Rapper Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” – the most popular song in the country – has been banned from being played at a high school’s homecoming dance in Mason, Ohio.
The single was banned after some parents and students complained to Mason High School principal David Allen, who printed out the lyrics to the popular song and made the decision to prevent the song from being played during the dance.
“In printing those lyrics out, there were obviously some words and some different things in the song that made that individual student or those students and those parents uncomfortable,” Allen told Ohio’s Middletown Journal. “In looking at the words of that song, I couldn’t defend playing it and say to our parents that it is indeed something I would deem appropriate. We want kids to have a good time. We don’t want kids there feeling uncomfortable because of the music.”
Several students attended a board meeting on Tuesday (October 9) to protest school board members decision and cited other songs that contained tamer lyrics, but a more provocative message.
Meanwhile, the 17-year-old rapper continues to dominate the charts.
“Crank That” is #1 for a fifth week on the Billboard Hot 100 and his debut album souljaboytellem.com debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200.
Michael “Mr. Collipark” Crooms, CEO of Collipark Music, the label which released Soulja Boy’s album responded exclusively to AllHipHop.com about the controversy.
“When I found Soulja Boy, he had songs that had profanity, but it was his idea to clean them up, because his records are fun,” Mr. Collipark told AllHipHop.com. “You can’t please everyone, but this is crazy. Here you have the most clean cut guy in the game. For anyone to ban him for what has achieved is crazy.
Mr. Collipark, who has produced risqué hits like “Wait (The Whisper Song)” by the Ying Yang Twins, “Ms. New Booty” by Bubba Sparxxx featuring Ying Yang Twins and “Trap Star” by Young Jeezy, agreed with the students argument that numerous records contained much more offensive lyrics than “Crank That.”
“They will probably play “Bed” [by J. Holliday] and they won’t say anything, but he’s talking about sex and that’s not offense. This is a dance. Supersoak is a dance, the Roosevelt, they are all dances. How about we turn it off and let the kids listen to raps about drugs and shooting people?”
Students were looking forward to the opportunity to perform the dance in unison.
Earlier in the month, the student newspaper The Mason Chronicle ran an article for those teaching the dance for those with h two left.
School board members defended themselves by stating that Soldier Boy’s “Crank That” isn’t the only song banned from being played at school dances.
Mr. Collipark strongly disagreed with the school boards decision and noted a double standard in society.
“These adults need to check themselves. It’s not a fair standard to set. These people are hypocrites.”
