Tag: India Arie

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Brandy Responds to Clips of Jack Harlow Learning Ray J Is Her Brother

Brandy
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: In this image released on October 14, Brandy poses backstage at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on October 14, 2020 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Amy Sussman/BBMA2020/Getty Images for dcp )

Earlier today, singer Brandy gave her response to the video of Jack Harlow discovering she and Ray J are siblings.

Using her Twitter account, the singer responded to a video shared by the fan account @4everBrandy.

In the first Tweet, Brandy responded to Harlow saying she could beat him at rapping.

“I will murk this dude in rap at 43 on his own beats and then sing is ass to sleep,” tweeted Brandy.

Hours after the first tweet, Brandy posted a second tweet explaining she was just having fun and that was ‘all love’.

“See, I can have a little fun too❤️ hehe…all love ❤️❤️❤️” wrote Brandy

Finally, Brandy made sure to emphasize that she was joking. Also said she didn’t know Harlow rapped or how big this controversy got.

“I know I’m mad late… but it was a joke ❤️ I didn’t know [Harlow] rapped so I was just Poking 😂 but I see now this was a big thing a few days ago❤️”

India Arie Also Responds to the Clip…In a Different Way 

Although Brandy took the controversy in stride— and with a bit of humor— other artists did not.

5 days ago, R&B singer India Arie unleashed her fury on Instagram and expressed her anger at Jack Harlow’s ignorance.

“Just because you make Black music doesn’t mean you know Black culture. If U don’t know Brandy’s voice when you hear it … WHO EVEN ARE YOU?”

“When an ACTUAL MUSICIAN!,” Arie continued, “WHO MAKES BLACK MUSIC! Deduces one of the industries MOST IMPORTANT VOICES @brandy to Ray Jays SISTER? who is famous (mostly) for his Proximity to Kim Kardashians.”

Jack Harlow Interview with Hot 97

An interview with Jack Harlow on Hot 97 went viral last week after Harlow learning that Brandy was Ray J’s relative.

The 24-year-old rapper was a guest on Hot 97 to talk about the release of his second album Come Home The Kids Miss You.

During the live interview, the hosts of Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning played the song Angels In Disguise from Brandy’s Never Say Never Album. Initially, he assumed it was Aaliyah.

Laura Stylez gave him a little clue “she starred in a TV show”. After seeing that didn’t seem to help, Peter Rosenberg gave him another clue “Her brother is the reason why a lot of people are famous, you could argue.” Immediately, Ebro Darden added “her brother had an incredible sex tape.” 

After a few seconds of silence, the rapper surprised the hosts with the question: “Who’s Ray J’s sister?”

As a result, everyone in the studio immediately burst out laughing.

“Brandy and Ray J are siblings? Nobody’s ever told me that in my life!,”said Harlow with surprise.

 

 

Written by Darian Mozo ┆Instagram: @dfordarian

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India Arie Gatekeeps Jack Harlow For Not Knowing Brandy

Jack Harlow
Image: Getty Images

Jack Harlow was in an interview when he said something that some fans find inexcusable. He did not know that Ray J and Brandy are siblings. In fact, he did not know who Brandy even is. India Arie is completely outraged at this and gatekeeps him.

On Hot 97, the host,  Ebro Darden, and his staff played a game with Harlow. They would play a random song and he would guess who made it. They chose the 1998 Brandy song “Angel in Disguise”. Harlow thought it was an Aaliyah song. They decide to give him a few hints, saying “Her brother is the reason why a lot of people are famous.” Another hint was that her brother “had an amazing sex tape,” referring to the Kim Kardashian sex tape from 2007. Harlow was surprised to hear that Ray J had a sister.

Reactions and Gatekeeping

That could have been the end of the story. Harlow learns something new, while he gets clowned at by Twitter. However, India Arie had to also get her two cents in. She gatekeeps Harlow over this on her Instagram, saying that while he makes black music, he is not part of the black community.

“Just because you make black [music] doesnt mean you know black culture. If U dont know Brandys voice when you hear it …. WHO EVEN ARE YOU? When an ACTUAL MUSICIAN! WHO MAKES BLACK MUSIC! Deduces ones of the industries MOST IMPORTANT VOICES! @brandy To Ray Jays SISTER who is famous (mostly) for his Proximity to Kim Kardashians. And WE HEAR @brandy Influence Eh-VER-REE-WHERE! PLENTY of Non Black signers. (Ask them) Even MALE singers. Gospel singers. AND PEOPLE KNOW RAY J BETTER? the sh*ts STUPID. STUPID. STUPID. STUPID!”

Arie’s response has been getting a mixed response. There are some people who are on Arie’s side, while others think that she is getting mad over nothing.

Written by Justin Acosta

Twitter: @hahalacka

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Joe Rogan Spotify Deal Worth Double More Than Initially Stated

Joe Rogan Spotify
Image source: YouTube

Artists Joni Mitchell and Neil Young threatened to pull their music from Spotify, citing Joe Rogan’s vaccine misinformation via The Joe Rogan Experience. Generally, Joe Rogan is no stranger to controversy.

