Following the music industry’s #TheShowMustBePaused campaign yesterday (June 2), artists have been calling out to their record labels to see what else they play to do for the Black Lives Matter Movement.
The Weeknd, who donated $500,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp and National Bail Out called out Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Warner Music, Spotify and Apple Music to do the same.
“To my fellow respected industry partners and execs- no one profits off of black music more than the labels and streaming services,” he posted on Instagram. “I gave yesterday and I urge you to go big and public with yours this week. It would mean the world to me and the community if you can join us on this.”
To my fellow respected industry partners and execs- no one profits off of black music more than the labels and streaming services. I gave yesterday and I urge you to go big and public with yours this week. It would mean the world to me and the community if you can join us pic.twitter.com/tWzHMacnu5
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) June 2, 2020
Then, Erykah Badu shared a post that was originally written by writer and artist Josh Kun.
“If the music industry wants to support black lives, labels and platforms can start with amending contracts, distributing royalties, diversifying boardrooms, and retroactively paying back all the black artists, and their families, they have built their empires on,” the post said.
Badu not only shared the post on Instagram, but she also demanded she gets her money.
View this post on Instagram
FUCK YOU PAY ME ! – ms. Badu #georgefloyd you the THE SPARK Repost : @kelis
And when Jack Antonoff asked how much the industry already donated to the cause, Tegan and Sara chimed in agreement.
We would love to know too. https://t.co/mniwXxpX61
— Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) June 2, 2020
Cavetown chimed in with hopes the U.K. and Australian divisions of Warner Music follow suit while Shura hopes that the labels make some donations.
“If major labels could use the massive profits they make by criminally undervaluing music to donate to causes alongside their social media blackout that would be tight,” she wrote on Twitter.
