Spotify Slammed For Promoting XXXTentacion’s Music Despite Prior 'Hateful Conduct' Removal

The streaming service has been called out for hypocrisy and exploitation.

Spotify is facing criticism for promoting XXXTentacion’s music in the wake of his death, given that they previously removed his material from their custom playlists when their now-defunct hateful conduct policy was put in place.

Less than two months ago, the rapper - who, at the time of his death, was awaiting trial for domestic battery, false imprisonment and aggravated battery of a pregnant woman - was one of the artists who saw their music removed from Spotify’s curated playlists.

Despite initially winning praise from subscribers, the policy was pulled on 2 June after backlash from within the music industry, with Kendrick Lamar publicly saying he would remove his own back catalogue from the service if XXXTentaction’s music wasn’t reinstated.

XXXTentacion in May 2017
XXXTentacion in May 2017
Larry Marano/REX/Shutterstock

When news of the 20-year-old’s death broke late on Monday night, Spotify added two of his tracks, ‘SAD!’ and ‘Moonlight’, to the top of the popular Rap Caviar playlist.

A note reading “Rest In Peace, XXXTENTACION” was also added at the top of Rap Caviar, which has over 9 million subscribers:

Spotify/HuffPost UK

Numerous Twitter users also pointed out that a brand new ‘This Is XXXTentacion’ playlist was soon being promoted on the Spotify Homepage and Browse section too, prompting accusations of hypocrisy and exploitative behaviour:

didnt spotify wanna get rid of xxxtentacion’s music a few weeks back? pic.twitter.com/qgV91hcJ4d

— Andres Marticorena (@martydotandres) June 19, 2018

Chain of events :

Spotify : no more bad people on our playlists 🙌🏻🙌🏻😫🙅♀️

Spotify : :) you guys are welcome

*Spotify reads xxx got popped*

Spotify : 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑

Here’s a new xxxtentacion essentials playlist guys !!!!

— johnny utah (@clowndaddie) June 18, 2018

yo @Spotify y’all are so full of shit. really
y’all literally cost mans thousands of streams by removing his music off playlists because of his abuse allegations but now y’all tryna make coin off of his passing WITH A WHOLE PLAYLIST?
this industry is full of snakes. #XXXTentacion pic.twitter.com/7SXmSjsiEP

— Chayn ‘Agur (@ChaynAgur) June 19, 2018

Personally, I think @Spotify is fake as fuck for removing @xxxtentacion songs but then as soon as he dies they put his shit at the top of Rap Caviar. Profiting off his death and shit. If he wasnt good enough to be on your shit when he was alive dont switch up now

— Jake Hallman (@JakeyDingo) June 19, 2018

Bruh @Spotify how can y’all say R.I.P @xxxtentacion but when he was alive y’all took him off Spotify now you guys act like y’all didn’t do nothing to him R.I.P @xxxtentacion pic.twitter.com/G5egfJ2gYq

— Tommy (@liltommyski) June 18, 2018

fuck you @Spotify tryna profit off the man death when y’all were just tryna banish him from your service ... @xxxtentacion pic.twitter.com/NU7im7a1Fm

— ANDRÉ (@andresworldd) June 19, 2018

The rapper’s past included a jail stint and he previously spoke about an attack which saw him “stomping” on his gay cellmate’s face and “trying to strangle him”, after allegedly catching him staring at him.

Citing this and the domestic violence allegations, other fans have criticised Spotify’s decision to repromote XXXTentacion for entirely different reasons:

.@Spotify can you please take down the rest in peace xxxtentacion playlist from the front page for people who never listened to him? He was violently homophobic and as a gay person it's pretty messed up to recommend his music to me.

— see u later supremacist (@electrapng) June 19, 2018

just saw "rest in peace xxxtentacion" on spotify, like really??? @spotify he was an abuser and homophobe

— walter luigi (@mynameisalexa) June 18, 2018

Spotify's turnaround from removing x from their playlists, to undoing that policy, to "rest in peace, xxxtentacion" and a playlist of just his music was disturbingly fast

— Payam Sharifi (@mafiahairspy) June 19, 2018

not even spotify is decent anymore ? a few weeks ago, taking XXXtentacion off their service to not be supporting literal *abusers* & *criminals*... switching on a dime to keep an audience they shouldn't want (if not for profit) ... now capitalising on his death ... $$ over morals

— i like sharks (@kattweeters) June 19, 2018

HuffPost UK has contacted a Spotify representative for comment.

XXXTentacion, real name Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, was shot dead in South Florida on Monday afternoon.

He was shopping for motorcycles and was leaving the RIVA Motorsports showroom at around 4pm when he was approached by two armed individuals, TMZ reported. One of them fired at him before they made off in an SUV.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office later tweeted confirming his death, after previously stating they were responding to a shooting incident in Deerfield Beach, about 40 miles north of Miami.

They have since said they believe the incident was a possible robbery and are appealing for information.

Kanye West is among the celebrities who have paid tribute to the rapper, posting on Twitter: “Rest in peace. I never told you how much you inspired me when you were here. Thank you for existing.”

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