'Charlamagne tha God' defends WLBT anchor Barbie Bassett who has not been on air since quoting Snoop Dogg

Radio and television host Lenard Larry McKelvey, better known as “Charlamagne tha God” questioned the recent decision of WLBT to take anchor Barbie Bassett off the air after she quoted Snoop Dogg live on the air March 8.

According to Mediaite.com which reports on media, Monday's program contained discussion of the Bassett situation.

“She can’t say, ‘Fo shizzle, my [racial epithet]?’” Charlamagne said Monday on his nationally syndicated, New York City-based radio program “The Breakfast Club,” with co-host DJ Envy. “Oh, I guess cause [racial epithet] is a derivative of the [racial epithet]. I’m saying that in context. I didn’t mean to say… I’m not using that word.”

“I don’t know if that’s fireable,” DJ Envy said.

“She might not even know what [the epithet] means, yo,” Charlamagne said. “I’m not like, come on, we got to like, stop man. That’s not a reason to fire that woman.

More: WLBT anchor no longer on airWLBT anchor Barbie Bassett not seen on air since March 8. Station has no comment on status

“That’s the thing with hip hop, man. Hip-hop is so big and so mainstream and it’s just like, who can consume it and who can’t? You know what I mean? Who can repeat slang and who can’t?”

Meanwhile, Bassett has not released a statement since her biography was removed from the WLBT News website following the March 8 incident in which Bassett quoted Snoop Dogg when the anchors were discussing the rapper’s latest wine offering.

Last October, Bassett made an on-air apology for making a racially insensitive comment on air.

WLBT General Manager Ted Fortenberry declined to comment on the removal of Bassett’s bio and her no longer being on air following the March 8 comment, saying it is a personnel matter. Bassett has not returned requests for comments.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Charlamagne tha God defends Jackson MS WLBT anchor Barbie Bassett