Pandora stops promoting R. Kelly’s music
Spotify pulled his music from its playlists yesterday.
Yesterday, Spotify pulled R. Kelly from its curated playlists, which include RapCaviar, Discover Weekly and New Music Friday, saying the allegations of sexual assault that have followed R. Kelly for years go against its new policy on hateful conduct. Now, Pandora is following suit. The company told The Blast that while users can still create an R. Kelly radio station or search for him, it will no longer promote his music.
The allegations against R. Kelly go back decades and he's faced numerous lawsuits over the years as well as child pornography charges (though no conviction) and accusations of running a sex cult. A #MuteRKelly hashtag has propagated through Twitter of late. In a statement to the Guardian, R. Kelly's management said that the accusations are part of a "smear campaign" that's being "waged by enemies seeking a payoff."
In a statement, Pandora told us, "Pandora's policy is to not actively promote artists with certain demonstrable behavioral, ethical or criminal issues. We approach each of these scenarios on a case–by–case basis to ensure we address components true to Pandora's principles while not overreaching and avoiding censorship." The company has also been working on its policies as well as how it handles artists displaying unacceptable conduct.
