Spotify CEO Says Streaming Giant Won’t Ban Kanye West Music After Social Media Comments

Kanye West arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 9, 2020. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek has vowed not to remove Kanye West from the music streaming platform following backlash over comments he made on social media that have been called offensive and antisemitic.

In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Ek acknowledged that the comments made by West, whose legal name is Ye, were “just awful” but that the rapper’s music would not be removed from the streamer unless his label requested it.

Ek also noted that West’s music did not violate the platform’s anti-hate policies, which prohibit hate speech.

“It’s really just his music, and his music doesn’t violate our policy,” said Ek, adding, “It’s up to his label, if they want to take action or not.”

Universal Music’s Def Jam owns the copyright to West’s recordings from 2002 through 2016. He is no longer listed on Def Jam’s website as his relationship with them ended in 2021.

The company said in a statement to Billboard on Tuesday that there is “no place for antisemitism in our society” and that it is “deeply committed to combating antisemitism and every other form of prejudice.”

However, the company has not yet asked for West’s music to be pulled from Spotify, according to Reuters.

Spotify’s decision comes after a string of companies have cut ties with West in recent days, including Adidas, Balenciaga, and Vogue magazine.

“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. West’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness,” the German shoemaker said in a statement announcing the move on Oct. 25.

West Locked Out of Social Media

“After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products, and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Balenciaga said it has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects with West.

JPMorgan Chase has also ended its business relationship with the rapper, according to conservative commentator Candace Owens, who posted a letter allegedly from the bank stating it would terminate its business relationship with Yeezy and its affiliated entities by Nov. 21. The letter was, however, dated Sept. 20, which is prior to West’s controversial social media posts.

Elsewhere, film and television studio MRC Entertainment has scrapped a completed documentary on West, saying in a statement that it “cannot support any content that amplifies his platform.”

West was locked out of his Twitter and Instagram accounts earlier this month after reportedly violating the social media companies’ policies with a number of his posts.

“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE, ” West wrote in one post on Twitter. “The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

West appeared to be referring to the U.S. Armed Forces’ heightened readiness status DEFCON 3. The artist also donned a White Lives Matter T-shirt during his Yeezy Season 9 collection presentation in Paris, France, on Oct. 3.

In an interview with Fox News shortly after, West defended his decision to wear the T-shirt, saying that he did so because White Lives do Matter and that “it’s the obvious thing.”