FEATURE:
Chorus/Adverse
IN THIS PHOTO: Noname has been criticised on social media for featuring controversial artist Jay Electronica on her forthcoming album, Sundial (which is due this week)
The Tricky Situation of Separating the Artist from the Music
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ONE of the most difficult things in music…
PHOTO CREDIT: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels
is separating the artist from the music. Whether an artist is seen as ‘problematic’, ‘controversial’, or another vague and somewhat watered-down word for something more serious and disturbing, listeners are often put in a position where they have to boycott the music on moral grounds or can enjoy the music on its own terms. Whether we are thinking of departed artists like Michael Jackson or current ones such as Chris Brown (more on him soon), slowthai (Tyron Frampton), Matty Healy or Kanye West, we have to grapple with a lot of things. Each situation and artist brings with them different contours. In the sense that there are some artists who have committed serious crime or have been accused of, say, sexual assault, compared to those who have said stupid things on social media. Both are very serious, though there is a distinction and different scenarios. Do we have moral lines and criteria when it comes to muddied waters and artists who are divisive and have lost trust?! Not to bring gender into this but, for the vast majority of the time, the artist who were are deciding whether they should be blacklisted or not is male. That is the reality. Whereas artists such as Michael Jackson and slowthai – I am using these as examples, but there are many more artists that I could list – have been blacklist by some/all radio stations, others like Chris Brown and Kanye West continued to be played. It does seem like artists accused of sexual assault or rape need to be removed from playlists. Issues around racism and political views seems like a grey area or not quite as extreme. That sounds ridiculous, though I guess there do need to be boundaries before you either ban all those artists or continue to play them.
In reality, we should be sending messages to artists that they will be punished and lose access and privileges if they unwisely commit crimes or display horrific prejudices. I bring this up because there are current artists who are in the news because they have said or done something inexcusable, and yet they appear on other artists work and there is seemingly no punishment or restrictions! Some might say that it is ‘overly-woke’, but condemning this sort of freedom and lack of repercussion is actually justified and not overreacting! If we allow artists who hold very suspect views or have committed crimes to continue their careers in a way people in other industries would not be allowed, then that sends the message they are beyond the law or any sort of rules. Almost turning them into these untouchable figures. I knew it is a complex subject and not everything is straightforward, but there are clear-cut cases where one raises eyebrows. I will come to a recent case involving Noname collaborating with Jay Electronica on her hugely-anticipated new album, Sundial. Recently, Chloe Bailey received criticism and backlash after featuring Chris Brown on her album, In Pieces:
“Chloe Bailey has found herself in hot water. Over the past week, the singer, and one-half of the beloved duo Chloe x Halle, has experienced a near 180 degree turn in public opinion online. It was largely sparked by her latest release, “How Does It Feel,” a collaboration with the controversial Chris Brown. Announced on Feb. 16, news of the single immediately stirred up feelings of shock, betrayal, and incomprehension among her fans. In recent days, that outrage has morphed into a larger question for writers and fans: Why artists — specifically. Black women artists and musicians — continue to work with Brown. Below, we break down the entire controversy, from specific grievances from fans to why the incident goes beyond the immediate backlash.
The controversy began on Feb. 16 when Chlöe announced her new single with Brown on social media. “2ND PIECE. HOW DOES IT FEEL @chrisbrown. 2/24,” she tweeted. Almost instantly, fans flooded the tweet replies and quote tweets with their shock and disappointment in the singer.
IN THIS PHOTO: Chloe Bailey/PHOTO CREDIT: Gioncarlo Valentine for Rolling Stone
All of the complaints alluded to Brown’s very public history of violence toward women. Perhaps the most well-known physical abuse incident he was involved in was with Rihanna in 2009. On Feb. 8 of that year, photos of the pop star with bruises and blood on her face surfaced on the internet, as news slowly trickled out that Brown had repeatedly punched her in the face while they were driving in a rental Lamborghini. (Brown was later arrested and sentenced to community service and domestic violence counseling.)
Years later, Brown appeared to show remorse over the incident, saying in a 2017 documentary that afterwards he “felt like a f*cking monster.” But that’s far from the only instance of violence (specifically, violence toward women) that Brown has found himself in since then. He’s been accused of stealing women’s phones, pushing them to the floor, and threatening to punch them in the face. In 2017, his ex Karrueche Tran filed and won a five-year restraining order against Brown, citing multiple threatening text messages and voicemails from the singer. Given his past extreme antagonism toward women, Chlöe’s collaboration with Brown seemed out of character and baffling to her fans.
