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Are You Muting R. Kelly? Spotify Is, From Curated Playlists
Now usually it doesn’t do this, but, uh, Spotify is rolling out its new hate content and hateful conduct policy.
Bill Cosby isn’t the only celeb whose legacy is being dismantled in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
As even more women speak out about R. Kelly’s alleged sexual misconduct, Spotify has announced that his music will no longer be available on the service’s curated playlists, Billboard reports. The move was made in accordance with the company’s new public hate content and hateful conduct policy, and goes into effect today, May 10. While Kelly’s music will still be available on Spotify, they will no longer actively promote it, the company explained in a statement.
“We don’t censor content because of an artist’s or creator’s behavior, but we want our editorial decisions — what we choose to program — to reflect our values,” their statement continued. “When an artist or creator does something that is especially harmful or hateful, it may affect the ways we work with or support that artist or creator.”
Kelly isn’t the only artist affected by the change. Rapper XXXTentacion’s music has also been removed from Spotify’s curated playlists, the New York Times reports.
Spotify’s decision comes as the #MuteRKelly movement gains even more popularity, with the Women of Color committee of Time Up’s co-signing the effort to hold Kelly accountable for the allegations against him. An anonymous woman accused Kelly last month of giving her an STD and grooming her for inclusion in an alleged sex cult, and is preparing a federal civil lawsuit against him. A rep for the singer told the Huffington Post that Kelly “categorically denies all claims and allegations” related to this complaint.
(Photo: R. Kelly performs during Soulquarius 2017 at The Observatory on February 18, 2017 in Santa Ana, California. By Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage via Getty Images)
