Dotun Adebayo
Last week black music station BBC 1Xtra released a controversial top 20 ‘Power List (Click here to read all about it).
The ‘Power List’ has been a major talking point, and the unexpected backlash has forced 1Xtra employees to come out and defend the decision to place pop singer Ed Sheeran at the top of the list, among other things.
Last night BBC London’s Dotun Adebayo discussed the list with guests, Big Nasty, Zeon Richards, DJ Sarah Harrison and blogger Miss Lala.
Sam Wolfson
Sam Wolfson (editor of website Noisey UK who helped to compile the list) later joined the debate and was asked about Ed’s (a pop artist) inclusion on the list.
Wolfson revealed:
I was vocally going against him (Ed Sheeran). There were two white guys, myself and another guy in the room who were saying ‘there are too many white artists on the list’, and the 1Xtra DJ’s, the black DJ’s were saying, ‘it doesn’t matter, race isn’t important here’.
Sometimes you have to go with what is happening in the room.
CLICK HERE to listen to the entire show and listen to Sam from [mark 41.50].
Hahahahaha – He really did expose the mindset of some of these black men, who are galloping around the music industry today.
Sam’s comments further confirm what I have always thought about the few black folks who work behind the scenes in the UK music industry. They should be part of the solution but instead become part of the problem.
Employees working for BBC 1Xtra should go and seek employment at sister station BBC Radio 1 or Capital FM, because they are LOST and seem to have conveniently forgotten why BBC 1xtra was launched in the first place.
Categories: UK News
MAD NEWS UK 
“Sam’s comment further confirms what I have always thought about the few black folks who work behind the scenes in the UK music industry. They should be part of the solution but just become part of the problem.” Quentin Tarrantino’s film Django Unchained was controversial, but it brilliantly exposed the ‘house negro’ mentality, which is quite relevant here. Certain Black people in the industry are more concerned with furthering their own careers, than advancing the cause of the race. I wonder if they even acknowledge that they have a responsibility/roll to play?
Only in the UK! I can imagine those black folks behind the scenes on 1Xtra feel they have to kiss the white man’s batty to maintain their position. If this is what is going on at 1Xtra, the allegedly top uk urban station, then something is definitely wrong!
It’s a shame that race even came into the question of why it was a complete farce to put Ed Sheran at the top… i.e WHAT HAS HE DONE FOR “URBAN” (term used to further remove black music from black people) MUSIC??? Why on earth was he put at the top? or even anywhere on the list?? It is so sad that people who are supposed to be representing “our” music don’t actually know anything about it anymore as they are too caught up in the net of the industry.. (and want to stay there…)
Sad times
BH xx
grrr cant listen – its not available on iplayer at the moment. been trying for awhile
as BH said it really is sad times, I’m not even angry anymore just disappointed