecting the black community to exhibit a degree of cultural consciousness that has not been cultivated by black radio. You can't just push a button and expect the people who you have dumbed down for the last decade to automatically become Afro-centric scholars.

Just doesn't work that way.

What the radio folks have never realized is that we are all in this together and an enlightened community benefits all its members. If black radio had been fulfilling its duty of raising the consciouness of the African American community no one would have dared to even suggest a bill that would cut off their flow of information or good music.

So, do we fight against HR 848?

I say yes, especially since, as activists such as Davey D have pointed out, this could eventually effect the noncommercial stations that play progressive music. Also, the few black talk radio programs that we have are essential to our collective growth and development.

However, black radio must make a commitment to truly be the voice of the people. We must make Cathy Hughes and the rest of them sign a contract with black America that they will put the needs of the community first and foremost. They must immediately change their play lists and give artists with a positive message, both national and local a chance to be heard. They must also make sure that at least one hour a day is devoted to the dissemination of information. Also, they must set up community advisory boards that meet monthly to make sure that they stay down with the 'hood.

If this happens many of us will stand shoulder to shoulder with them as they fight the power.

If not, as the disgruntled airline pilot said as he saw his old 747 plummet to the ground.

Crash and Burn!


Paul Scott writes for No warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Dark Side of Black History 2009

I wrote this piece about the FBI airing Black History Month spots on black radio stations last year. Since the spots are still airing in 2009, I am reposting the link.

Seems like we never learn...

http://nowarningshotsfired.blogspot.com/2008/02/dark-side-of-black-history-time-to-tell.html