Protesters Force Label to Pull Ashanti's Bloody Viral Video

A group of protesters as confused/offended as we were about Ashanti's murderous viral video stormed the Universal/Motown offices in Los Angeles yesterday, ultimately convincing the label to shut down the website that housed the clip. The decision to close the site came after the protesters, comprised mostly of concerned parents and religious leaders, told Universal that they would picket the singer during her scheduled performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Game 5 of the Lakers/Celtics NBA Finals series at Los Angeles' Staples Center. Clicking on Ashanti's offending "Gotchagram" now re-routes fans to Ashanti's official site and not the video that mysteriously boasted "Black children will die."

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Song Stories

“Weird”

Hanson | 1997

Accomplished tunesmith Desmond Child co-wrote "Weird" with the three brothers that make up Hanson. Credited for dozens of cuts, including songs by Kiss, Cher, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, Child told Rolling Stone that "Weird" holds a special place in his heart, "because it's about being different--and I grew up poor, I grew up being Latin, I grew up being gay, and now I'm fat!" The song was included on Hanson's 1997 album Middle of Nowhere, which sold more than ten million units.

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