Indie Radio Producer Says DJs Should Support Memphis or Leave

(l to r) Antonio ‘2 Shay’ Parkinson,Devin Steele, Peppa ‘Mouth of the South’ Williams, Al Kapone
Photo credits: Richie Domino

New radio show entitled Indie Radio (ND) which airs on WHRK K97FM, launched by the Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission, is in it’s second edition & sets out to spin unsigned and local artists twice a month on Saturdays @ 9 A.M. Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission Executive Board Member & owner of Shay Dawg Entertainment, Antonio ‘2 Shay’ Parkinson tells MemphisRap.com that quote “The Single most important goal of ND Radio is to get airplay for independent music.” 2 Shay heads the show up as producer & host along with music executive Peppa ‘Mouth of the South’ Williams (also a board member of the Memphis Music Commission) & K97’s Devin Steele. When MemphisRap.com told 2 Shay of the fans who were already talking on the internet about the show, he stated “We’re looking for the appreciation of fans and it goes to show that there was a void in the market. If you’re constantly playing ATL (Atlanta) on the radio then that’s what the people are going to gravitate towards. We have to get behind our own music. We can’t wait til ATL plays our music, Memphis has to play our music. I feel strongly about this and you can quote me, if you’re not standing behind Memphis music then you need to be DJ’ing elsewhere; stop making excuses why you are not playing Memphis,” 2 Shay continues.

Parkinson goes on to say, in the brief but in-depth interview, that “The only reason [ATL] is getting more exposure then us is because they get more airplay. I’m not dissing ATL, as a matter of fact, if I were in their predictment then I’d make that money too because it’s about that business! But we don’t have time for excuses, we letting all this money pass by while others are capitalizing off the sound we created and how many chances are we going to get? We have to get off our asses and make this happen off what infrastucture we do have. We don’t have all the major labels or resources in this city that other cities do but what we do have is talent. I give it up to the internet radio stations that are playin the local music like Xtatic Radio and you know the rest, Big ups to MemphisRap.com [smile].”

As we stated before, 2 Shay is not only on the Memphis Music Commision board but he also owns the recording label Shay Dawg Entertainment and tells MemphisRap.com that fans should be looking out for some hot new artists off the label dropping in 2006 including the sequel to the label’s CD in stores now entitled ‘Welcome to Ridgmont Vol 1’, the infamous $2 dollar CD. More information can be found at the label’s official website, www.shaydawg.com.

Contact Information

Send music & inquiries to:

Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission
ATTN: Indie Radio
47 Union Ave
Memphis, TN, 38104
901-543-5300

Memphis Sound Records/Shay Dawg Entertainment
ATTN: Indie Radio
PO Box 281148
Memphis, Tn 38168