More Messages: A Pirate Takes Another Gamble

A December 2002 Message column entitled "Piracy, Hip-Hop Style" told the tale of Bass Ghost, a Denver emcee whose crew briefly took over a small slice of Denver's airwaves with Skyjack Radio, a pirate radio station that blasted unexpurgated rap to the masses. The folks at the Federal Communications Commission...

By Michael Roberts

August 8, 2006

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A December 2002 Message column entitled "Piracy, Hip-Hop Style" told the tale of Bass Ghost, a Denver emcee whose crew briefly took over a small slice of Denver's airwaves with Skyjack Radio, a pirate radio station that blasted unexpurgated rap to the masses. The folks at the Federal Communications Commission soon squelched the program, but not Bass Ghost's desire to share profanity-packed music with the masses.

Now, in an e-mail, Bass Ghost reveals that he's sending out illicit signals again -- but this time, he's in a locale known for letting the rules slide. "I'm out here in Las Vegas," he writes. "I've got Skyjack Radio going out here now. I've been doin' it for four weeks now. No problems. I'm right off the Vegas strip, broadcasting after 10 p.m. every night. They love it."

In the meantime, memories of Skyjack's brief Denver run can be sampled on Birth 2 Da Airwaves, a compilation available at CDBaby.com. The radio revolution may not have been televised, but a piece of it was preserved on plastic. -- Michael Roberts

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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