Lyor Cohen, who held key govt roles at Def Jam Recordings from 1988 to 2004, has addressed Kanye West in an open letter. Cohen is understood for his influential function in hip-hop. He began his profession within the Nineteen Eighties as a tour supervisor for Run-D.M.C. earlier than changing into a key determine within the rise of Def Jam Recordings, the place he labored with such artists as Jay Z, LL Cool J and DMX, amongst others.
West signed to Roc-A-Fella Information, a subsidiary of Def Jam Recordings, in 2002 and launched his breakout debut album, The School Dropout, in February 2004 via Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam.
In 2004, Cohen left to hitch Warner Music Group and head up its recorded music division. There, Cohen performed a major function in adapting the label to the digital period, which finally helped him land a senior place at YouTube in 2016. Cohen at present serves as YouTube’s world head of music, the place he has targeted on bridging the hole between artists, labels and the platform’s streaming enterprise.
Learn Cohen’s letter under:
Expensive Kanye,
I’m deeply dissatisfied and troubled by your current actions involving the usage of Nazi symbols and antisemitic rhetoric. Your phrases and actions usually are not solely offensive however triggering to all first rate individuals who acknowledge the horrors of the Holocaust and the struggling of tens of millions.
With antisemitism on the rise, your voice and affect carry a major duty. I urge you to be extra delicate to the ache your phrases inflict on Jewish communities and all those that stand in opposition to hate.
Your expertise and attain could possibly be used to heal and encourage, to bridge divides and promote understanding. As a substitute, you’ve chosen a path that sows discord and perpetuates dangerous stereotypes.
The Jewish and Black experiences share a wealthy historical past of collaboration and mutual help, notably within the music trade. From the early days of jazz and blues to the groundbreaking work of Motown and past, our communities have enriched one another via music and tradition.
I urge you to mirror on this shared legacy and use your platform to construct upon the love and understanding which have at all times existed between our communities.
Sincerely,
Lyor
