The Camden, N.J., police department has called for Swizz Beatz to renounce anti-snitching sentiments or it will drop sponsorship of a "Peace on the Streets" rally.
In his current single, "It's Me Snitches," Swizz raps: "Freeze, you know who it is/ It's me, snitches" and "I ain't gonna shoot ya/ I could just choke ya."
It's lines like those that appear to advocate violence and silencing snitches — or police informants — that concern police in a city that is among the nation's most dangerous.
The police department says a culture that opposes cooperating with authorities makes crimes more difficult to solve and the city harder to clean up.
"The use of the word `snitches' in the song was just an edit for radio," Swizz says in a statement Wednesday to The Associated Press. "If I supported violence or the 'Stop Snitching' campaign, I wouldn't have agreed to be a part of the event ..."
Other city officials say they have been assured that Swizz is no longer rapping about hard-core violence and will have a positive message in the two songs he's scheduled to perform at the rally Thursday.
"He's actually sharing a lot of positiveness," says the Rev. Tony Evans, a spokesman for Mayor Gwendolyn Faison. "A lot of artists, even though they have material that might not be appropriate for all ages, they do want to position themselves as having a positive impact on communities."
The Associated Press sent an e-mail to Swizz's publicist Wednesday seeking comment.
The New York-based producer, whose real name is Kasseem Dean, is to be paid by Philadelphia radio station Power 99 to appear at the rally, sponsored by local government and school board.
Swizz Beatz In Trouble For Song's Comments
/ AP
The Camden, N.J., police department has called for Swizz Beatz to renounce anti-snitching sentiments or it will drop sponsorship of a "Peace on the Streets" rally.
In his current single, "It's Me Snitches," Swizz raps: "Freeze, you know who it is/ It's me, snitches" and "I ain't gonna shoot ya/ I could just choke ya."
It's lines like those that appear to advocate violence and silencing snitches — or police informants — that concern police in a city that is among the nation's most dangerous.
The police department says a culture that opposes cooperating with authorities makes crimes more difficult to solve and the city harder to clean up.
"The use of the word `snitches' in the song was just an edit for radio," Swizz says in a statement Wednesday to The Associated Press. "If I supported violence or the 'Stop Snitching' campaign, I wouldn't have agreed to be a part of the event ..."
Other city officials say they have been assured that Swizz is no longer rapping about hard-core violence and will have a positive message in the two songs he's scheduled to perform at the rally Thursday.
"He's actually sharing a lot of positiveness," says the Rev. Tony Evans, a spokesman for Mayor Gwendolyn Faison. "A lot of artists, even though they have material that might not be appropriate for all ages, they do want to position themselves as having a positive impact on communities."
The Associated Press sent an e-mail to Swizz's publicist Wednesday seeking comment.
The New York-based producer, whose real name is Kasseem Dean, is to be paid by Philadelphia radio station Power 99 to appear at the rally, sponsored by local government and school board.
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