The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place -lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good- so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email [email protected].
This Week's Rapper: CANDYMAN
This Week's Subject(s): The non-Hispanic lineup at The Box's forthcoming Los Magnificos Car Show, scheduled for December 5 at Reliant Center.
Note: Rocks Off contacted The Box for a comment on this situation, and program director Terri Thomas sent back the following email: ""Hello! We have no comment. Have a great day!"
Ask A Rapper: Okay, so let's start from the beginning. What is your initial concern with The Box?
I'm tired of them running over us [Hispanic rappers], trying to take advantage of us. I get together with a lot of Hispanic artists and we were talking and it comes up like, "Man, have any of you all been called for the [Los Magnificos] car show?" No, no, no. I'm just in an outrage with them. It's sad. I'm not trying to put it that way, but it's like they're being racial.
If a black guy goes up there, he has a 20 percent better of getting played than I do. They're quick to take our money for concerts and commercials and promotions, but they can't even spin us one time a day? One time?
I'm listening to the commercial for the car show and they're naming the artists performing and they're naming 20 people and it's like none of them are Hispanic. There's not one single Hispanic local artist on the playbill. It's not right.
AAR: So you talked to the people from Los Magnificos about this as well?
CM: Yeah, I talked to them and they said The Box was in charge. I talked to J-Mac and he was like, "Man, I don't want to talk about that." I talked to Chile and G-Man. And it's cool, I get it, they're scared to lose their jobs
We saw what they did before. If they speak up on it, they could be the next Trae. They don't want that. Nobody does. But somebody has to speak up on this. Them not supporting us when we support them, it's gone on for too long.
AAR: You're not a new guy on the scene. Tell everyone a bit about your credentials.
CM: I've been rapping for 11 years. I've had songs with Slim Thug, ESG, Keke was on my first album. I was in the Top 5 on 104.9 when they were here. It's not like they don't know me or haven't heard of me. It's not about me and it's not about race, it's about being right. That's all.
We show love. A lot of Hispanics, that's in our blood. Why can't we get the same? We don't need the entire pie, we just want one of the strawberrys on the pie. There's like 200 of them in there. We just want one.