Hearne: Time for Absentee KCUR Host Jabulani Leffall to Come Out of Hiding

4067264788-1Do us all a favor and just bring it…

Enough with lame headlines like the Pitch‘s speculating on whether now former KCUR FM host Jabulani Leffall was on drugs. He was not the alt weekly “reported,” according to an anonymous friend.

It’s time for Leffall to come out of hiding and come clean to local listeners as to why he pulled the plug on his radio show with no warning, no explanation.

Leffall owes them that, seeing as how they wrote his paychecks the past two years.

Did Leffall bail for the seemingly obvious reason? That he was unhappy with someone or something at the station.

That said, clearly someone who describes himself as a journalist can relate to the concept of returning media requests for comment and accepting the responsibility to his public to be somewhat forthcoming.

There’s no shortage of avenues for Jabulani to take.

The Pitch and certainly Tony kissed up to him plenty the past two years. He could share his side of the story with either with little worry.  They want it bad enough to assure Leffall a soft landing.

Or…

He could take the path less safe and lay out his tale here on KC Confidential. However the chances of that happening appear slim given Leffall’s odd exit and hasty entry into the radio host witness protection program.

Is Leffall hiding out on advice of counsel while awaiting the filing of a lawsuit or complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission?

Or could it be that he’s just a flake and KCUR and Kansas City are good to be rid of him?

LA070322_edit_IMG_0167-thumbIt’s not like Lefall’s passing sparked a tidal wave of accolades from the comments crowd.

“Two Questions,” said Jim. “1. Who?
2. Who cares?”

“I for one am glad he is gone, but would like to know why,” added Jess.

Sure Leffall he had his supporters, but to just split and hang everybody out to dry indefinitely is both gutless and lame.

At least we’ve still got his music and verse to fall back on.

Earlier this month Leffall released a digital album called Respect the Beard: Spoken Soul. And on Friday he posted his essay on the “Definition of a Ghetto Genius” on blackartinamerica.com.

So clearly -even while in hiding – Leffall wants to maintain a public presence.

Maybe some understanding of his mysterious departure can be found in the words the Ghetto Genius himself.

“A ghetto genius knows when a man or woman is hiding behind his or her talent, sometimes God given, because he/she wants to fit in to ‘civilized’ society,” Jabulani writes. “A ghetto genius does this for self because there are penalties, stress and perhaps deadly failure associated with displaying this genius on one’s shoulder.”

One last piece of advice to the Genius: You’ve had your fun, your unsolved mystery. Time to come out, come out wherever you are.

http://www.mb-kc.com/
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10 Responses to Hearne: Time for Absentee KCUR Host Jabulani Leffall to Come Out of Hiding

  1. Jim says:

    I assume there is no reason to repeat the same two questions.

  2. Ted says:

    Who?

    Reading KCC is becoming more and more like listening to Dennis Miller do stand up.

  3. Hearne says:

    That’s Kelly’s job

  4. expat says:

    Well I was dumb enough to follow the link and read his gibberish about Ghetto Genius. I suppose he has quite a high – though unearned – opinion of himself. The writing is terrible but there is a decent point hidden in there if you scratch off the minority conspiracy theory dross.

  5. News Junkie says:

    When you quit without giving notice, it usually means someone has pissed you off from above, or someone along side you has pissed you off, and no one from above will do anything about it.

    Even if you get the job offer of a lifetime, requiring you to start immediately, you at least tell your boss thats what up.

    I just wonder who or what it was?

  6. chuck says:

    Well, I clicked on his songs and they are a little Marvin Gaye, Dobie Gillis, Barry White schtick. It wasn’t that bad and two of the songs were ok imo (Keeping in mind that I am an old angry white guy, that could be either faint praise or an apotheosis.).

    His writing and commentary on art (As he sees it.) reveal someone who really tries to articulate subjective stream of consciousness ideas within the parameters of his collegiate rhetorical education.

    Reading it, I kind of wanted to give him a grade. B-

    He has to try harder. His efforts don’t break through to anything of real substance, insight or begin to scratch beneath the patina of his Black identity.

    It’s just fuc*kin played out. Still ANOTHER black guy who sees every thing in terms of race.

    That dog hunts in Hollywood if you are already established, but here in the hinterlands it’s a stretch.

    Actually, it is more than a stretch, it is an exhasted volcano farting plumes of smoke in front of that wizard’ curtain you’re not supposed to look behind.

    Why he ahsn’t come forth with details of his departure from KCUR is only momentarily important. It WILL come out.

    Hearne is right, he better get his fuc*in azz in front of this story, or it will eat him.

  7. kansas karl says:

    his comment about the revolution not being televised speaks volumns. the poem is about how the revolution will come from the streets and the mainstream media and most will not see it coming. sounds like he was born 50 years too late.

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