After that, the host has repeatedly found himself in hot water. Recently, videos of him saying the N-word several times also resurfaced, prompting Singer India Arie to call him out on Instagram. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek stands by Joe Rogan through these claims. However, this situation just became more complicated.

In 2020, Spotify struck a licensing deal with the hosting rights to Joe Rogan’s podcast. According to the New York Times, there was some information about Rogan’s deal with Spotify. The number initially reportedly cost Spotify 100 million dollars. However, according to a former Spotify employee, the number might be double that.

Why The Joe Rogan Spotify Deal Might Be An Issue

On top of the Joe Rogan controversy, Spotify consistently receives criticism for not playing its artists enough for streams. This brings forth the question: If Spotify can pay millions for a podcast, can’t they pay their artists more money? Co-founder of Songwriters of North America Kay Hanley seems to think so. She said in the beginning, the streaming service made vague promises to keep the interests of the artists in mind. They didn’t follow through.

In fact, the platform used “blatant pay-to-play-schemes involving artists forgoing royalties in exchange,” said Hanley. They also fought to keep the pay rate low in court. However, this issue isn’t that simple. Allegedly, Spotify doesn’t pay the artists at all. Instead, they pay the people holding the rights to an artist’s catalog.

India Arie also appeared on a recent episode of the Daily Show to speak with Trevor Noah about the issue. In addition to her problems with Joe Rogan’s choice of words, she also notes Spotify’s streaming protocol. Of her decision to speak out, she said, “it’s about my integrity, my dignity, and hoping to create more of that for other artists, too.”

For now, organizations like Songwriters of North America and Union of Musicians and Allied Workers will continue to fight for reasonable pay. At the same time, Joe Rogan keeps his multi-million-dollar deal with Spotify.

Written by Kimberly Stelly

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J Prince defends Joe Rogan Against Racist Allegations “I Forgive Him”

J Prince
Image via Twitter @Missinfo

An unexpected alliance has formed between J Prince and Joe Rogan. Earlier this week (Feb. 7) Rap-a-Lot Records CEO J Prince sprung to his defense via Instagram. “Joe Rogan is not a racist” he typed. “I know this brother. It takes a sincere individual to admit when they are wrong and have fucked up about a situation. As you can hear he’s done that and I forgive him because I never want to become one of those people that are filled with unforgiveness and hate, that we complain about all the time.”

“Let this be an example to others of the sensitivity of the word ‘n-gga’ being said by anybody other than a n-gga lol.” He ended the message by emphasizing his disapproval of people outside the black community using the n-word. It should be noted J Prince has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience previously, similarly to other black community figureheads like Dave Chapelle and Mike Tyson.

J Prince is a well-respected figure in the Houston community. Most recently, he’s worked with Kanye West and Drake to hold the Larry Hoover benefit concert to end their years-long beef. While many still hold Rogan in low regard for his past actions, J Prince’s word has shown to hold weight in the recording industry.

Without a doubt, Former Fear Factor host and podcaster Joe Rogan has had a rough week in the media. Recently, prolific celebrities like Neil Young, Mary Trump and Sharon Stone have taken a public stand against the 54-year old for his anti-vaccine comments. In addition, his beliefs surrounding race are magnified. This after a particularly explicit compilation took the internet by storm. Despite the disapproval from many black posters on social media, he now has an unexpected figure on his side.

India Arie Calls out Joe

Rogan has utilized his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, to drive others away from the Covid-19 vaccine. “If you’re like 21 years old, and you say to me, ‘Should I get vaccinated?’ I’ll go no,” he said in an April episode. Moreover, he brought anti-vaccine figures like virologist Dr. Rover Malone, on his podcast to spout similar rhetoric. A “mass formation psychosis” is what Malone called the insistence from the public to get vaccinated.

Evidently, his most controversial content is surrounding the use of racial slurs. Last week(Feb. 4), R&B artist India Arie, took to her Instagram story to expound on why she was removing her music from Spotify. “I empathize with the people leaving for the COVID disinformation reasons and I think that they should,” Arie started. “I think that Joe Rogan has the right to say what he wants to say, I also think I have the right to say what I want to say[…] Spotify is built off the back of the music streaming. So they take the money that’s built from streaming and pay this guy 100 million dollars and they pay us .003% of a penny? Just take me off!” Intercut with the ‘Steady Love’ singers rant was a series of videos containing Rogan’s vast usage of the n-word. Take a look below:

Following the explicit video, she subsequently explained her reasoning on her story, condemning Spotify for their decision to uphold Rogan’s platform while underpaying artists. “Paying musicians a fraction of a penny? And HIM $100M? This shows the type of company they are and the company that they keep. “I’m tired” she typed. Clearly, Arie’s call to action has garnered a loud public response.

The internet turns against Joe Rogan

Several fans and political commentators met India with support. Many announced they planned to delete their Spotify accounts and never utilize the platform again in protest of Rogan.

https://twitter.com/writtenbyhanna/status/1488294980745576448?s=10

As of now, Spotify has reportedly lost 19% of its subscriber base according to a consumer poll from Forrester Research. Furthermore, that number is set to continue to rise as Spotify CEO Daniel Ek publicly defended Rogan Sunday, (Feb. 6) saying “I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer.” Subsequently, Ek confirmed Rogan’s requests to remove episodes containing offensive language from the platform.

