South Carolina’s radio wasn’t the only station to be hacked though. An oldies station in San Angelo, Texas, El Jefe 96.7 in Tennessee, Mother of the Redeemer Radio 103.5 in Indiana, and Crescent Hill Radio in Louisville, Kentucky, also played YG’s political track over their airwaves. The unidentified hackers reportedly gained access to the various station through a device called a Barix Extreamer, an audio transmitter that is used by each of the stations that were compromised, according to Radio Insight. The company’s founder, Johannes Rietschel, also noted that the device is not supposed to be connected to the Internet, which is probably what led to the incidents. “With significant interest to take over the devices for political messages or even blackmailing, there will be more takeovers and maybe even ‘hacks,’” Rietschel said.
For those who aren’t familiar with YG’s single, the Cali rapper released the track back in Mar. 2016, featuring explicit content aimed at the then-Republican presidential candidate. The single details certain moments in the president’s campaign in which he ejected black protesters and criticized other minorities. The song also suggests that his crew and many others want to fight him. “All the ni***s in the hood wanna fight you / Surprised El Chapo ain’t tried to snipe you / Surprised the Nation of Islam ain’t tried to find you,” he raps. Following the song’s release, it quickly became a protest anthem for many and was turned into a slogan on a lot of memorabilia.
It’s unclear how radio stations will attempt to combat the recent hackings. So stay tuned to your local airwaves