Spotify has removed offensive imagery associated with a controversial song by Christian rapper Tyson James and his 11-year-old son Toby James, following a complaint by GLAAD.
However, the song “Still 2 Genders,” criticized for its transphobic lyrics, continues to be available on the platform. Meanwhile, no changes have been made to Apple Music’s platform.
Earlier this month, The Advocatereported that the song was accessible on major music streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, despite its derogatory lyrics towards transgender individuals, including a slur to describe them. The situation caught the attention of GLAAD, which then took up the issue with Spotify’s trust and safety team.
In an updated statement provided to The Advocate, a spokesperson from GLAAD emphasized the importance of enforcing hate speech policies by companies.
“Companies have hate speech policies to protect all users from toxic content and especially from content that incites violence against marginalized people. When these policies are violated, it is important to see companies enforce them,” the statement read.
GLAAD’s statement highlighted the grave real-world implications of hateful rhetoric and imagery connecting it to a tragic incident.
“The terrible murder of Lauri Carlton, an ally who had hung a Pride flag outside her store, is connected to a suspect who had an image of a burning Pride flag pinned to his Twitter profile,” the statement added.
The spokesperson further noted, “Rhetoric, images, and targeting of LGBTQ people encourages real-world harms. Companies and brands must continue to recognize their responsibility to people’s safety and public safety and immediately act to avoid facilitating anti-LGBTQ hate and violence.”
Spotify responded by removing the album cover and video imagery that included a burning Progress Pride flag GLAAD noted to The Advocate. Despite these steps, the song itself, carrying an anti-trans slur and dehumanizing transgender people as “demons,” remains live on Spotify’s platform.
Both Spotify and Apple Music have policies in place to moderate content on their platforms. Apple Music for Artists’ terms of service stipulates that all lyrics provided to the platform must be “correct, accurate, and do not contain hate speech.” On the other hand, Spotify’s Dangerous Content policy bars “content that incites violence or hatred towards a person or group of people based on race, religion, gender identity or expression.”
Despite these policies, Apple Music has yet to make any changes or respond to inquiries regarding the song’s availability on its platform.
In a prior response, GLAAD had stressed the digital sphere’s struggle with hate speech moderation, especially concerning anti-LGBTQ+ content, which extends beyond the realm of music streaming platforms. Their concern was not only about the derogatory lyrics but also the inconsistency in enforcing content policies by these platforms, which undermines the safety and inclusivity of all users.
As the scrutiny continues, both Spotify and Apple Music remain unresponsive to multiple inquiries from The Advocate regarding this issue. This scenario underscores a broader discussion concerning digital content moderation on streaming platforms, especially around anti-LGBTQ+ content.
link: https://www.advocate.com/news/spotify-transphobic-song-glaad
archive link: https://archive.ph/tz9FX
I don’t know this song. I won’t listen to this song. I don’t care about it.
But it becomes a slippery slope when censorship gets blown up like this. I’d rather it all be on there and I can choose to not listen to it than for them to tell me what I’m allowed to listen to on their platform. Are they going to start banning Bloodhound gang or Eminem for homophobia and violence? What about Rotting Christ for anti religion? Dying Fetus?
It should stay on the platforms and collect dust instead of being shared by articles. I probably would have never even heard of this, but now I’m worried that some of the music I listen to will be collateral.
Dance with the Devil by Immortal Technique
No it doesn’t. Last I heard Spotify isn’t a branch of government. Until such time as we nationalize them. They’re free to deplatform anyone and everyone they want within reason.
The problem is, they’re only out for money and have no moral compass. Combine that with the burgeoning fascism problem we have in the US for instance. You get this. There’s money to be made marketing and appealing to bigots and their ilk. And they’re gonna keep doing it till it costs them. Expect no meaningful action.
Feel how you want, but Spotify has a very clear policy on hateful content. And sure, maybe you won’t listen to it, but do you know who will? Bigoted psychos that will go out and commit a hate crime. Allowing content like this on a popular platform will lead to hate crimes. There is nothing wrong with private platforms choosing to not platform certain kinds of content and it is entirely within their right.
Spotify has the right to deplatfom hateful content and doing so is the ethical thing to do.
Smash the fash
I literally don’t care if songs or artists perpetuating bigotry get “censored”, the world is better without them.
Just listen to something else and quit whining.
Just listen to something else and quit whining.
This is actually step one, and the only step.
That is quite literally what he’s doing, he’s listening to something else.
You don’t care until “bigotry” means what you think it means and not what someone else thinks, or until the same principle is pushed by other groups who happen to not care if “songs or artists perpetuating ____ get censored”.
There is already a problem with monopoly in terms of which music is available, I can’t wait to have those companies decide even more which songs can be published based on totally arbitrary principles and without any accountability. I am pretty sure that articles about this trash song will have the consequences of generaring more listens than if this was just ignored. I, for once, would have never known this song existed without this article, and now I am fairly curious to go check the lyrics to make a better idea about the article itself. Straisand effect and all…
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I met someone who had such a thought about hatespeech and how you should be fined until I pointed out he and his friends call eachother retarded removeds on discord all the time and asked how much he should have to pay in fines. He stopped supporting the idea of fines
Did you just censor yourself or am I about to change instances?
