One of my favorite moments in pop culture in 2018 (and 2019 thus far) was when everyone decided that R. Kelly is cancelled. It seemed like for weeks, my Twitter feed was filled with tweets about Surviving R. Kelly, celebrities speaking out against the alleged abuser, news stories and testimonies from his victims. In the era of Me Too, this feels like a victory. I don’t know one person who would defend this man’s actions.
As much as I applaud those no longer support R. Kelly, I am left wondering where this energy is when it comes to Chris Brown, Kodak, 6ix9ine, XXXTentacion, BØRNS and basically any other known abuser in the industry. Why is it so hard to hold these men accountable? Because you like their music?
Let’s take Chris Brown, for example. A known abuser. He should have been cancelled in 2007, but if he were to come out with an album tomorrow, it would top the charts. I’m convinced that Chris Brown could kill someone and his fans would still buy tickets to his concerts. Are you seeing the problem?
Here’s the reality of it: when you listen to the music of an abuser, you are supporting him. You are giving him power and a platform. You are giving him money. You are sending the message that powerful people can get away with anything and that it doesn’t matter if someone is a terrible person if he makes music that makes you want to dance. (Newsflash – there are so, SO many artists who make great music without hurting people in their free time).
Moral of the story: stop defending abusers. Stop listening to their music. Channel all that “R. Kelly is cancelled” energy into cancelling the rest of the sh*tty men in the industry.