N.Y. radio station no stranger to fire

Hot 97 is again a hot topic.

Monday’s rap-feud-related shooting outside the radio station’s building, in which a member of the Game’s entourage was wounded, comes on the heels of negative publicity from the airing in January of a song parody that mocked tsunami victims. This week, rapper Lil’ Kim is on trial on charges she lied about a shooting in front of the station in 2001, an incident that stemmed from a beef between Lil’ Kim and rapper Foxy Brown.

The incidents have people talking about WQHT-FM.

“Listeners, hip-hop fans talk about it,” said Tom Taylor, editor of InsideRadio.com. “It also does kind of confirm that the station is a vital part of that culture. It’s not the publicity they want.”

Still, the station, which is owned by Emmis Communications, is used to hip-hop feuds. Besides the 2001 shootout that resulted in a 12-year prison term for Lil’ Kim’s bodyguard, rapper Nas pulled out of Hot 97’s Summer Jam in 2002 after complaining the station wouldn’t let him rap about rival Jay-Z.

On Monday, members of 50 Cent’s entourage began fighting with the Game’s entourage outside the station. Kevin Reed, 20, of Los Angeles was wounded. No arrests have been made.

DJ Funkmaster Flex, who was interviewing 50 Cent on Monday, had a scuffle in 2002 with a DJ at rival WWPR-FM.