India.Arie Speaks About Her Return To Spotify: "I Deserve My Checks"

In conversation with Billboard, R&B musician India.Arie discussed rejoining Spotify after pulling her music from the streaming platform.

India.Arie is about her money. One year after pulling her music from Spotify due to heightened controversies over podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, the R&B musician, 47, spoke to Billboard about the returning to the streaming platform.

During the interview, Arie, legal name India Arie Simpson, shared that she removed her music from Spotify while "in protest," as Rogan frequently used the n-word on his podcast.

"I’ve been in the music industry for 24 years. I signed my record deal in 1999, and I know too much about how racism functions in the music industry to be comfortable with what I saw," she told Billboard. "And so knowing that Black music sells most of the music, and just how important Black people are in the [music industry], and in the creation of music, period –  we all know. Spotify said it to me: Someone called me after I took my music down and said, “You know, Black music does the most streams.” I’m like, “I know that.”

Later, the Denver, Colorado native explained that she'll soon be receiving royalty payments, citing the royalty rate for songwriters being increased from 10.5% to 15.1%.

"So when those two things shifted, I put my music back up." she said. "Cause I want my checks. And not only do I want my checks, I deserve my checks. There’s still not gonna be enough. And there’s still so much that needs to be changed in the music industry for it to be humane, really. But I stood up for myself and I got some shift, and I want my checks, period."