Controversy swirls around the selection of Nas as a performer at a free concert, organized by the Dave Matthews Band, welcoming students back to Virginia Tech. A spokesman for seven families of victims said that choosing a rapper with violent lyrics (they went back to 1999 for their song example) shows disrespect to the victims.

Vincent J. Bove, who said he is a spokesman for seven of the victims’ families, said yesterday that the parents are outraged that the Sept. 6 concert at the university would include the rapper Nas, who in one 1999 track chants, “Shoot ‘em up, just shoot ‘em up, what?” followed by whispers of “Kill, kill, kill, murder, murder, murder.”

The lyrics “are indicative of the moral decay in our society that contributes to acts of violence,” said Bove, a New Jersey security expert who has volunteered to speak for the families. “For a university official to condone it or to be clueless of what this person’s track record is, it’s unconscionable beyond belief.”

Although their decision to target Nas seems to be misguided, I understand how victims of a horrible tragedy who were not very familiar with either Nas or hip hop might come to the conclusion they came to. Still, I was under the impression that the murderer listened to a lot of alternative rock music.

But it doesn’t matter, because university officials, buoyed by all of the good feedback they’ve received, have decided to leave the lineup as is. The concert will stay positive, I think, if people will let it.

[WP]