Billboard Magazine executive editor Dennis Castro apologized Tuesday for inaccurately crediting T-Pain with a featured role on Hot 100 track, “Shawty Moves It Now Now,” by fellow rapper Lil’ Wayne, who is not to be confused with either Lil’ Will, Lil’ Kim, Lil’ Phat, Lil’ Boosie or Li’l Abner.

The renowned music industry publication quickly remedied the situation on its Web site by properly crediting guest rapper T.I., who ironically appeared as a featured artist on a T-Pain track with Stat Quo, not to mention R. Kelly’s “I’m a Flirt” with, again, the previously discredited T-Pain.

Castro blamed a typing error by a new Billboard.com employee who listens to Josh Groban for the case of mistaken identity, which would have given T-Pain five featured credits on the Hot 100 list, tying the all-time record held by Ja Rule in the summer of 2002.

When reached at his now-famous MTV Cribs highlighted home in Tallahassee, Fla., T-Pain said he was unaware of the controversy or the number of chart credits to his name.

“Wait, are we talking about the track I’m featured on with Rick Ross? No. The Chris Brown cut? Well, what about that hot joint with Kanye West? The Flo Rida one?” said T-Pain, somewhat occupied while playing xBox 360 with J-Kwon, Akon, Young Jeezy, Yung Joc and Young Dro.

Featured credits have become increasingly prevalent with the mainstreaming of hip-hop in the last 10 to 15 years, particularly as it applies to placement on the Billboard charts. Some notable examples of songs with more than one artist listed as a “featured contributor” include, “Pass the Courvoisier” by Busta Rhymes featuring P. Diddy and Pharrell Williams, Nelly’s “Thicky Thick Girl” featuring Murphy Lee and Ali, and “Bia’ Bia’” by Lil’ Jon and the Eastside Boyz featuring Ludacris, Too Short, Big Kap and Chyna Whyte.

Music historian Murray A. Nerdlinger said more cases of mistaken identity were likely to occur if the “unprotected” hip-hop community continues to become “more and more promiscuous and incestuous” with each other. Nerdlinger is proposing a rating system called “Safe Sets” that would eliminate T-Pain-like controversies, as well as the frequent use of Lil’ as a rap surname, by only doling out featured credits to those who deserve them.

“It’s gotten to be a bit ridiculous if you look at the charts these days,” Nerdlinger said in a squeaky voice while re-taping his black-rimmed glasses and alphabetizing his vinyl collection. “I mean, P. Diddy has so many credits to his name and usually he’s providing nothing more than an “uhhh, “what, what” or some stupid dance move in the background of an overproduced video. Do we really need to confuse these poor Billboard employees by forcing them to type more names than is really necessary?”

Noted African-American activist Al Sharpton vehemently disagreed with Nerdlinger’s assessment and cited the move as another attempt by the “white man to discredit a proud and flossin’ community” during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity and Colmes.”

“This is on par with the time anti-black ‘Back to the Future’ producers tried to insinuate that Chuck Berry stole the guitar riff for ‘Johnny B. Goode’ from (Michael J. Fox’s character) Marty McFly,” said Sharpton, who along with Jesse Jackson, is one of only two African American activists in the country qualified to speak on cable news shows.

“It’s an affront to African Americans everywhere, and as a community we must “Fight the Power” as Public Enemy once famously declared, while of course, continuing to look the other way concerning more pressing urban issues like poverty, gang violence, poverty, drugs, education initiatives, and poverty.”

When asked by Hannity if it was ironic that he had cited a Public Enemy song considering how much damage founding member Flavor Flav has done to perpetuate African American stereotypes on his highly-rated VH1 reality show, Sharpton abruptly ran from the building while shouting the name of Don Imus.

Nerdlinger said a firm precedent needed to be established and affirmed that he’s not a racist even though he only owns hip-hop albums by the Beastie Boys.

“This seems like one of those gratuitous attempts by hip-hop artists to get as many of their friends’ names on a track as possible. This isn’t like a 5th grade birthday party where everyone has to receive an invite because feelings are going to be hurt. It’s OK to exclude the smelly kid who eats Elmer’s Glue and picks at his arm scabs,” he said.

“I mean, can you just imagine what would have happened if the people who sang on ‘We Are the World’ hadn’t wisely called themselves USA For Africa? We’d still be sitting here reading the long line of featured credits. And Dan freakin’ Akyroyd would have been included!”

Akyroyd, of “My Stepmother is an Alien” fame, could not be reached for comment. But fellow music historians maintained that it’s “still kinda weird” to see him singing with Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan in the “We Are the World” video.

Jonah Whippleberg, a pasty white kid who listens to hip-hop in his car with the bass turned up so he can feel more bad-ass, said in all honesty, students at his all-white school in Sheboygan, Wis. are sometimes confused by who is who in the hip-hop industry.

“But we know a crunk beat when we hear one! Holla!” said Whippleberg, who plans to learn more about African American culture by taking his girlfriend to “Step Up 2 the Streets” this weekend.

Categories: Entertainment
Tags: Entertainment, hip hop