Watch The Roots Run Through The Hits In Philly For The 4th Of July Jam
Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter has issued an apology for the profanity used by Nicki Minaj and Marlon Wayans during the Philly 4th of July Jam this past Independence Day. The apology follows WPVI TV's decision to bleep portions of The Roots' performance despite the fact that they and singer Ed Sheeran edited their songs in order to accommodate the family-friendly concert. The use of curse words during the free outdoor performance goes directly against network television standards and flies in the face of the concert's reputation. The decision to censor the entire show was taken as an insult by The Roots, who have historically anchored and helped to organize the show in their hometown to very exacting standards. Black Thought and Questlove have publicly defended The Roots and their fellow performers since the event. CBSPhilly reports that Mayor Nutter has begun to consider solutions to the problem for next year's celebration:
When asked what recourse the city has against them, the mayor was vague:“We will deal with this in a variety of different ways,” he said. “On one end, you just don’t invite the person back.”
But Nutter would not specifically say whether Minaj and Wayans — the apparent worst offenders — would ever be invited to appear again.
“Yes, there were some discomforting moments. But those should not in any way mar the overwhelming success of this particular concert,” the mayor said.
