FROM THIS WEEK, Spotify users will no longer be able to find R. Kelly’s music on any of the streaming service’s editorial or algorithmic playlists.
Under the terms of a new public hate content and hateful conduct policy Spotify is putting into effect, the company will no longer promote the R&B singer’s music in any way, removing his songs from flagship playlists like RapCaviar, Discover Weekly or New Music Friday, for example, as well as its other genre- or mood-based playlists.
“We are removing R. Kelly’s music from all Spotify owned and operated playlists and algorithmic recommendations such as Discover Weekly,” Spotify told Billboard in a statement.
His music will still be available on the service, but Spotify will not actively promote it. 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. 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 is the only artist that Spotify specifically acknowledged would fall under this new public policy, though others may also be affected.
The move comes following the start of the #MuteRKelly campaign initiated by The Women of Colour of the #TimesUp movement.
The 51 year-old rapper has faced a number of allegations of abuse against young black women, including claims of imprisonment in an “abusive cult”. Kelly “unequivocally” denied the claims that he was holding women in a cult, with his lawyers saying he “will work diligently and forcibly to pursue his accusers and clear his name”.
At the time of writing, the I Believe I Can Fly had not publicly acknowledge the decision by the streaming platform.
