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Funkmaster Flex was hit with an FCC complaint after making remarks concerning Afrika Bambaataa’s legal troubles on his show.
Funkmaster Flex and his New York-based radio station Hot 97 were hit with a filed complaint in response to comments the veteran DJ made on his show concerning Afrika Bambaataa. The complaint was filed by Hip-Hop Stands With Survivors, an advocacy group that objected to comments by Funkmaster Flex regarding Bambaataa, who made a rare public appearance on the former’s show on Aug. 17. The Hip-Hop pioneer has kept a low profile since being publicly accused of child molestation by former Zulu Nation members Roland Savage and Hassan Campbell among others in 2016.
During the Aug. 17 show, Bambaataa aka Lance Taylor played a DJ set. Flex would then comment on Savage’s apparent recanting of his testimony against Bambaataa, saying: “It seems that there’s a discrepancy that has been cleared up with Afrika Bambaataa and the young man Bee Stinger. It seems that the pedophile word that was being used, Bee Stinger is now saying that Afrika Bambaataa is not a pedophile.” The Hot 97 personality continued: “I don’t care whether or not Afrika Bambaataa prefers men or women or both. I don’t care. Yes, we do care if the word pedophile is used but obviously according to … AllHipHop that spoke to Bee Stinger, he’s saying that’s not the case.”
“The station was reckless with allowing this man in there as a guest when he has an open case of the most horrific nature,” said Hip-Hop Stands With Survivors co-founder Leila Wills of the complaint in an interview. “Bambaataa is alleged to have sold a 12-year-old for money to adult men to take advantage of. He has not defended himself, so Flex and Hot 97 cannot protect him.” The group is seeking an apology from the DJ and the station in addition to “a substantial fine for disinformation.” While recently published photo of Savage and Bambaataa together suggests the two have settled their differences, an accuser known only as John Doe is currently awaiting a default judgment in a civil case from 2021 accusing him of sex trafficking. Afrika Bambaataa is denying all of the allegations that have been made against him. Funkmaster Flex and Hot 97 have not responded to requests for comment about the complaint.
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It seems Hot 97 is looking to switch up their programming. The legendary radio station is reportedly giving Nessa’s afternoon slot to Funk Flex.
Page Six is reporting that the broadcasting company will be making some changes to their daily schedule. The celebrity news site says that two of their biggest names will be doing a switch. According to one of their unnamed sources, Funk Flex will soon be manning the station’s famed 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. slot. This drive time spot is currently held by Nessa, who is reportedly “upset” on how the move was handled. “Hot 97 executives didn’t even respect her enough to call her directly about the changes, but informed her team of the change, leaving Nessa feeling blindsided,” the source said.
“Nessa has accomplished a lot [broadcasting] so to move her to nights is not only disrespectful but it would totally interrupt spending time with her child,” the insider added. “She is really upset about the time switch and is looking into ways to keeping her schedule as is after all it is what she signed up for.” After Angie Martinez announced her departure in 2014, Nessa was announced as her replacement in 2015. According to Nielsen, Nessa On Air is ranked No. 1 within the 18-34 age group.
As expected, the news of the switch landed on Flex’s radar. He took to Instagram to dismiss the hearsay.
“@NYPOST WOAH? THAT INFO AINT 100 PERCENT ACCURATE? 😂😂😂😂😂😂! UMMMMMM? ME AND NESSA ROLLING TOGETHER! COULD IT BE THAT SOMEONE ELSE IS TIGHT? (YOU THINK WE DONT SEE U?) he wrote. Additionally, the famed DJ shared a video of him and Nessa having lunch with the rest of the staff.
Hot 97 has yet to formally address the speculation.
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Source: Hot 97 / Hot 97 Summer Jam 2024
It’s that time of the year when Hot 97 announces the lineup for its highly anticipated concert, Summer Jam. Unfortunately, it landed with a thud.
The same concert that gave us JAY-Z famously clowning NaS, the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep on the Summer Jam screen, and even bringing out Michael Jackson for a brief second has seen better days, according to fans.
New Yorkers who look forward to the concert that has the title of being the official start to summer in New York City feel it has officially fallen off after the iconic radio station announced this year’s lineup.
No longer taking place at MetLife Stadium, opting for a traditional venue in UBS Arena, the concert has since been downsized, axing the festival stage that usually featured “smaller acts” before the more prominent names hit the main stage inside MetLife.
This year, opening up Summer Jam 2024 will be Tee Grizzley, 41 (Kyle-Richh, Jenn Carter, and Tata), Davido, Sleepy Hallow, Method Man & Redman, Sexxy Red, Offset, and Doja Cat as the concert’s headliner.
