What the Cubs are calling an inadvertent musical choice has brought the team a public-relations headache, resulting in the firing Monday of a DJ at Wrigley Field.
The song “Smack My Bitch Up” by English band Prodigy was played in the middle of the ninth inning Sunday night at Wrigley Field after Cubs’ closer Aroldis Chapman, who was suspended earlier this season for 30 games for an alleged domestic-violence incident involving his girlfriend, struck out the side.
The Cubs said in a statement Monday that they have terminated the employee responsible. The Cubs hired two DJs in 2015 to select music that is used during home games. The team declined to identify who was terminated on Monday.
“We apologize for the irresponsible music selection during our game last night,” Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney said in the statement. “The selection of this track showed a lack of judgment and sensitivity to an important issue.
“We have terminated our relationship with the employee responsible for making the selection and will be implementing stronger controls to review and approve music before public broadcast during our game.”
Chapman joined the Cubs last month. The trade came with heavy scrutiny because of the Chapman’s past, but Cubs President Theo Epstein, general manager Jed Hoyer and chairman Tom Ricketts said they made the decision to go through with the trade after speaking with Chapman about the incident.
Chapman was accused of choking his girlfriend and firing eight shots in his garage. He was neither arrested or charged.
ESPN reported Monday morning that the Cubs “unintentionally” played the 1990s song that includes the sole lyrics, “Change my pitch up/smack my bitch up”.
According to Billboard, the song, which was released in 1998, has been banned by the BBC because of concerns it encourages violence against women. MTV also banned the music video for the song due to content of extreme sexual nature.
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