Music industry turns a blind eye to R. Kelly sexual abuse allegations, says culture critic
#MuteRKelly campaign fights for R&B artist to be taken off the air in light of sexual harassment allegations
The music industry has been complicit in allowing R. Kelly's music career to continue despite multiple allegations the American R&B artist has sexually abused women, says culture critic Soraya McDonald.
"In R. Kelly's case, I think that's exacerbated by the fact that his alleged victims have all been young black women, in particular," McDonald told The Current's Anna Maria Tremonti.
McDonald writes for The Undefeated, the ESPN website that looks at the intersection of race culture and sports. She argued in a 2017 article that "the evidence is clear: In this country, some women don't matter."
It's a sentiment that music journalist Jim De Rogatis shares as well. After an extensive investigation into reported cases against Kelly, he revealed what he referred to as "the saddest fact I've learned."
"Nobody matters less to our society than young black women. Nobody," De Rogatis said in a 2013 interview.
"Black women have been talking out about Kelly since the mid-'90s, and it's only now after decades that people are listening to them," DeRogatis told Tremonti.
DeRogatis was one of the first music journalists to start digging into allegations against Kelly, in Chicago in 2000. Allegations included sexual abuse and misconduct and making child pornography. Parents also accused Kelly of holding their daughters against their will as part of a sex cult, according to an extensive report by Buzzfeed.
Kelly has not responded to a recent allegation made this week by Faith Rodgers who announced she's suing the artist for sexual battery, false imprisonment, and deliberately infecting her with herpes.
"I am heartbroken by the false claims against me. These accusations being perpetuated by the media in an attempt to distort my character and to destroy my legacy," he said in a statement released last month.
Kelly has denied all previous allegations, and has never been convicted of a crime.
The rise of the #MuteRKelly movement
The music industry isn't alone when it comes to turning a blind eye to inappropriate behaviour, said McDonald.
The #MeToo movement has brought to light allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the film and news industry as well, from Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein to former NBC news anchor Matt Lauer.
"This is more of a sickness about how the way our society views women and girls," said McDonald.
In the past year, the #MuteRKelly campaign has been gathering momentum, in part due to the institutional support of the #TimesUp movement.
Women of colour, including TV mogul Shonda Rhimes and director Ava DuVernay, have been prominent voices in the ongoing discourse.
"[This] is extremely important because it offers amplification and magnification for these for girls' voices and for these women's voices."
As their voices raise the issue, the movement has been calling on the industry to take Kelly off the airwaves. Streaming services Spotify and Apple Music have since dropped his music from their playlists.
The group ultimately wants Sony, the singer's record label, to drop Kelly, in the hopes that they take "the moral high ground" over the money Kelly's bringing in for them.
The Current asked Sony Music for comment, but they declined to respond.
Listen to the full conversation near the top of this web post.
This segment was produced by The Current's Alison Masemann and Julie Crysler.