Celebrity Today @ Live Journal - Jay-Z Vulgar, Barred from China Concert

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China’s culture ministry has denied permission for a planned concert in Shanghai by New York rapper Jay-Z because his lyrics were deemed too vulgar, state media said on Wednesday.

The ministry decided that "some of Jay-Z’s songs contain too much vulgar language", the official China Daily quoted concert promoter Sun Yun of the KS production company as saying.

Jay-Z was scheduled to perform at Shanghai’s Hongkou Football Stadium on October 23.

"The Ministry of Culture has decided to protect the city’s hip-hop fans from nasty lyrics about pimps, guns and drugs," the newspaper said.

"Like many rap stars, Jay-Z is known for his use of profanity and songs about the ugly side of street life, complete with drug dealers, pimps and violence," it said.

But some people criticized the ministry’s decision, pointing to a performance of "sexually suggestive songs" in the city three months ago by the Black Eyed Peas.

The newspaper quoted an industry insider who refused to be identified as saying that the difference in treatment is that Jay-Z hasn’t released an album on the Chinese mainland while the Black Eyed Peas have.

The event on 23 October would have been the rapper’s debut concert in China.

At a concert in Shanghai in April, the Rolling Stones were asked not to play songs with suggestive lyrics.

No surprise

Jay-Z is thought to have fallen foul of the Chinese authorities for references to drug dealers, pimps, violence and guns in his music.

Concerts by chart-topping US group The Black Eyed Peas were allowed to go ahead in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong earlier this year, despite the adult nature of some of their songs.

Rolling Stones lead singer Sir Mick Jagger said the censorship of the band’s China gig was no surprise and had not worried them.

Fortunately, we have 400 more songs that we can play so it’s not really an issue," said the veteran rock star.

Tags: Jay-Z