Kendrick Lamar Reportedly Threatened To Remove Music From Spotify Following XXXTentacion Ban

Two weeks ago came news that Spotify was removing artists XXXTentacion and R. Kelly from its official playlists as part of its Hate Content & Hateful Conduct policy that was enacted recently. Now, the streaming service has reversed its stance on the former artist after facing a backlash from employees and artists alike.

READ: Spotify Removes R. Kelly And XXXTentacion From Official Playlists

As Bloomberg reports, representatives for several artists, including Kendrick Lamar, contacted Spotify Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek and head of artist relations Troy Carter to express their frustration with policy. They also threatened to remove their music from the streaming service if the company kept the current policy.

"It is virtually impossible to police millions of songs, lyrics, contributors and artists," Vickie Nauman, a media consultant who has worked with Spotify, said. "Where and how do you draw the line? I support taking a stand and not willingly sponsoring a known violent artist, but it's quite unclear to me how you can consistently monitor and apply any sort of similar editorial/social/cultural standards across art on any scale."

Spotify said it will eventually restore XXX's songs to playlists, with executives for the streaming service speaking with music industry and civil rights activists "about how and when to adjust its rules in a manner suitable to both sides."

However, there are no plans to promote R. Kelly's music on the platform again.

Lamar had previously endorsed XXX's music on Twitter.

"Listen to this album if you feel anything. raw thoughts," the Damn. rapper wrote while sharing a link to XXX's album 17.

Source: Bloomberg