February 4, 2022
Photo by: David Crotty/Contributor
India.Arie is the latest artist to remove her music from the streaming service Spotify in response to their continued support of Joe Rogan’s controversial podcast.
The 46-year-old singer revealed the circumstances behind her decision to leave the streaming behemoth on Instagram Friday night (January 31), following Neil Young’s, Joni Mitchell’s, and Graham Nash’s departure in response to Rogan sharing “misinformation” regarding COVID-19.
“I have decided to pull my music and podcast from Spotify,” Arie stated. “Neil Young opened a door that I must walkthrough. I believe in freedom of speech. However, I find Joe Rogan problematic for reasons other than his COVID interviews.”
The Grammy Award winner went on to say that it wasn’t just the COVID misinformation that prompted her to cut ties with Spotify and Rogan.
“For me, it’s also his racial language,” she explained. “What I am talking about is respect who gets it and who doesn’t,” she said. “Paying musician, a fraction of a penny? And him $100M? This shows the type of company they are and the company that they keep. I’m tired.”
It wasn’t clear which episode of Rogan’s podcast Arie was referring to, but a segment from The Joe Rogan Experience from 2021 with guest Jordan Petterson has gained new attention this week after being published by Media Matters.
India.Arie has also shared multiple clips of Rogan using the N-word and calling Black neighborhoods “Planet of the Apes.”
India.Arie laid out her beliefs clearly to her fans.
“He shouldn’t even be uttering the word,” she plainly stated. “Don’t even say it, under any context. Don’t say it. That’s where I stand. I have always stood there.”
Spotify’s market value has dropped by $2 billion because of the outcry from numerous musicians who have followed suit.
Rogan has taken to social media and released a statement.
“I don’t always get it right,” he stated on Instagram. “I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people perspectives so we can maybe find a better point of view.”
Thoughts?
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