Joe says sorry

In the face of all the controversy, Joe Rogan has issued an official apology. He posted a brief video on his Instagram last week (Feb.5) addressing his regret and intentions to do better.

“Now, I haven’t said it in years. I certainly would never want to offend someone for entertainment with something as stupid as racism.” He says. In the apology, he references his use of racial slurs as “regretful and shameful”.

Public scrutiny has found him despite his staggering popularity. The question is, was Joe Rogan’s apology sincere? Or because of social media pressure?

RELATED STORIES:

India Arie Plans To Remove Music From Spotify Over Joe Rogan’s Podcast

Azealia Banks Speaks Out About Joe Rogan

 

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Dreema Carrington|IG @dr3amgirl79|Twitter @notdreema

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India Arie Plans To Remove Music From Spotify Over Joe Rogan’s Podcast

arie and rogan

Like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, R&B legend India Arie plans to take down her songs from Spotify due to Joe Rogan’s podcast.

india arie
India Arie plans to pull her music from Spotify.

On Monday, January 31st, Arie took to Instagram to say she disagrees with Rogan’s “language around race.”

“I have decided to pull my music and podcast from Spotify,” she wrote. “Neil Young opened a door that I MUST walk through. I believe in freedom of speech. However, I find Joe Rogan problematic for reasons OTHER than his Covid interviews… FOR ME ITS ALSO HIS language around race. What I am talking about is RESPECT – who gets it and who doesn’t.”

According to Hip Hop DX, the artist did not reveal what she thought was an issue. However, Joe Rogan received backlash for his choice of words. The podcast host said it’s “weird” to call people Black unless they’re “100% African, from the darkest place, where they’re not wearing any clothes all day.”

India Arie Not Only Had An Issue With Joe Rogan But Came For Spotify As Well

As of February 1st, Aries music still plays on Spotify. However, she didn’t seem too thrilled with the company and how they pay each artist. She continued her Instagram post by saying, “Paying musicians a fraction of a penny and HIM $100M?” she added. “This shows the type of company they are and the company they keep.”

Joe Rogan has yet to respond directly to Arie’s statement on Instagram. Spotify, though, chimed in to say, “We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users. With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators.”

india arie
Arie is not happy with Spotify for allowing Rogans Content.

FMHipHop reported early in January that this is not the first time the R&B artist called out the music industry. Arie stated in an old Instagram post referring to the 10-year challenge, “seeing old pictures reminds me of how TRASH the music industry is.” She explained the industry’s tendencies towards emphasizing racism, sexism, and deceit.

 

Stephanie Kinberg | Twitter @Waviii_S | Instagram @Waviii_S

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India Arie Strikes Out at the Music Industry, “TRASH. It steals from artists”

India Arie Speaks Out About the Music Industry

Sometimes a walk down memory lane brings peace. Other times it brings anger. And yet, sometimes it brings both. Lashing out in a post yesterday, India Arie harshly criticizes the music industry. The RnB artist has focused her work on empowerment, one of her stand-out songs is, “I Am Not My Hair,” which criticizes conventional standards of beauty.  In 2017 she released “Breathe,” a song about the killing of Eric Garner in support of BLM. Clearly, she’s never been shy about expressing her true feelings or drawing attention to movements she is passionate about. Something snapped yesterday and the result is immortalized on social media. India Arie’s scathing comments reference her early experiences in the music industry. An industry she calls, “SHEER and utter trash.”

India Arie’s 10-Year Challenge

The 10-year challenge has been flooding social media in recent weeks. It asks individuals to post a picture of themselves now, and a picture from 10 years ago. The goal of the challenge is to demonstrate personal growth, successes, and general positivity. India Arie reportedly participated in the challenge earlier this week. Yet, her post wasn’t particularly positive.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by the Jasmine BRAND (@thejasminebrand) 

Instead, the artist took the opportunity to draw attention to a social issue: The mistreatment of artists in the music industry. She starts off combative, “seeing old pictures reminds me of how TRASH the music industry is.” Arie elaborates, emphasizing the industry’s tendencies towards racism, sexism, and deceit. Without specifically detailing her experiences, she explains that they have forever altered who she is as a person. Then, she turns the post on its head by thanking the industry, despite its immoral activities. India Arie is confident in who she is, and is glad to be that person; despite the “high cost,” she feels, “the journey was all meant to be.”

A Common Sentiment

India Arie isn’t the first to express dissatisfaction with the music industry lately. It seems more and more artists are coming forward with stories of their negative experiences. Lil Xan, for example, recently accused his manager of enabling his drug addiction while on tour. As more artists start sharing their negative experiences with the industry and as new technologies allow artists to sidestep conventional paths to success, we may see a musical Renaissance. Who do you think is going to come forward next?

By Chris Colasurdo
@cfcolasurdo on Twitter