I did not censor myself it was some retard who didnt like my words
Damn, gross.
Unfettered hate speech leads to hate crimes.
I don’t disagree necessarily, but people can be intolerant of hate speech without the force of government.
The government was not in any way involved in this story. Its 2 companies and an anti-hate advocacy group.
Some things should be censored, and I don’t think that’s too hot of a take, either. Any material that encourages intolerance of others should not be accepted in any civil culture.
If we want to outlaw tasteless and offensive music, we’ll be here all day.
Guys, I hate it too. But we can’t just remove every single piece of art we find objectionable. Yes, I am using the word Art liberally. Do you really want to live in that world?
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this is just a slightly repackaged version of the typical “If I cant say the N word then its a slippery slope and before you know it its 1984” argument freeze peach absolutists use.
China’s first speech law was about racism, y’all want to kill free speech, it just Boggles the mind. it never stops with “Hate speech”
“hate speech” is just a Trojan horse
it never stops with “Hate speech”
Except for every time it does stop with hate speech. Like do you think Germany arrests people that insults its politicians?
Sucks to suck. Imagine not getting into art school
For an 11 year old to be so full of hate someone must be pushing an agenda on them pretty hard and in this case at the very least it ain’t the drag queens.
I believe that if you grow up only around people who believe something you’ll believe that too before you hit puberty
I bet you $5 Daddy touches his b-hole
Just checked. Seems like Where The Hood At by DMX is still there. Is this really any worse?
Honestly that song is absolutely wild and more wild that it’s just totally accepted as ok. Like it’s the homophobic anthem ffs.
It really is. The beat, the hook… All great. It’s a legit fantastic song if it wasn’t for the absolute dog shit content of the lyrics.
Yeah 100% I love the song. Just can’t get past the lyrics.
No different than 95% of all hip hop made in the 90s.
I’m old enough to remember when it was the Christians getting music they thought was offensive pulled from the public eye, not the other way around.
I still remember them spouting about the “gay agenda” and nobody I asked knew what exactly this “gay agenda” was.
They should thank you all for the free advertisement. I had no idea this was a thing until this thread.
Bullshit. You’ve heard of Spotify.
OK, and? That music just isn’t on my radar, therefore the algorithm never suggests it to me. What’s your point?
I listen to a lot of death metal including brutal death metal that has lyrics that many would find objectionable. I guess the key difference is that death metal is not expressing the views of the artist. Still, there are plenty of artists with objectionable views whose songs are not deplatformed.
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It’s a tough distinction to make though. I would say let’s label it as objectionable content, maybe even ban it from being “promoted” (which honestly I hate that bands can pay to be forced on my home screen anyway) and call it a day.
Nah man, let’s hash it out: if your song is about attacking something other people don’t really have a choice in, say skin color, orientation, or health conditions, I’d say it falls under speech that should be shamed.
People just want to live without really having to fight to exist, and I support that idea.
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I was trying to find the lyrics to the song and came across another one of his song’s lyrics that is arguably worse
https://genius.com/Tyson-james-pedofiles-lyrics
I mean, holy shit “L-G-B-T-Q, Let God Burn Them Quickly” is one of the lines.
This guy’s music should not be played anywhere.
If there is an argument to be made here, it’s whether or not the song calls for intolerance à la the paradox of tolerance. There’s plenty of pornogrind, slam, and other brutal death metal on Spotify that’s thematically horrific. While the subject is definitely about really sadistic shit, there’s no overt message to go out and do that or that there are classes of people that deserve that. If this is just bullshit biblical propaganda, whatever, slam is gnarlier than Lot’s daughters. If this is advocating for the removal of a class of people, it might be warranted.
I didn’t read or search for the lyrics because fuck driving traffic to this garbage.
I mean, there’s plenty of songs about murder/gang shit that is serious and encouraging it
The only people who might like songs like this are people who hate the targets of the lyrics already. Therefore I don’t think cancelling them makes any sense. It just feeds into their “they’re cancelling us!” echo chamber.
And consider the negative effects: Now way more people know this dumbass exists. Like myself. Even though I don’t think he’ll be getting new converts, he will most probably get more listeners (=money) due to people clutching their pearls like this.
“We can have a little bigotry, for a treat”
Spotify plays a fun game. They kept GG Allin’s less racist songs, got rid of Skrewdriver. To be a fly on the wall in those corpo meetings.
I believe that restrictions on creative freedom are morally wrong, even if the intent is to prevent hurtful or offensive content. Art is meant to be provocative and make a statement after all.
That said after reading some of the lyrics, it is clear that this song is actually advocating murder via burning of queer individuals, which is both wrong morally and not protected speech under us law.
Spotify took a similar policy to R Kelly.
