CNN Apologizes For Airing 'N-Word' In Coolio Song (VIDEO)

CNN anchor Kyra Phillips had to apologize Wednesday after the network accidentally played a Coolio song featuring the N-word.

For a clip on a 103-year-old Pennsylvania woman who still drives, CNN played Coolio's "Fantastic Voyage" to go into break.

The clip of the song they used?

"Ain't no bloodin', Ain't no crippin' / Ain't no punk-a** n***a's set trippin' / everybody's got a stack and it ain't no crack / and it really don't matter..."

"We aired some music just a few minutes ago, and, obviously for those of you that heard it, it was the wrong music that aired," Phillips said shortly thereafter. "We apologize for that. It was a terrible mistake. And we're working very hard to make up for it."

This was first noted on ReddingNewsReview.com.

WATCH:

Comments

[joeyfoto]

11:53 AM on 06/18/2010

The networks should be playing John Lennon's "Woman is the Ni$$er of the World" every day. Those who think bigotry is about words independent of context, will alway be creating illiterate conundrums.

The playing, of a song with the word in it, is a non-issue. Racism — which I used to call "The American Disease" until I worked in Africa and saw the sort of discrimination, based on skin-color, that takes place there — is a deeply-embedded psychological impairment, which deserves to be more seriously addressed, especially in America, where it justifies so much injustice.

[collies1]

02:30 PM on 06/01/2010

Why apologize??? Its a song that is approved by that community. Its on mtv its on BTN its
on the radio. Even Rev Al. who said he was against that music but hasn't protested once after he stated that.

[ThoughtAboutIt]

01:34 PM on 06/01/2010

They must have been thinking about "Fantastic Voyage" by The Gap Band.

[Cullen Stalin]

03:31 AM on 06/01/2010

This apology is like a proclamation by CNN that they are, indeed, as out of touch as people say they are!

[lvdragonlady]

08:58 PM on 05/31/2010

It has gotten to the point that an apology is just not going to cut it. These people see how others get slammed and are so pathetic that they just do not get it and then what happens....??? Foot in mouth and a half-hearted apology.
UNACCEPTABLE!!!

[AppleJuiceJunkie316]

04:19 PM on 05/31/2010

How we gone git there? We ain't got no car! Fool!

Thanks CNN, I looked up this song on Youtube because of you. It's actually a great song and demolishes everything out today. 90's rap still had some party vibe to its rap interspersed with its violence. Now it's only violence and sex. Gansta's Paradise was an incredible song too, but boy did they play it to death that year it was released.

[jmink]

02:05 PM on 05/31/2010

Why doesn't anyone read between the lines anymore? You might catch more news that way!

[Corve DaCosta]

09:25 AM on 05/31/2010

If FOX NEWS had done this you wouldn't have heard the end of it

[Dana MB]

05:25 PM on 05/31/2010

You are absolutely right...no argument! But I think its even more funny that a producer didn't catch this...some intern is gonna lose their job over this! LOL...welcome to the PC world of television!

[Corve DaCosta]

06:19 PM on 05/31/2010

Well let someone pay....I'm unemployed

[Cullen Stalin]

03:30 AM on 06/01/2010

Fox News wouldn't have done it, because that would mean actually playing music by Black people.

[collies1]

02:37 PM on 06/01/2010

no ,thats just plain dumb!

[John Meeks]

11:23 PM on 05/30/2010

If I want 'edgy' presentation of news, I'll sneak into a junior high school and watch Channel One in the teachers' lounge. The 'cool' bumper and segue music was bound to offend because CNN is trying so hard to be hip.
If CNN wants to apologize, they should really apologize for abusing the concept of 'BREAKING NEWS' If a story is more than six hours old, please stop calling it 'BREAKING NEWS'!!!

[jmink]

10:09 AM on 05/30/2010

They apologize for letting the record companies escape unnoticed while they let gangster rap become all for the black community. There are plenty of black musicians out there who are playing gorgeous funk but the record companies market the gangsters because it suits the rest of their agenda. The record companies ruined the black community for anyone who did not want to raise their children as hoodlums.

[Dana MB]

05:28 PM on 05/31/2010

I would never say that Coolio made "gangster rap". I mean he was no Ice Cube who ironically is now making nice family movies for black families and is quite the successful black business man! But boy were they scared of him with his all black outfits, gherri curl and raider baseball cap back in the day! The irony!

[Balloon-Boy]

09:38 PM on 05/29/2010

Then how else would you become Faux Lite?

[Nikki Reynolds]

03:41 PM on 05/29/2010

CNN needs to calm down with the go-to-break hit list. They seem to be infatuated with exit themes.

[jd43]

03:08 PM on 05/29/2010

Oh, lighten up. My 19 year old black next door neighbor (who is a great kid) and his male and female friends use the "n-word" all the time and don't give it at second thought.

[bnww]

08:56 PM on 05/29/2010

And you think that's okay?!? http://www.educate-empower.com

[eternalscorpio1]

12:29 PM on 05/29/2010

instead of apologizing for a song CNN needs to apologize for putting Eric Erickson on the air, CNN needs to apologize for exploiting tragedy at every turn, CNN needs to apologize for being CNN

[jd43]

03:13 PM on 05/29/2010

Why don't you stick to Fox.

[eternalscorpio1]

08:04 PM on 05/29/2010

because fox sucks 100 times worse.............

[GeoNorth]

03:00 PM on 05/30/2010

CNN works for ratings. It's all they know how to do. Fox lies for political gain. It's what they're told to do.

[Robert Crowley]

11:28 AM on 05/29/2010

oh my God - it just couldn't be more wrong