Hot 97 Landlord Has Had Enough of Hip-Hop Violence Print
Written by Robert ID2592   
Sunday, 07 May 2006 07:03

Some of the biggest rap stars in hip hop culture have visited New York’s hip-hop, rap and R&B radio station Hot 97. Many of the hip- hop and rap artists show up with entourages who become involved in confrontations.

Rap and hip-hop artists from Game to 50 Cent have had their share of problems at the New York hip-hop radio station; this includes the 2001 shooting between the hip-hop entourages of ‘Lil Kim and Capone-N-Noreaga which ended up with ‘Lil Kim going to jail over.

The New York City District Council of Carpenters Pension Fund, which owns the building that houses the hip-hop Hot 97 station (WQHT-FM) and two of its sister stations, wants to evict the station for promoting violence among its hip-hop and rap visitors. It seems the landlord has had enough of the loose cannons of hip-hop and said that it feared for the lives of their other tenants and passers-by after three shootings, two bomb threats and more than a dozen other violent incidents at the station's offices since March 2000. It has issued an eviction notice to Emmis Radio LLC, which owns Hot 97.

In a counter move Emmis Radio LLC has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against The New York City District Council of Carpenters Pension Fund over the eviction notice. It is being reported that are six years remain on their lease.

In papers filed in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Emmis Radio LLC said the landlord has "blocked access to the premises by any and all of tenant's visitors."

The building's owners, The New York City District Council of Carpenters Pension Fund, have said the station cannot have any visitors except for the hip-hop and rap artists and that seven days notice is needed before any artists visit the Hot 97 station.

The attorney for The New York City District Council of Carpenters Pension Fund said the stations agreed to those terms. “The suit is without merit”, he said.

It seems even the NYPD has enough of the Hot 97 hip-hop drama. NYPD officials told the New York Daily News that they will be installing a 24-hour surveillance camera outside Hot 97’s radio station in hopes of hindering hip-hop and rap artists and their entourages from getting violent.