Tyrese was abruptly asked to leave the offices of Delaware radio station WBJR KISS 101.7. The singer-actor was being interviewed by the on-air personality when he made a plea to the community to shut down a liquor store that was directly across the street from a nearby elementary school:
Get them cats out of here, selling alcohol right across from your kids’ school, homie, put the pressure on them homie, you know how to put pressure on dudes selling in your ‘hood.
During a commercial break, the deejay left the booth and returned visibly shaken, per Tyrese. It seems the station manager went ballistic, was verbally abusive to the deejay and demanded that Tyrese be removed from the premises immediately. According to Tyrese, the station manager accused him of disrespecting the community.
Following his forced removal, Tyrese tweeted:
I just kicked out of a radio station from a PD (program director) who had a problem w/ me speaking on liquor stores that are by elementary schools in Delaware.
In 17 years I have NEVER been kicked out of a radio station.. Because I have a problem w/ liquor stores being across from elementary schools?
I was also told that the PD made them ERASE my interview so that NO ONE could HEAR me SPEAK on the issue of the liquor stores near kids..
If you don’t STAND for something … You will damn near fall for Anything …
The incident is disconcerting at the very least as communities nationwide are experiencing decreased funding in basic social services such as substance abuse training and prevention. Transitional changes in a child’s life have been shown to be one of the major risk factors that prompts substance abuse. According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse, “The first big transition for children is when they leave the security of the family and enter school. Later, when they advance from elementary school to middle school, they often experience new academic and social situations, such as learning to get along with a wider group of peers. It is at this stage — early adolescence — that children are likely to encounter drugs for the first time.”
Tyrese spoke with TMZ following the incident:
tmz.vo.llnwd.net/o28/newsdesk/tmz_audio/092811_tyrese_intv.mp3
