Activist Wants Station to Drop Rapper’s Radio Show

A local activist Thursday called on radio station KKBT-FM (100.3) to drop a popular syndicated show hosted by Snoop Dogg because of the rap star’s participation in a newly released pornographic video.

KKBT is part of Radio One Inc., a Maryland-based company that owns stations across the country. It was founded by Catherine Hughes, who has repeatedly said she does not wish her stations to play music that is derogatory toward black women.

Najee Ali, executive director of Project Islamic Hope, cited Hughes’ position in asking that the show, called “Bigg Snoop Dogg Radio,” be taken off the air. Produced and syndicated by NBG Radio Network, a Portland, Ore., company, it airs four hours each Friday night.

Calls to Hughes and other officers of Radio One seeking comment were not returned Thursday. Neither were repeated calls to KKBT. Gina DeWitt, a spokeswoman for NBG, said her company regards the video as “a completely separate project from the radio show. We support Snoop’s freedom, but we’re not promoting or selling the video.”

In a news release that accompanied the video’s launch, Snoop defended the product, saying: “We’re rapping about it when we’re doing records. We’re in the studio doing it, we’re making hard-core, and we should be able to put out hard-core.”

Ali spoke at a news conference Thursday in Los Angeles. He said he represented his own organization as well as the Muslim American Society, Bilal Islamic Center and Christ Unity Center in calling for the show’s cancellation.

“No disc jockey in America could perform in a pornographic movie and have his job the next day,” Ali said. “We should not have a double standard for rappers.”

Ali referred specifically to a statement Hughes made last year to Turning Point magazine:

“We are trying to raise the index. We want to appeal to the community and help raise us all to a higher level,” she said. “A funky beat won’t hurt us, but we want to be motivating, not vulgar, disgusting and profane.”

The video was released earlier this week by Hustler Video. It features a collection of Snoop’s music videos as well as several sexually explicit scenes featuring pornographic actors and actresses. Snoop does not participate in the on-camera sex, but is on camera while the sex is occurring. He is prominently featured on the cover of the video, which is called “Doggystyle,” the same name as an earlier album of his.

Ali said he was particularly offended by the video’s portrayal of unprotected sex, given the high rate of HIV infection among African Americans.

“Snoop is a role model whether he wants to be or not,” Ali said.