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Ronald Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress, wrote to Tim Cook of Apple and Spotify that it was “unacceptable” that neither service removed the Kanye West entry . Music.
Kanye West broke Apple Music records with his 'Donda' live streaming series, but later said he withdrew Apple's $100 million sponsorship. Following the singer's anti-Semitic comments on Twitter, Apple removed its curated playlist Kanye West Essentials.
However, only the playlist was deleted. All of West's music is still available to listen to.
Now, according to the New York Post, World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder says that Apple Music and Spotify should remove West's music. He also said that by not removing the artist, the two services “cash on Jew-hatred”.
Lauder wrote to Tim Cook and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on December 7, 2022, stating that “it is unacceptable that neither Apple Music nor Spotify has removed Mr. West's music.”
“Kanye West's anti-Semitic tirades go beyond spreading conspiracy theories,” Lauder wrote. “He supports Nazism in its purest, most hateful form, and is perhaps the only epitome of America's alarming rise in Jew-hatred.”
“While his hateful voice resounds on music streaming platforms Apple and Spotify,” he continued, “they are in league with those who wish evil on Jews around the world.”
This question is more complex than the World Jewish Congress seems to think. It is not clear what contractual obligations Apple and Spotify have to the artist.
West has his own label and the collaboration with Def Jam Records appears to have ended in October 2022. West's label has released dozens of albums with nine Billboard number one albums, including several by West.
West, now known as Yeh, tweeted that he was planning a “death scam 3” against the Jews and repeatedly expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler. He is also running for President of the United States and said this was partly because Apple Pay stopped working for him after some bank accounts were reportedly frozen.