“We're failing Black women in music if they feel like they have to collaborate with a known abuser in order to chart,” wrote journalist Ernest Owens in response to her tweet. “We will absolutely not be streaming. catch you next time tho,” tweeted Drag Queen Eve 6000”.
It is down to the artist and not the fans/industry to decide whether particular artists will feature on their music. Again, why is it male artists that are culpable?! You do get some female artists who have caused controversy, but one has to think quite hard to find too many examples! It is quite glaring and worrying. In any case, how do you separate the artist from the music?! Can you, even?! In the case of Noname joining with Jay Electronica for her new album, she has hit back at those who she considers to be too sensitive and woke in judging her:
“On Thursday (July 13), Noname announced that the lead single from her second studio album, Sundial, would drop next Friday, July 21. Titled “Balloons,” the track will feature R&B artist Eryn Allen Kane and rap legend Jay Electronica. The full album, which would be Noname’s first since 2018’s Room 25, was initially scheduled to drop in July. But after Thursday’s news was met with a mixed reception online, the Chicago rapper, poet, and activist said she’s now thinking of canceling the record’s release.
While the online reaction to Noname’s announcement has been mostly positive, some fans took issue with her choice to work with Jay Elect in light of his affiliation with the Nation of Islam and his apparent allegiance to the group’s outspokenly antisemitic leader, Louis Farrakhan. Some twitter users also pointed to Jay’s 2012 track “Bitches and Drugs,” in which he refers to himself as “Jaydolf Spitler, rap Hitler,” and his continued support for Kanye West despite Ye’s recent rash of antisemitic tirades, to make the case that Jay himself is an antisemite.
IN THIS PHOTO: Jay Electronica
Today (July 14), in a string of increasingly defensive tweets, Noname responding to criticisms of her decision to feature Electronica on her new song. “n***as legit rap about actual murder and sexual assault that they commit in real life and y’all can’t take a jay elect verse?,” she wrote this morning. “please drink water and be safe out here.” In another tweet, she implied that the backlash stemmed from the fact that she’s perceived by many hip-hop fans as “the mascot for the woke mob” due to her vocal critiques of other rappers’ politics (or lack thereof). She also dismissed gripes with the “Jaydolf Spitler” lyric, pointing out that rappers tend to “compare themselves to anything for a punchline,” and rightfully called out comparisons of the Nation of Islam (a largely nonviolent organization) to the Nazi party (who exterminated more than six million Jews between 1933 and 1945) as absurd.
After this initial run of argumentative posting, Noname took a break to retweet more positive feedback to her announcement. In her last two tweets of the morning, however, she claimed that the negative reactions were making her reconsider the album’s release entirely. “y’all want the album,” she wrote just after 10 a.m. ET. “fine.” Then, quote tweeting another comment criticizing her for defending herself so vocally, she clarified: “oh the song fa sho coming out lol. the album is another story. i’m good on the selective outrage. anyways hip hop is in a great place right now. another noname album ain’t really necessary.”
From another artist, statements such as these could easily be dismissed as hyperbole. But in 2021, Noname scrapped the release of her previously announced album Factory Baby, citing frustrations with the industry that were making her reconsider her career in music. View that post below, archived by Okay Player”.
There are so many questions and considerations when you approach artists and look at the past. If musicians such as Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) can be celebrated and embraced, even though he has more than a chequered past, then should artists like Jay Electronica be banned or judged?! I do think that there should definitely be stricter attitudes towards artists who have worrying pasts and seemingly have been easily forgiving or things have been blotted out by areas of the media. In many cases, there does seem to be greater backlash and judgement against Black men. In the case of Jay Electronica, I don’t think he should have appeared on Noname’s album, but then that is her choice. Also, as Chris Brown has been spotlighted by Chloe Bailey recently, you can’t go back and erase him – and you can’t have one rule for one and another for someone else. It does seem like Noname is getting more flack and negative response because she is a Black women, whereas a white man featuring Jay Electronica would get a far easier ride. I am not sure what the outcome will be but, as this latest episode does reignite the debate as to whether you can separate the artist from the music, and whether artists need to think more carefully at how giving oxygen to those who have a mark against their name is damaging and unwise. It would be good to know what people think in general. I don’t think there is an overly-woke mob who are responsible for the press around Jay Electronica and Noname – I think she is wrong in this case. It is right to call out an artist who is sending out poisonous messages. Sensitivity and conscientiousness in these cases is vital and should be applauded. It is something that also extends to industries like acting; where you get those who are still allowed to work despite something awful they have done, whilst others are allowed to slide back (and, again, race seems to be a worrying deciding factor). That burning questions remains: Can we and should we separate…
THE artist from the art?