XXXTentacion Calls Out Spotify on Hypocrisy of New Policy

Spotify has been taking a lot of heat lately due to a new policy unveiled last week. The policy stated that it would no longer promote the music of artists who were associated with hate speech or went against their values. The first big name targeted was R. Kelly whose history of sexual misconduct and brainwashing sparked his removal from Spotify’s playlists.

Recently, rapper XXXTentacion was next to get hit as his new album 17 was not only taken off Spotify’s playlists, but its no longer posted as a feature. His music was removed because he is currently facing charges of aggravated battery and witness tampering.

The new policy is facing more and more scrutiny as time passes with XXXTentatcion’s representative giving the name of 19 artists (and their supposed crime) whose music has not ben tampered with on Spotify. Many of the names listed have never been convicted or accused of the crimes they have been associated with.

This action by Spotify has stirs up even more controversy as hate conduct/speech can be interpreted in many ways and this rule could unfairly affect many artists. While the company has stated it is working with rights advocacy groups, the final decision for music removal could be based on bias. We’ll have to see if other artists such as XXXTentacion receive a resolution to return popular platform, but until then Spotify is reviewing everything on a “case by case” basis, making sure artists and their behavior match their editorial guidelines.