In an unexpected turn of events, Skinny Fabulous, the popular Caribbean artist, was informed by workers at Hot 97.1 that none of his 2024 releases would be played on their station. The decision, reportedly made by station owner Luke Boyea, came as a surprise to Skinny Fabulous, who expressed his confusion and disappointment over the situation.
“I don’t even know specifically what the issue is,” he remarked. “Whatever personal issues exist, which I’m not totally sure of, I didn’t expect a decision to ban all my music. Music is usually banned when it violates the well-being of society or is morally offensive, explicit, or promotes violence. Banning someone’s music because of a personal issue? Didn’t see that one coming.”
In response, Luke Boyea, owner of Hot 97.1, clarified the station’s position. “We play Skinny’s music,” Boyea stated. “In fact, over the years, there has been no one who has supported Skinny more than myself and 97.”
Addressing the current situation, Boyea added, “If I’m understanding what you are getting at, we have pushed hard Skinny’s music over the last 20 years, and this year some of his releases are not getting pushed, and he is complaining? Every song we play is judged on merit. No guarantees. Obviously, I can’t go into the details of what those criteria are as that is part of our market intelligence.”
When asked directly if he had instructed workers to ban Skinny Fabulous’s new music, Boyea did not respond.
Asberth News Network reached out to Hot 97.1 workers to confirm the ban. Most calls went unanswered, but two workers confirmed the ban. Another worker commented, “Not my business, that’s between Skinny and Luke.”
Despite the setback, Skinny Fabulous remains undeterred. He recently released a collaboration with Datc called “Start” and is preparing to launch another power soca track titled “Boost Up.” Although fans won’t hear these new songs on Hot 97.1, he believes good music will always find its way to listeners.
Additionally, Skinny Fabulous has been nominated in six categories, including Artiste of the Year, Song of the Year, Performer of the Year, and Collab of the Year, at an upcoming Caribbean music awards event. He expressed his pride and commitment to representing St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “It’s my job, it’s my duty, and it’s my pride. Period.”
When asked if he would perform at Luke Boyea’s popular event H2O, Skinny Fabulous responded, “I am a businessman that doesn’t allow any personal issue to come between my business.”
Looking ahead, Skinny Fabulous is also gearing up for his event “Crush” with Problem Child on Friday, June 5th, and “Wett Republic” on Carnival Sunday, demonstrating that his passion for music and performing remains as strong as ever.