CEOs Ain’t Loyal: Cipha Sounds, Hot 97, Old Heads and Disrespect

Hot 97’s treatment of long-standing, and loyal, DJ/personality Cipha Sounds, demonstrates their ongoing condescending attitude toward those who built hip hop’s legacy from the ground up.

This week, NY hip hop radio as we knew it took another L when mainstay Cipha Sounds (Luis Diaz) parted ways with iconic New York hip hop radio station Hot 97, after 17 years.

Reports surrounding Cipha Sounds’ departure are conflicting: according to the Daily News, the long-standing on-air personality and DJ was fired one day after making critical remarks about being removed as a mid-day interim host on The Juan Epstein Show podcast, an extra-curricular production alongside former co-host Peter Rosenberg. According to Billboard however, Cipha Sounds’ departure from the radio station was of his own volition.

In an official statement issued by Hot 97’s publicist, Lindsey Salandra, the Emmis Communications-owned station had little more to say about this departure than, “Effective immediately, Cipha Sounds is no longer with WQHT HOT 97 FM. We wish him well on his future endeavors.”

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Cipha Sounds’ abrupt exit from Hot 97 is yet another example of why hip hop in general — and New York hip hop in particular — suffers from both a lack of loyalty and a complete disrespect of those who came before them (who are often not-so-affectionately referred to as the “old heads”). When you combine this one-two sucker punch with the pervasive entitlement of the younger generation, hip hop, as a cultural force, loses status with mainstream media, as well as by anyone looking to write those much-needed checks to artists (yes, folks — contrary to what some may believe, the vast majority of the artists you admire that claim to “get money” are merely “stuntin’ on the ‘Gram”).

In Hot 97’s case, let’s look at Cipha Sounds’ mid-day replacement, Nessa. Infuriatingly, and without any sort of prior relevant experience in New York hip hop, she’s being touted as “the voice of a generation” and a natural successor to prior slot-holder and legendary hip hop jock Angie Martinez’s hard-earned crown as the “Voice of New York.”

While I have nothing personal against Nessa, I find this unfounded kissing of her professional ass particularly noxious. First of all, aside from a previous stint as a DJ in the Bay Area of San Francisco, Nessa has absolutely NO relevant work experience AT ALL, and certainly no relevant experience in New York or New York hip hop.

(And, in the HipHopDX interview linked above, she herself demonstrated that not only does she have no knowledge of New York hip hop except to say that it was the “birthplace” of the genre — nice touch, by the way — her ability to have an intelligent dialogue is severely stunted by her embarrassing — and possibly deliberate? — fangirl way of speaking, and her obsessive fawning over Nicki Minaj. Um. How… cute?)

On her “favorite NY rapper”: Nicki Minaj is who I love. Of course, you got your classics… Dipset and that whole era. Of course as a kid, I listened to them. For my generation now, I love Nicki. I really hope she lets me touch her booty and boobs, I feel like she’s going to let me do it the next time I see her.

Angie Martinez started from the ground-up — working, first as an intern at Hot 97, then working directly under Funkmaster Flex — from the tender age of 16. She was not handed the title of the Voice of New York, she earned it, through blood, sweat, and a lot of tears (Oh yes, Angie had to endure a LOT of nonsense at the hands of detractors, for HOW DARE SHE be a beautiful woman in hip hop with a healthy sex life and not ask for permission to express her sexuality the way she felt fit?). What took Angie Martinez decades to earn is simply being handed to Nessa, unjustifiably, seemingly because she’s young, hot, and good for a stupid sound bite.

Angie Martinez has forgotten more than Nessa will ever know about the radio business. Nessa is going to have to do a lot more than look cute and giggle when she talks to be considered a “Voice of New York” from the elder statesmen of the genre.

In my opinion, it was Cipha Sounds, not Nessa, that was the correct choice to replace Angie Martinez when she jumped ship to cross-town rival Power 105. Cipha has long held all necessary credentials which has made him vital to the continuation of the true spirit of the New York hip hop landscape.

His CV includes The Flip Squad, DJing and touring with Lil’ Kim, hosting a show on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio and being a member of club DJ titans The Big Dawg Pitbulls. He was also the first DJ to play Rihanna, Rick Ross and more superstars on NYC radio, effectively “breaking” their careers (as DJs in the early days of hip hop were wont to do).

In fact, Cipha Sounds revealed he previously chose not to escape what some would call a sinking ship, turning down an offer to join Power 105.

Yet, because he’s an “old head” and perhaps because Ebro is from the Bay, Cipha Sounds is out, and a young, pretty, MTV pop hostess is in… Proving, yet again, that the once-mighty Hot 97 is becoming a joke in the hip hop realm.

The manner in which corporate radio treats hip hop is disgraceful. It’s disrespectful. It’s yet another slap in the face of hip hop, and New York hip hop in particular. And it needs to come to an end.

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RELATED: Update on the FCC Petition Against Hot 97/Emmis Communications