Kanye West’s “Awful” Antisemitic Remarks Are Criticised By Spotify’s Daniel Ek, But The Music Won’t Be Taken Off.

The pressure on music streaming services to remove Kanye “Ye” West’s records from their platforms has risen as a result of the rising corporate boycott of the rapper after he made antisemitic remarks in various interviews.

Ek told Reuters, “It’s basically just his music, and his music doesn’t break our rules. It’s up to his label if they want to take action or not. Ek claimed that if Ye had made antisemitic remarks on a podcast or recording, they would have been removed off Spotify in accordance with their hate speech policy, but the musician didn’t.

The rights to Ye’s recordings from 2002 to 2016 are owned by Def Jam. According to an unnamed source cited by The New York Times, Ye’s label G.O.O.D. Music is no longer associated with Def Jam. With the release of his 2021 album DONDA, the rapper’s long-term recording deal apparently came to an end.

Antisemitism has no place in our society, according to a statement from Def Jam to Reuters.

Following Ye’s repeated antisemitic remarks in interviews and Twitter, prominent Hollywood figures started publicly urging a boycott of the rapper. WME CEO Ari Emanuel specifically requested that Ye’s business associates, in particular Spotify and Apple Music, stop working with him.

Following Emanuel’s pleading, Ye’s representation by the entertainment agency CAA was terminated, MRC Entertainment shelved a finished documentary on the rapper and Balenciaga, and GAP and Vogue severed all ties with Ye.

Adidas, the world’s largest sportswear company, cut ties with the Yeezy brand on Monday, thus Ye lost his biggest corporate ally.

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