Busta Rhymes’ Controversial “Arab Money” Gets DJ Suspended
Busta Rhymes’ new song “Arab Money” continues to be a lightning rod for controversy, with one UK DJ being suspended after playing the Quran-sampling track on the radio. Steve “Smooth” Sutherland was suspended from his popular show after the song’s broadcast resulted complaints from listeners. In the song’s chorus, the first chapter of the Quran is sung and sampled, which is against strict Arab law dictating that singing a Quran verse in combination with music is prohibited. “I really only respect the Arab culture,” Rhymes said in a recent interview. “I ain’t really trying to pay no attention to, ya know, these little people in political positions and executive positions that ain’t Arab culture oriented people because a lot of the times, what are you really showing all of this concern for?” Busta will entangle Diddy, Lil Wayne, Akon and T-Pain in the controversy as well when the “Arab Money” remix drops soon.
Related Stories:
• How Busta Rhymes Helped Gym Class Heroes Sew Their Quilt
• Busta Rhymes, Run-DMC, Queen Latifah: Golden Age Hip-Hop Photos From Janette Beckman
• Album Review: Busta Rhymes, The Big Bang