Reactions To The Lineup Are Not Good
Anywhere else, that’s a pretty solid lineup, but this collection of artists is not slapping for New Yorkers. Immediately after the big announcement, they voiced their displeasure, and the critiques were not kind.
“Chris Brown & usher will be worth the money over this trash lineup,” one person wrote in Hot 97’s IG post sharing the flyer showing the lineup.
Another comment read, “Trash ass line up Redman and method Man the dopest ones on this list.”
Ouch.
“Just cancel the whole damn Summer Jam,” another comment read.
Well damn.
We still think there will be people in the UBS Arena on Sunday, June 2, to watch the show; whether the show completely sells out is another story.
More reactions to Hot 97’s Summer Jam 2024 lineup are in the gallery below.
1. Legit question
4. Well, not everyone is upset with the lineup
11. Ummmmmm let’s relax
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Fat Joe is never short on stories. He recently shared he beat up an executive at HOT 97 and but it was his career that took the hit.
As spotted on HipHopDX the Bronx, New York native recently paid a visit to DJ Enuff’s GOAT Talk show and detailed the highs and lows of his story. He shared that early on his start he was booked to perform at Lehman College around the time of his first single “Flow Joe”. The “Lean Back” rapper admitted that he showed up to the venue with about a 100 people and was denied entry. “I’m like, ‘What do you mean? They came to see Fat Joe!’ Because they did come to see Fat Joe,” he explained. “So I beat the guy up, and the guy turned out to be one of the bosses of Hot 97.”
The incident caused all of his music to be pulled from rotation at the influential Rap radio station. Naturally the ban negatively impacted the performance of his debut album Represent. He went on to recall how he tried to rectify the situation. “He stopped playing my records. So my whole second album, almost third album, they wouldn’t play my records,” he continued. “So I kept coming back, begging him and kissing his ass and they’d be like, ‘Nah, I’m not ready to squash it with you.’ I used to have people tell him, ‘Yo, Joe is a good guy, he was young, he didn’t know.’”
Ultimately Joe turned his charm on by giving then Program Director Tracey Cloherty a huge teddy bear which apparently still remains at the HOT 97 offices. “That was part of bribing her to convince this other guy — I don’t want to say his name — to finally forgive me,” he said. “Years later, he finally forgave me and was like, ‘Yo, Fat Joe it’s all good.’”
You can see Fat Joe discuss the situation and the bear below.
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Source: Peter Rosenberg / Peter Rosenberg & Natalie Amrossi Wedding
Notable Hip-Hop junkie, Hot 97 radio personality Peter Rosenberg and famed photographer Natalie Amrossi officially tied the knot over the weekend.
Spotted on Page Six, we officially meet The Rosenbergs at their star-studded wedding extravaganza that featured plenty of notable guests from professional wrestlers, radio personalities, Hip-Hop stars, friends, family, and more.
Per Page Six:
“Ebro in the Morning” co-host and WWE correspondent Rosenberg and Amrossi celebrated with guests including Amber Rose, wrestling stars Booker T, Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman and Montel Vontavious Porter, and broadcasters Kayla Braxton, Kevin Patrick, Michael Kay and Sam Roberts, among others.
Following a beautiful wedding ceremony, The Rosenbergs and their 250 guests danced the night away until 1:30 am at Tribeca Rooftop +360. At the same time, Pusha T’s latest nemesis, Jim Jones, performed his timeless hit, “We Fly High.” Rosenberg’s Hot 97 colleague, Funk Flex, handled DJaying duties during the reception.
How The Couple Met
According to Page Six, the couple met during the pandemic, and their first date was over FaceTime. Rosenberg, 43, made his chops as the longtime Ebro in The Morning radio show co-host along with Ebro Darden and Laura Stylez and his Juan Epstein podcast with former Hot 97 personality and DJ Cipha Sounds. He is also a co-host on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio and a WWE correspondent.
Rosenberg’s new wife is a fantastic photographer who took her passion for aerial photography took off on Instagram, quitting her job in finance.
According to the New York Post, Amrossi “makes six figures a year shooting for clients like Nike, Barcardi, and Cannon.”
This is Rosenberg’s second marriage. He was previously married to sports commentator Alexa Datt until they split in 2008.
Congrats to The Rosenbergs.
You can see more photos from the ceremony in the gallery below.
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Photo: Peter Rosenberg
1. Amber Rose was in the building looking for a new husband
2. Well damn
3. Name this trio
4. Not the Stone Cold entrance music, lol. Nice touch.
6. Smoke DZA was in the building.
11.
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