Update on XM Radio: still rockin' NWA on channel 21

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about XM Radio’s decision to play “Straight Outta Compton” by NWA on channel 21, KISS (“Fresh Hits of Pop, Rock and Rhythm”). In the days since, I had chalked it up to a either a bizarre mixup or a nice, pleasant hallucination. Well, it happened again.

At precisely 11:42 a.m. ET on Friday, I heard “Straight Outta Compton” on channel 21 again. This time, I verified that it was indeed KISS and not another channel. And it was. So, apparently, that tune is definitely in the playlist.

One slight difference this time around: XM chose a “sanitized” version of that song. As funny as it is to hear NWA on a mainstream-ish radio station, it’s a pure delight to hear the tune with every n-word and f-bomb scratched out.

The non-cussing version reminded me of Mad TV‘s sketch about the Soprano’s syndicated version on Pax TV (taking out the TV-MA stuff reduced the hour-long episodes to 3 minutes). And it’s interesting to note how much better Mad TV‘s Will Sasso was as Tony Soprano than SNL’s Darrell Hammond earlier this season.

But back to the XM thing… when it came on the radio on Friday, I had my windows down and was apparently playing the song pretty loudly. At a stoplight, I was next to a moving truck, and an African-American guy in the passenger seat looked at me, heard the song, and smiled. Just as we got the greenlight, he flashed me the “west side” hand sign. At once petrified and giddy, I drove off. Swear to god, it was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

So, to XM Radio, keep up the good, if bizarre, work you’re doing on the programming side. And to my buddy who works for Two Guys and a Truck, word to the motherfucka.