Navigation between artistry and advocacy for one’s self on the global streaming stage
-By Aastha Moghe
In a world where freedom of expression of ideas, creativity, and artistry is one of the most important pillars of society, the intersecting of politics in art is taking center stage.
Palestinian artists have found themselves entangled in the web of the Israel-palatine genocide as they handle censorship of their music from global streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music
The pressure group in question is ‘we believe in Israel’ an outgrowth of Britain Israel Communications and Research Center (BICOM). This group is lobbying the UK government and the global streaming platform, Spotify, to censor Palestinian artists, one such artist being LOWKEY, a British Iraqi hip hop artist who recently met with Palestine Action founder Huda Ammori to discuss the revelations in The Guardian of Israeli Embassy intervention in Palestine Action court cases, therefore expressing his support towards the occupied Palestine territories, and ambassador mc, an artist from Birmingham with songs such as ‘free Palestine’ and ‘terrorist’, who uses his Instagram platform to promote to educate people on the Israel-Palestine genocide.
The question to ask is why?
The group ‘We Believe in Israel’ has been campaigning for the removal of pro-Palestinian songs since the start of 2023 and earlier this year Spotify removed a host of Arabic language music that contained defamatory lyrics towards Israel
“It’s good news that Spotify has finally listened to public disgust about hosting clearly antisemitic content which contravenes their own content policies, including directly inciting violence against Israelis,” said the group’s director, Luke Akehurst. “Now we need them to look at why they are hosting explicitly antisemitic and conspiratorial songs by Lowkey and Ambassador MC,” he added, defaming both artists simultaneously, while clearly sending a signal that they were next.
We believe in Israel- who have acknowledged that they work closely with the Israeli embassy but insist that they are not directed by them- has been campaigning for this ‘cleanse’ for a long time. Last year it launched a petition that got almost 4000 signatures and directly lobbied the British Ministry of Digital Culture, Media and Sport on the matter.
Their campaign manager, Rachel Blain, has been associated with Israeli organizations for a long time. Before joining we believe Israel, blain worked at the Zionist Federation, which is the British board of deputies, at an embassy in London which is likely to have been an Israeli one as well. She fulminated against Spotify in an article in the Times of Israel saying “Spotify needs to stop promoting hatred”
Spotify, as a major player in the music streaming industry, faces the challenge of balancing diverse voices while avoiding complicity in political censorship. The incident has spurred conversations about the need for clearer content guidelines that respect artistic expression while ensuring that platforms remain free from undue political influence.
In the end, the silencing of Palestinian voices on Spotify serves as a stark reminder that art and politics are inseparable in a world where every creation can reflect the complex realities faced by its creators. As the debate rages on, the world watches to see whether platforms like Spotify will take a stand in defense of artistic freedom or succumb to the pressures of geopolitical forces.
Ambassador mc on youtube
British rapper and political activist lowkey protesting
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