Several brands have cut ties with Kanye West in the heat of his recent controversy. Following some anti-semitic comments he made, leading companies such as Adidas, Balenciaga, GAP, and Vogue ended their partnership with the rapper.
Although the label has cut ties with him, Spotify insists they have no plans to remove West’s music from the platform. The streaming platform’s CEO Daniel Ek revealed this after Hollywood broker Ari Emanuel joined Spotify’s call to pull his songs.
Universal’s music label Def Jam also disputed the star’s comments. While Ek defends West’s freedom of speech, it’s not the first time the company has refused to punish artists for their controversies. Sports president Donda Antonio Brown also defended the star following the statement.
Read on to learn more.
Daniel Ek Defends Kanye West
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Although Ek, Spotify’s CEO, criticized West for his “terrible” comments, he stated that he has no plans to remove the rapper’s songs from Spotify. The 39-year-old revealed that it would only have been a problem if the “Hurricane” rapper had posted a “horrible comment” on the Spotify podcast.
Ek explained per Position, although he personally felt attacked, his hands were tied because the star did not violate any policy on the platform. He also stated that West has the right to sing whatever he wants. Ek said, “It’s really just his music and his music doesn’t violate our policy.”
The CEO also stated that it is up to Ye’s record label to “take action” regarding his music or not. He later assured fans that he would “respect their wishes” if they decided to take his music down. Until then, his songs will remain available for streaming and download.
The “All of the Lights” rapper, who is currently under DONDA, terminated his contract with the Def Jam label in 2021. The record label that owns the copyright to his songs from 2002 to 2016 expressed how disappointed they were by his comments. Although they did not ask Spotify to pull the song, they stated that “there is no place for antisemitism in our society.”
Spotify Has Faced Backlash Before
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This isn’t the first time Spotify has faced backlash over their decision to keep or remove artists from their platform. In 2018, the streaming platform pulled R Kelly’s songs and playlists from their app after a court found the singer-songwriter guilty of sexual misconduct.
However, after several threats to boycott the app and comments from other artists, the platform went back on its decision. They also provide a mute option for users to block recommendations from artists they don’t like on their account. While the streaming app has refused to remove West’s song, other major brands have dropped West since his comments.
Kanye West Loses Another Partnership
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Ye lost many deals following his recent scandal. The star promoted some anti-semantic views through his now-suspended Twitter and Instagram accounts. In one of the comments, West stated that he wanted to try “death con 3 On JEWS.” This prompted the talent brand CAA and highly rated fashion companies such as GAP and Balenciaga to cut their deals with him.
The star also lost a collaboration deal with the Adidas shoe and clothing brand. News of this broke after West claimed that the company couldn’t “drop it” due to anti-semantics. He said, “Adidas can’t bring me down. How now?”
After the brand dropped West, the star’s chain plummeted to $400 million, ending his famous billionaire status and pulling him off the Forbes list. Although several brands and celebrities are against the “JESUS IS KING” rapper, Antonio Brown remains behind him and plans to continue as president of the DONDA Games.
Antonio Brown Stands Behind Kanye West
#DONDA pic.twitter.com/IkvsAlEKWU
— AB (@AB84) October 26, 2022
Former NFL wide receiver Brown defended the star amid criticism. In response to the backlash, he revealed that he stands by West’s comments and will remain at the Donda West Sports agency as its president. A former player, last in the NFL last year, wrote on Twitter“I remain loyal to Donda’s mission and our wonderful staff and community.”
He continued, “I remain committed to bringing new ideas, experiences and designs to our world. I still support the humanity that is Ye.” Brown’s announcement came hours after Aaron Donald and Jaylen Brown of the LA Rams and Boston Celtics revealed that they had resigned from Donda Sports.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
