Calloway Blasts BET Music Videos

Calloway Blasts BET Music Videos
The Associated Press
Sunday, April 2, 2006; 1:51 PM

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- The former co-host of BET's popular "106 & Park" show blasts what he calls the destructive messages of many of the show's most popular music videos.

A.J. Calloway co-hosted the show for five years with Free, whose given name is Marie Wright. Both left the show in July.

"I couldn't watch my own show with my niece on my lap," Calloway said this past week at South Carolina State University as part of the "Black Student Today" panel. The discussion focused on the impact of hip-hop music.

"Pick your five favorite songs," Calloway said. "Write down every word that's in your favorite songs. Read it back to yourself and think about what that has put into your head."

Calloway told the university audience he had vowed that after facing racism while growing up in New Jersey he would "never do anything against my race."

"I felt like I was hurting us by doing what I was doing," he said.