Twista Dumped From Alabama Music Festival Due To Lyrics

Twista was dropped from an Alabama music festival, after city officials threatened to withhold $200,000 from the event if the rapper performed. Five commissioners in Jefferson County agreed yesterday (March 25) that they would not provide public money for the City Stages festival that is scheduled to take place during Fathers Day weekend in June […]

Twista was dropped from an Alabama music festival,

after city officials threatened to withhold $200,000 from the event if the rapper

performed.

Five commissioners in Jefferson County agreed

yesterday (March 25) that they would not provide public money for the City Stages

festival that is scheduled to take place during Fathers Day weekend in June

if the Chicago rapper performed.

The officials said that Twista’s lyrics were

racially insensitive and anti-woman. Organziers of the festival issued a statement

and said that the rapper would have performed clean versions of his songs.

"City Stages has no more important partner

than the Jefferson County Commission," the statement read. "Our partner

has made us aware they do not regard the hip-hop act Twista as appropriate for

this year’s festival. We have listened to their concerns, and Twista will not

perform at City Stages, even though he was to have played a clean show."

"I think it was a very, very wise decision

on their part," Larry Langford, the commission president, told The Birmingham

News. "They’re trying to build a venue where you can take the whole family

and not be caught off-guard. I am delighted they heard our plea and pulled him."

The commission also felt that the rapper’s use

of the N word was not tolerable and labeled the rapper’s music as "filth."

Langford said that he has used the N word to

other black people in the past, but said that using the word is "degrading

in any context it’s used."

"It’s a question of decency," Langford

said. "Whenever disrespect for women, people or races raises its ugly head,

I’m going to speak out – especially when it comes to spending taxpayer money."

Rappers have been the biggest draw for the festival,

with Outkast setting the festival’s single-day attendance record in 2002. Ludacris

also proved to be the biggest draw of last years event.