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The NBA playoffs hit different when the New York Knicks are involved.
The Knicks are in the conversation to represent the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1999, but first, they have to get through the Atlanta Hawks.
The Knicks and Hawks have had a bit of a rivalry since the 2021 postseason after Trae Young became a Knick killer and ultimate enemy.
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Kazeem Famuyide and The Kid Mero attend Netflix’s “The Rip” New York premiere at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, on Jan. 13, 2026, in New York City. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
The squads will begin their series on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, but for New York radio host Kazeem Famuyide, the battle began several days ago.
Famuyide, a part of “Mornings with Mero” on the famed New York hip-hop station new Hot 97, said on Monday that his station “should play no Atlanta artists until the series is over.”
That means no Usher, Ludacris, T.I., Lil Baby, and numerous others.
“Day one of my Atlanta music protest starts today, we ain’t trying to hear NONE of that until the first round over lol,” Famuyide posted to X the following day.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the first quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden on March 24, 2026 in New York City. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
The station went Atlanta-less on Monday, and Famuyide said the music was “still good and current.”
The Athletic noted that Famuyide said he wanted to “show some New York solidarity” on Friday’s show. Famuyike also co-hosts a podcast with Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony.
If Atlanta decides to hold up to the same protest, they’d be negating some of the greatest artists of all time, including The Notorious B.I.G, JAY-Z, Nas, and Fabolous.
A general view of the New York Knicks logo before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 6, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE)
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani took part in the Knicks-Hawks rivalry earlier this week, placing blame on the aforementioned Young for expensive playoff tickets at the Garden. Young, however, no longer plays for the Hawks.
The Hawks defeated the Knicks in five games in their last playoff meeting. New York has the third seed in the conference, while Atlanta finished with the sixth.
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