ESPN radio host Peter Rosenberg is an avid hip-hop fan, and when the culture mixes with sports, he chooses the culture. The radio jock let the world know when an angry caller decided to take offense at an image of hip-hop artist Method Man behind him during the YES simulcast of “The Michael Kay Show.”
The caller was a man named “Greg” from the tiny Long Island suburb of Ronkonkoma, New York, who felt the need to call out Rosenberg for his very visual support of the Wu-Tang Clan artist. However, Rosenberg was no pushover regarding the defense of hip-hop and labeling one of its shining stars a “thug.”
Don’t Mess With Method Man
The conversation drew the caller in about current New York Yankees center fielder Harrison Bader’s potential return to the St. Louis Cardinals, but “Greg” wanted to go in another direction first.
“I got this Method Man in my background,” Greg said. “What’s that got to do with sports radio? It just bothers me.”
While Michael Kay was confused by the comment, he clarified that Rosenberg’s Method Man poster in the background was the subject of his dissatisfaction with the TV simulcast. As Kay told the caller he could listen on the radio instead of the TV, Rosenberg decided to find out why M-E-T-H-O-D Man was so triggering, and that’s when it went left.
“You know his arrest record? I’m here for sports information,” Greg said.
Rosenberg is also a HOT 97 radio co-host, a hip-hop radio formatted station; he was not having it.
Checking Ignorance
“Oh my god! Greg, Greg, shut your mouth,” Rosenberg said, clearly hot after Greg labeled Method Man a “thug.”
“Shut your stupid, ignorant mouth,” Rosenberg continued. “You know nothing about Method Man. He’s a thug? Shut your stupid racist mouth, Greg. How about that? Shut up. No more for you Greg.”
The convergence of hip-hop culture and sports is ubiquitous now across most major sports as the culture has gone mainstream. Unfortunately for Greg, not many will defend his perspective.
Method Man and the Wu-Tang Clan are some of the most celebrated recording artists in history, and as one of their most popular songs says, “Wu Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin Ta F’ Wit.”