Name to Defend Inventive Expression Backed by Alicia Keys, Camila Cabello, Coldplay, Drake, Future, J. Cole, Jack Harlow, John Legend, Lil Child, Mary J. Blige, Meek Mill, Megan Thee Stallion, Put up Malone, Roddy Ricch, Travis Scott, and Others;
Corporations Embrace Warner Music Group, Common Music Group, Sony Music Group, BMG, Kobalt, AEG Presents, Audiomack, Deezer, Reside Nation Leisure, SiriusXM, SoundCloud, Spotify, TIDAL, TikTok, and YouTube Music;
Organizations Similar to A2IM, American Civil Liberties Union, Colour Of Change, PEN America, Recording Academy, and RIAA; Students from Columbia, Harvard, Howard, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale
Advert Operating Right this moment in The New York Instances and The Atlanta Journal-Structure
Learn the complete letter HERE
NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Artists, trade leaders, and authorized consultants have joined collectively in a name to “Shield Black Artwork,” publishing an open letter in The New York Instances and The Atlanta Journal-Structure urging legislators throughout America to restrict how artistic expression can be utilized towards defendants on trial. Particularly, it requires an finish to the racially discriminatory apply of treating rap lyrics as confessions.
The prolonged listing of numerous signatories consists of firms equivalent to Warner Music Group, Sony Music Group, Common Music Group, BMG, Kobalt, and Atlanta-based LVRN and High quality Management, AEG Presents, Audiomack, Deezer, Reside Nation Leisure, SiriusXM, SoundCloud, Spotify, TIDAL, TikTok, and YouTube Music; organizations just like the American Affiliation of Unbiased Music, the American Civil Liberties Union, Artist Rights Alliance, Black Music Motion Coalition, Black Girls’s Roundtable, BLD PWR, Colour Of Change, Basis for Particular person Rights and Expression, NYU Middle on Race, Inequality, and the Legislation, Individuals For the American Approach, PEN America, Rap Coalition, the Recording Academy, the Recording Business Affiliation of America, Purple Scorching, Sankofa.org, Songwriters of North America, Sony Music Group’s International Social Justice Fund, Warner Music Group / the Blavatnik Household Basis’s Social Justice Fund, Woke Vote, and Common Music Group’s Taskforce for Significant Change; authorized and humanities students from elite universities together with Columbia, Harvard, Howard, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale; and artists and songwriters equivalent to 2 Chainz, 21 Savage, 50 Cent, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Alicia Keys, Amy Allen, Child Tate, Benson Boone, Huge Sean, Black Eyed Peas, Breland, Brothers Osborne, Bryce Vine, Busta Rhymes, Camila Cabello, Christina Aguilera, Coldplay, Cordae, D-Good, Dave East, DJ Drama, DJ Khaled, Drake, Erica Banks, Fats Joe, Fredo Bang, Future, Giveon, grandson, Extremely Suspect, Hit-Boy, Ice-T, IDK, Isaiah Rashad, J. Cole, Jack Harlow, Jadakiss, Jay Electronica, Jeezy, Joey Bada$$, John Legend, KayCyy, Killer Mike, Lainey Wilson, Lil Child, Lil Jairmy, Lil Tjay, Lil Uzi Vert, Mac Phipps, Mary J. Blige, Meek Mill, Megan Thee Stallion, Michelle Department, Miguel, Moneybagg Yo, Morgan Wallen, NAV, Nessa Barrett, NLE Choppa, Normani, Omar Apollo, Pheelz, Polo G, Put up Malone, Quavo, Questlove, Regina Spektor, Robin Thicke, Roddy Ricch, Shordie Shordie, Shy Carter, T.I., Takeoff, Tanna Leone, Teddy Swims, Tee Grizzley, Theo Croker, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla $ign, WILLOW, YBN Nahmir, and Yo Gotti.
Drafted and revealed by Warner Music Group (WMG), the letter reads partially:
Past the apparent disregard without spending a dime speech and artistic expression protected by the First Modification, this racially focused apply punishes already marginalized communities and their tales of household, wrestle, survival, and triumph.
Kevin Liles, Chairman & CEO of WMG’s 300 Elektra Leisure, stated: “For many years, a racial double-standard has been employed towards Black and Brown hip-hop artists by turning their artistic visions towards them in courts of legislation. Sufficient is sufficient. If prosecutors are unwilling to finish this apply on their very own, then legal guidelines must be handed that finish this flagrant abuse. On behalf of WMG, I wish to thank the extraordinary group of individuals throughout our trade and the authorized group who’re becoming a member of us on this vital struggle.”
Julie Greenwald, Chairman & CEO of WMG’s Atlantic Music Group, stated: “All through historical past, artists have created characters and solid narratives that replicate the tradition round them. That freedom of expression is crucial to the artistic course of and the position of artwork in society. The tough actuality is that Black inventive creativity is being threatened at an unprecedented degree, and we should make each effort to cease this unethical, discriminatory strategy to prosecution.”
Specialists have discovered greater than 500 instances involving rap as proof in public information, they usually word this quantity is simply the tip of the iceberg. For essentially the most half, this doesn’t account for indictment proceedings, juvenile instances, or instances that finish in a plea cut price, and plea bargains are an awesome majority of outcomes in legal prosecutions. In the meantime, researchers have discovered only four instances for the reason that Nineteen Fifties of non-rap lyrics being submitted as proof – three of these instances had been thrown out, and the fourth was overturned after conviction.
Legislators on the state and federal degree are already taking motion. Governor Newsom just lately signed a invoice into legislation in California, and there are payments at present into account in New York and New Jersey, in addition to the RAP (Restoring Creative Safety) Act launched by Rep. Hank Johnson and Rep. Jamaal Bowman within the U.S. Congress.
The #ProtectBlackArt motion started earlier this yr when Liles and Greenwald launched a change.org petition, which right now has practically 65,000 signatures.
Obtain property here.
Media Contacts
For Warner Music Group
James Steven
[email protected]
Majeda Hussein
[email protected]
SOURCE Warner Music Group Corp.
