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See Phil Donahue Blow Minds by Reading 2 Live Crew’s ‘Obscene’ Lyrics On Air in Explosive Episode

Phil Donahue debated obscenity with 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell on a 1990 episode of 'Donahue.'

On the 1990 episode, a week after two members of 2 Live Crew were arrested and Florida police took a record store owner into custody for selling their album As Nasty as They Wanna Be, Donahue welcomed the group’s Luther Campbell as a guest. (Former Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra, ex-Plasmastics frontwoman Wendy O. Williams, and Suicidal Tendencies’ “Cyco” Mike Muir also appeared to defend their rights to free speech in music.) And 10 years after that, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion scored a hit with “W.A.P.” And even now, you can listen to As Nasty as They Wanna Be on the major streaming services, thanks in no small part to Campbell getting a chance to defend himself on Donahue.

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