Rap DJs interrupting the music every few seconds - is this normal?

Factual Questions
1

I’m not a fan of rap music, but the particular style of playing it I’m about to describe only makes the music sound even more irritating, at least to my ears.

In Orlando, there are several pirate radio stations, most playing hardcore gangsta rap. On one (91.3), the DJ will stop the song completely, say somethign like “shout out to DK,” “all the ladies in the house say hey,” “whatup Pine Hills,” or something along those lines. Thing is, he does this every 10 to 15 seconds. This renders Menace Clan’s insightful tune Kill Whitey, and pretty much everything else the station plays, unlistenable.

So, is the “stop-the-song-cold-every-ten-seconds-to-give-a-shout-out-to-the-homies” thing common among rap DJs? If so, why?

2

Common sense and experience would indicate that you’re noticing a characteristic of amateur/pirate DJs, not rap DJs. Most professional DJs are not so vain as to think that people want to listen to them, not the music.