BLACKSBURG, Va., Aug. 3 (UPI) -- The concert for students and faculty returning to Virginia Tech has angered some parents, who object to the inclusion of a rapper known for violent lyrics.
The Washington Post reported Friday Vincent J. Bove, who said he is a spokesman for seven of the victims' families, said parents are outraged the Sept. 6 concert at the university in Blacksburg would include the rapper Nas, who in one song sings, "Shoot 'em up, just shoot 'em up, what?"
On April 16, student Cho Seung-hui went on a rampage on the campus, killing 32 people and himself in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
Members of the Dave Matthews Band organized the event to show support for Virginia Tech, said Chris Clough, a university spokesman. The concert, free for students, faculty and recent graduates, features John Mayer and Phil Vasser in addition to Nas and the Dave Matthews Band.
Nas's lyrics "are indicative of the moral decay ... that contributes to acts of violence," said Bove.
Clough said announcement of the concert received "a tremendous positive response. Among those who have responded have been families who thought it was a tremendously positive note to start the academic year."
