Houston Community News >> China Blocks Jay-Z Concert

10/13/2006 Houston-- The Culture Ministry has canceled rapper Jay-Z's planned debut in China, citing his ``vulgar'' lyrics, a state-run newspaper reported Wednesday.

The rap icon, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was scheduled to perform on Oct. 23 at Shanghai's Hongkou Stadium. ``Some of Jay-Z's songs contain too much vulgar language,'' Sun Yun, of promoter KS Production Co., was quoted as saying in the Shanghai Daily newspaper.

The New York rapper's use of profanity and songs about drug dealers, pimps and violence apparently offended China's culture czars despite their recently allowing groups with sexually suggestive songs, such as the Rolling Stones and the Black Eyed Peas, to perform in Shanghai.

(Contributed by MercuryNews.com)