We never imagined in 2017 we'd be writing a piece on Ask.Audio with the focus on Neo-Nazi music. But, the recent violent protests by Neo-Nazi groups in Charlottesville, United States, have struck a chord with many around the globe. And Spotify, amongst other music streaming services, are making moves to remove hate-speech music from Far-Right White Supremacist and KKK movements from their catalogues.
According to Digital Music News on 14 August 2017, back in 2014 "the Southern Poverty Law Center published a list of white supremacist hate bands". Until very recently many from this list were still available to stream on Spotify.
Here are some of the hate music bands uncovered by DMN:
- Ad Hominem
- Baker’s Dozen
- Battlecry
- Blood Red Eagle
- Broadsword
- Chauves Pourris
- Condemned 84
- Dark Fury
- Freikorps
- Geimhre
- Grand Belial’s Key
- Granulosum
- Kamaedzitca
- Ken McLellan
- Kill, Baby… Kill!
- Kolovrat
- Legion of St. George
- Legittima Offesa
- Prussian Blue
- Ravens Wing
- Seges Findere
- Selbstmord
- Skinfull
- Skull Head
- Standarte
- The Spear of Longinus
- Tattooed Mother Fuckers
- Thunderbolt
- White Knuckle Driver
Within 24 hours of the article on Digital Music News, and in the light of recent events in Charlottesville, Spotify began removing some of the highlighted bands. They issued the following statement:
“Spotify takes immediate action to remove any such material as soon as it has been brought to our attention. We are glad to have been alerted to this content — and have already removed many of the bands identified today, whilst urgently reviewing the remainder.”
And Spotify are not alone. Deezer have also stood up:
“Deezer does not condone any type of discrimination or form of hate against individuals or groups because of their race, religion, gender or sexuality. We are in the process of swiftly and actively reviewing the content on our platform and have begun and will continue to remove any material that is in any way connected to any white supremacist movement or belief system.”
At Ask.Audio we don't tolerate any kind of hate-speech, rasicst, homophobic, sexist, threatening or other discriminatory language, music or behavior. We believe hate is completely contrary to creativity, education, evolution, love, and music making.
[Via: Digital Music News]
Web: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2017/08/16/spotify-remove-neo-nazi/
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Discussion
2) The tragic events that occurred in Charlottesville, VA last week were detestable and an unfortunate smear against the ideals of our great nation.
3) Freedom of Speech & Expression, for better or worse, within specific legalities, is still a Basic Human Right...Or Is It?
You & I Possess the Unique Freedom to Hate Anyone or Anything We Choose.
For Whatever Reason.
We Can Talk About It. We Can Write About It. We Can Sing Melodies and Set Our Hatred to Music. We Can Build Websites and Blog About It. As Long As Our Hatred does no personal bodily harm, damage to their personal property or space, inflicts terror upon or violates the civil rights of the object of our hatred, we are free to hate as much as we please.
We can draw and post despicable images of the most inhumane imaginations conceived. We can sell tickets to presentations of the most vile, disgusting fetishes and impressions. My understanding is that these representations can be on public display, as long as they appear on private property not supported by tax payer dollars (although I am not completely certain of every single detail involved).
Conversely, You & I Also Possess the Unique Freedom to Oppose Such Displays of Hatred and Spread Love. We Can Protest, Counter-Protest, Write & Sing Our Own Songs, Blog, Post, Build and Host Our Own Sites, Draw and Sell Tickets to Our Own Shows on Our Own Private Properties and Promote Our Personal Ideologies, Perspectives, Paradigms and Religions to Our Hearts Content.
Equally, We Can Change The Channel, Turn Off The Radio, Cancel Subscriptions, Write a Letter to the Editor, Boycott the Service, Go On Strike, Demand a Refund, Quit The Job, Change Careers and Crowdfund. As Long As Our Love does no personal bodily harm, damage to property or space, inflict unnecessary incentive upon or violates the civil rights of the object of our proposed affection, we are free to Love as much as we desire.
In Recent News, Spotify and Other Tech Companies have chosen to remove "Hate Music" from their playlists in light of the Charlottesville catastrophe. While I agree, it is indeed their prerogative to take such action, my question is Why Now?
Has Reactionary Politically Correct Group Think overtaken each one of these obese organizations simultaneously? What was their stance on such articulation of noted Distasteful Music just two days prior to the Virginia melee? Did Google, Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn and Others Condone or Disdain the Expressions their sites hosted?
What About the ultra celebrated, Grammy & Academy Award Winning Hip Hop Artists whose innovations created startling new ways to Rhyme the loathsome "N" Word around intriguing beats while promoting Blatant Misogyny, Violence against their Own Race & others and tremendous Dope Dealing under the glorified banner of 'Thug-Life'?
Does their Music Get a Pass?
How About the Elder Statesman who raised red flags over the entire record industry by promoting the killing of police officers, (although for the last 30 years, he's played one on TV)? I recall that those who stood to make the most money off the song chose Freedom of Speech as the tent to live in - but, where are those record companies now?
I'm not going to pretend I don't get it.
As a Follower of Jesus Christ, Black Man, Husband & Father, with my own set of personal conservative convictions, standards and values, it can be very easy to climb into a box or under a label or behind a sign and start marching. But I remain cautiously curious about the boulevard we begin to travel down once we begin to point fingers toward who ought not say 'what', 'when' and 'why', because sooner or later, that road will lead right back to our house...
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