A MOTHER-of-two has vowed never to return to a York clothing store after being "shocked and embarrassed" by explicit "gangsta rap" music playing in the shop.
Sylvia Thompson contacted the Evening Press to complain about the music she heard in Sarah Coggles, Low Petergate. She says the lyrics repeatedly used the "F" word and made several disgusting sexual references.
Gangsta rap is often violent and sexually explicit and has been popularised by controversial artists such as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Ice Cube.
In a letter to the shop, Mrs Thompson, from Bridlington, wrote: "The lyrics, if you can grace them with the term, were vulgar, loud and extremely offensive and caused me, my son and his girlfriend extreme embarrassment."
The letter went on: "I am appalled and disgusted that any shop would allow such filth to be broadcast on its premises. It may be considered modern or avant-garde by your marketing people but it clearly takes no account of the fact that there are still a lot of decent people left who do not wish to be forced into listening to offensive filth whilst they shop."
Mrs Thompson added: "I'm not a narrow-minded person, but this was just the pits. There is plenty of nice music they could play without resorting to that. What if a young child had been with me? I will not be going back there after this."
Shop director Victoria Bage told the Evening Press: "It's not worth my while commenting on such trivia."
The Evening Press reported in December 1998 that customers had branded shop window advertising at Sarah Coggles as "obscene".
At that time Mrs Bage said the national advertising posters, which read FCUK-XM@S, were unusual, but she did not see why they were offensive, and added that customers had not been put off.
Updated: 13:01 Tuesday, January 14, 2003
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