Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has attacked Kanye West for his “just awful” anti-Semitic outbursts — but insisted he has no plans to yank his music from the streaming giant.
Responding to calls to drag the artist now referred to as Ye from his site, Ek insisted that it might only be a difficulty if the fallen fashion mogul’s “just awful comments” were broadcast on Spotify, comparable to in a podcast.
“It’s really just his music, and his music doesn’t violate our policy,” Ek said of Ye’s material on Spotify.
“It’s as much as his label, in the event that they wish to take motion or not,” said Ek of the choice over Ye’s groundbreaking catalog of music.
If such a request was made, “Obviously we’ll respect their wishes,” insisted Ek.
Universal Music’s Def Jam label owns the copyright to West’s recordings from 2002 through 2016, with its record contract expiring last yr with “DONDA.”
Without calling for the rapper’s music to be removed, the label stressed: “There is no such thing as a place for antisemitism in our society.”
Hollywood power broker Ari Emanuel was amongst those calling for music services to yank Ye after the rapper promoted anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in interviews and on social media, starting with a tweet saying he planned to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”
Kanye West, now referred to as Ye, repeatedly doubled down on anti-Semitic attacks whilst he was abandoned by a flood of his key business partners.mcla@broadimage / MEGA
Since then, Ye has been dropped by talent agency CAA in addition to giant fashion brands like Balenciaga and GAP.
On Monday, he lost his biggest partnership, Adidas — a painful answer to his claim days earlier that “I can say anti-Semitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?”
The tip of his Yeezy partnership immediately ended his billionaire status.
Ye’s billionaire status ended when he was dropped by Adidas days after bragging that the sportswear giant “can’t drop” him even when he says “anti-Semitic things.”AP
Ek has famously stood up without spending a dime speech on his site, including backing star podcaster Joe Rogan when aging rocker Neil Young gave a him-or-me ultimatum in regards to the UFC commentator’s then-controversial chats about COVID.
Nevertheless, Spotify has faced backlash when it punished musicians for his or her personal misconduct.
The streaming service removed R Kelly’s music from its playlists and proposals in 2018 following allegations of sexual misconduct. It walked back the policy after other artists threatened boycotts, giving users a mute button to dam particular artists, as an alternative.
With Post wires