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Manager of Hot 97 FM, Luke Boyea says he sees the “soca mafia” label as a compliment to the role that his station plays as a standard bearer in entertainment radio in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

He, however, said that he and his station are “of course not” the don of the “soca mafia”.

The “soca mafia” is a term coined by soca artiste Rondy “Luta” McIntosh in one of his 2018 songs, “Play People Music”, in which he calls for fair airplay for various soca artistes.

Many feel that the song is directed at Hot 97 as part of a years-long feud in which music by some soca artistes were not being played on the station, which has remained the king of entertainment radio in SVG since it opened its doors 16 years ago.

iWitness News visited the studio of Hot 97 Wednesday morning when they had the kings of soca in SVG: Delroy “Fireman” Hooper and Gamal “Skinny Fabulous” Doyle in studio together for the first time.

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There seems to be some rapprochement between the two artistes who have dominated the soca monarch competition for the last decade and a half.

Skinny is returning to the power soca competition this year, after a two-year hiatus.

Asked if he and Boyea are part of the soca mafia and which one of them is the godfather, a smiling Christopher “Too Cool” Jones, one of the co-hosts of Hot 97’s “A.M. Mayhem” told iWitness News:

“People tend to say that, but I don’t see it. It ain’t ha’ no mafia. This is a love thing. We ain’t no mafia. Come on! Mafia!? Me!?”

Meanwhile, Boyea who also co-hosts A.M. Mayhem, told iWitness News:

“What we do, we do it better than anybody else. So they give us that title.”

He said he took the “soca mafia” label as a compliment.

“It’s a compliment. There is no corruption or there is no manipulation involved. We just do it better than anybody else,” Boyea said.

One reply on “‘Soca mafia’ label is ‘a compliment’  — Hot 97 boss (+Video)”

  1. Luke, then stop “forcing” the young and upcoming artiste to choose between performing at one event vs another. Once the events are properly planned and managed, the truth is, artistes can perform at as many events as possible daily or nightly. This unnecessary choice of exclusivity limits their ability to make as much money as they can or get the exposure they need and you know it.

    Stop trying to sugar coat this whole thing. Many of them are so afraid of not getting air play on your station that they obviously “choose” to only perform at your station’s events etc. Is that really a choice? Where is the choice? If something walks, talks and acts like a duck, most times, it is a duck!!!!

    ‘Llow the artistes them to eat as much food as possible!!!!

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