Spotify CEO Not Budging on Decision to Keep Joe Rogan After N-Word Controversy, Apologizes to Staff

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek issued a long-winded note to his staff yesterday in which he said that he is not budging on his decision to keep Joe Rogan on the platform after the N-word controversy.

Ek also apologized to his staff in the note, saying that he had “no words” that he could say to “adequately convey” his apology.

“While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more. And I want to make one point very clear – I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek declared.

Additionally, Ek promised that he was “committing to an incremental investment of $100 million for the licensing, development, and marketing of music (artists and songwriters) and audio content from historically marginalized groups.”

Journalist Bari Weiss said of the note, “That didn’t take long. Here’s the big apology for a ginned-up controversy; the appeal to “user safety”; the $100 million as atonement.”

“The same dynamic plays out at @Spotify that we’ve seen in so many sense-making companies,” Weiss lamented.

That didn’t take long. Here’s the big apology for a ginned-up controversy; the appeal to “user safety”; the $100 million as atonement. The same dynamic plays out at @Spotify that we’ve seen in so many sense-making companies. https://t.co/BkBKpSFcWZ

— Bari Weiss (@bariweiss) February 7, 2022

The note apparently didn’t sit well with actor Karamo Brown, who, this morning, tweeted a video of him closing his account and deleting Spotify from his phone.

“I’m done with @Spotify It makes me sick to my stomach that this guy can repeatedly spout racial (slurs) and still be rewarded. #PeaceOut,” Brown insisted in the tweet.

I’m done with @Spotify It makes me sick to my stomach that this guy can repeatedly spout racial slur’s and still be rewarded. #PeaceOut pic.twitter.com/ox21C4BzDd

— Karamo (@Karamo) February 7, 2022

Many appear to be fed up with the whole controversy, including comedian Brian Simpson, who tweeted yesterday, “Stop demanding that I speak on @joerogan@spotify.”

“Joe is my friend and I fulfilled my black friend duties by sending him an emergency family set of dashikis. ONLY as a last resort,” Simpson joked.

Stop demanding that I speak on @joerogan @spotify. Joe is my friend and I fulfilled my black friend duties by sending him an emergency family set of dashikis. ONLY as a last resort.

— Brian Simpson (@bscomedian) February 6, 2022

We previously reported, however, that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has apparently pulled his support from Rogan over the N-word controversy.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Appears to Pull His Support For Joe Rogan Over N-Word Video Compilation