Mero and Kazeem took to their Mornings With Mero show on Hot 97 earlier this week to call out "executive-level talent" for layoffs, lack of resources, and not supporting talent despite staying afloat with competitive and successful ratings. This has led to a lot of hip-hop media reactions, including a call of solidarity on The Joe Budden Podcast.
After discussing the on-air rant, Budden called Kaz on the phone to chime in, who wasn't able to answer. The Kid Mero picked up the phone when Joe called, as caught by Restore World Order on Twitter.
"It's just media company s**t," Mero remarked. "Corporate structure, blah, blah, blah... You can have the best on-air talent... If the front office is lost in the sauce, you're not going to be able to make a profitable product." The JBP's titular host said he sounded like he "calmed down," positing he and Kaz are risking their careers and that something bad is happening behind the scenes.
"You're independent for a reason," Mero told Joe Budden. "When you don't have talent in the C-suite, or knowledge, that's it."
"You absolutely have my support and everybody's support from up here," Budden remarked. "If they gon' keep letting you in the building, keep burning that s**t down on their microphone."
"I have no interest in arguing with motherf***ers that don't have a platform to argue back," Mero went on. "It's just like, 'Hey, wake up. Check-check.' And that s**t works... F**k no, [they didn't cut his pay]. I don't know about anybody else... But I told these guys from the jump, I'm only taking a certain amount to even talk to y'all."
Mero & Joe Budden
Recently, Scottie Beam levied some more claims at Hot 97 concerning their employees and moves, but others like DJ Akademiks might step in. He has been one of the folks criticizing Hot 97's talent and what he sees as a failure to adapt to new media structures, asking for $5 million on their morning slot if they fire Mero and want to cater to newer generations.
This follows other shake-ups at Hot 97 such as the firing of Ebro Darden, Peter Rosenberg, and Laura Stylez.
