India.Arie says she’s leaving Spotify over Joe Rogan’s “language around race”

nme.com:

India.Arie is leaving Spotify, citing their exclusive hosting of Joe Rogan’s podcast and his “language around race” as the reason she pulled her music.In an announcement on her Instagram last night (January 31), she shared the details behind her decision to leave the streaming giant – following on from Neil Young’s exit due to Rogan spreading “misinformation” about COVID-19.“I have decided to pull my music and podcast from Spotify,” she shared. “Neil Young opened a door that I must walkthrough.

I believe in freedom of speech. However, I find Joe Rogan problematic for reasons other than his COVID interviews.”A post shared by indiaarie (@indiaarie)The singer-songwriter went on to explain that it wasn’t just the COVID misinformation that made her choose to distance herself from Spotify and Rogan. “For me it’s also his language around race,” she said.India.Arie did not specify which conversation about race on Rogan’s podcast she was referring to, but a 2021 clip from The Joe Rogan Experience where the host discusses race with guest Jordan Petterson has received new attention this week after it was shared by Media Matters.During the podcast episode, Rogan said: “Unless you are talking to someone who is like 100 per cent African from the darkest place where they are not wearing any clothes all day and they have developed all of that melanin to protect themselves from the sun, even the term Black is weird.”The artist also cited Spotify’s pay for artists as a reason for leaving. “What I am talking about is respect who gets it and who doesn’t,” she said. “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.”Neil Young left Spotify in protest.