UltraViolet have released the following open letter to Spotify (via Consequence of Sound). They give no proof or evidence of any of their claims.
To CEO Daniel Ek:
Thank you for taking the important first step of removing infamous abusers R. Kelly and XXXTentacion from your official playlists. Your action demonstrates that Spotify is following the lead of Black women who demanded that these two men, who have sexually and physically abused women for years, not be promoted and celebrated.
On behalf of our one million members, UltraViolet applauds and supports this choice. Yet as you know, these two men are not the only abusers on your platform. We implore you to take a deeper look at the artists you promote.
Every time a famous individual continues to be glorified despite allegations of abuse, we wrongly perpetuate silence by showing survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence that there will be no consequences for abuse. That has a cultural effect far beyond one individual artist.
While nowhere near a comprehensive list, here are several abusers or groups of abusers who continue to profit from your promotion:
● Chris Brown
● The Red Hot Chili Peppers
● Nelly
● Eminem
● Don Henley of The Eagles
● Steven Tyler of Aerosmith
● Tekashi 6ix9ine
● Ted Nugent
We publish this as an open letter because we hope other platforms like iTunes, Google Play Music, and Pandora will continue to follow your lead. Thank you again for your thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
Shaunna Thomas, Executive Director, UltraViolet
