For weeks, artists around the world have collaborated to create various kinds of fundraisers for victims of the December tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia. From Eric Clapton to Willie Nelson, playing concerts to recording songs, the efforts have been great and the public response has been equally immense.
Australian airwaves played “The Song of Hope.” British radio stations aired the star-studded “Grief Never Grows Old.” New York City’s Hot 97 personality Miss Jones played the hip-hop satire “The Tsunami Song” for her listening community.
Based on the tune of the 1985 “We Are the World,” recorded to fund famine relief, one verse reads, “All at once you could hear the screaming ch-nks / and no one was safe from the wave / there were Africans drowning / little Chinamen swept away / you could hear God laughing, ‘Swim, you b-tches, swim.'” The chorus sings, “So now you’re screwed, it’s the tsunami / you better run or kiss your ass away / go find your mommy / I just saw her float by, a tree went through her head / and now the children will be sold to child slavery.”
Over the course of a week, Miss Jones not only played the song, but she and her morning comrades, including DJ Envy and comedian Todd Lynn, also made comments in a spirit similar to the satire. Of the group, the sole denouncer of “The Tsunami Song,” the Asian-American Miss Info, found herself as verbally disrespected as the tsunami victims in the song. MTV News reports the broadcast included Lynn commenting, “All you Asians think you are so superior … let’s shoot some Asians.”
If the song’s satirical treatment of the subject were not enough to throw the public up in arms, the morning personalities’ racial attacks were. The remarks, combined with the treatment of the subject, led listeners to fill Hot 97 e-mail inboxes with messages of protest and objection. They locked up the phone lines with calls of disapproval and requests that action be taken immediately.
Asian-American MC Jin created a song of his own, one lacking irony in its lines criticizing the tune. Lyrics on various message boards regarding the sounds heard during the morning show likewise hold no bars in attacking the of the radio personalities.
Last Wednesday, executives from the Hot 97 station owner Emmis Communications indefinitely suspended Miss Jones and her colleagues for playing the song.
Causing more public response were the recent apologies posted by the station on its website: “HOT 97 regrets the airing of material that made light of a serious and tragic event. We apologize to our listeners and anyone who was offended. HOT 97 takes pride in its community involvement and in the last few weeks has joined with broadcasters nationwide to raise money for victims of the tsunami. Our relief effort will result in a substantial cash donation.”
Todd Lynn has since publicly delivered his regrets in a conversation with hiphopmusic.com’s Jay Smooth. Yet, Miss Jones herself remains a quiet figure in the situation, briefly apologizing on-air after her suspension. She simply left Hot 97 to endure the substantial repercussions. Major companies like Coca-Cola and Toyota have since pulled all advertising campaigns from the station’s airwaves. Corporate sponsors such as McDonald’s and Sprint released statements regarding their decisions to currently end support of Miss Jones’ morning show. More importantly, New York listeners have altogether boycotted the radio station and since found different airwaves from which to hear hip-hop sounds.
For the moment, the nature of suspensions, whether permanent or not, is undetermined. With corporate funding down and pressure from the public to make an example of Miss Jones, many await the decision by Emmis executives.
