Hot 97’s Cipha Sounds Addresses Suspension, “I Didn’t Know My Words Were This Powerful”

Written By S. Samuel

New York's Hot 97 radio station personality Cipha Sounds has responded to being suspended for making a harmful comment toward Haitian women in connection to HIV.

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Speaking via statement, Cipha Sounds denied having negative energy or ill will toward any race.

“DAM, I HAVENT BEEN HOME AT THIS HOUR IN 7 YEARS… WHAT DO I DO?? I GUESS I’LL JUST WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY HOLIDAY & COUNT UR BLESSINGS…I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE SHOWING ME LOVE AND SUPPORT IT IS OVERWHELMING AND I AM TRULY GRATEFUL….IM JUST A DUDE FROM THE BRONX THAT HAS A REALLY COOL JOB & I DIDNT KNOW MY WORDS WERE THIS POWERFUL. ITS A BLESSING TO LEARN… THANK U 1 LAST THING B4 I GO CRY ABOUT BEING SUSPENDED… PLEASE DO NOT USE MY PAGE TO SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE TOWARDS HAITIANS. NOT COOL AT ALL…MI LUV ALL MY CARIBBEAN / WEST INDIAN PEOPLE & THE 1?S THAT DONT KNOW ME WILL SEE THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE & I HAVE NO HATE IN BODY WHATSOEVER.” (Cipha Sounds’ Twitter)

Cipha’s suspension was publicly announced Wednesday (December 23) morning.

DJ Cipha Sounds is a favorite on-air personality in the New York area, but he made plenty of enemies recently with an insensitive comment about Haitian women. However, it sounds as though Cipha Sounds got off easy, as many leaders of the Haitian community were calling for Cipha Sounds to be fired. All of the controversy surrounds a broadcast in which Cipha Sounds said, “the reason I’m HIV negative is because I don’t mess with Haitian girls.” As of now, Cipha Sounds is suspended indefinitely and has to undergo sensitivity training. It’s surprising Cipha Sounds would make such a big gaffe, considering his 15 years of experience. (Bloginity)

Despite the suspension, New York rival station Power 105.1 radio host Charlamagne Tha God went after Hot 97’s “light” punishment.

“Now, Hot 97 has suspended Cipha Sounds and that suspension is such a joke because it’s the holidays. I can almost guarantee that he was gonna be off anyway. Think about that, Haitian people? They so-called suspended a guy during the holiday. He was gonna be off anyway! They don’t care about the people, so why do we care about them? This has been an ongoing trend with Hot 97. A culture of hate has been cultivated on Hot 97. And, obviously, Hot 97 encourages the hate ’cause they keep it going. They like the cameras in front of building, they like seeing their logo on TV, they like generating this kinda controversy, and they don’t care who they hurt in the process. That’s why Peter Rosenburg, on the day Haitian people are protesting in front of Hot 97, can get on Twitter and say, ‘Bitchassness is at an all time high.’ Ha! Peter Rosenburg, the only time bitchassness is at an all-time high is when someone like you shows absolutely no remorse for the people who listen to him on a daily basis.” (Power 105.1)

Over the past few years, Hot 97 has drawn controversy for radio hosts speaking out of line.

In 2004, former HOT 97 DJ, Tasha Nicole Jones, aka Miss Jones mocked the Tsunami victims with a racially charged parody song. In the song she referred to the victims as “screaming chinks and chinamen” and said their children would be sold into child slavery. Jones eventually apologized and donated a week’s salary to charity efforts. However advertisers were not pleased. Sprint and McDonalds withdrew their advertising. The following year in December 2005 Jones, launched an on air tirade against Transit Workers Union (TWU) members and their president, Roger Toussaint. She called them “undereducated, overpaid failures” and said Toussaint was a “dumb coconut who probably doesn’t have a green card.” (All Media NY)

Listen to Charlamagne Tha God’s reaction to Cipha Sounds below:

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Written by S. Samuel

Steven Samuel is the co-founder of SOHH.com.

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