The music industry has long avoided the kind of #MeToo scrutiny experienced in Hollywood and the media, but the blockbuster accusations against hip-hop mogul Sean Combs may finally be a turning point.
Federal prosecutors allege that the artist, known by various nicknames including “Diddy,” ran a criminal organization that preyed on women and intimidated them into silence. Activists and industry watchers hope the accusations mean it’s time for the music industry to take responsibility.
Their hopes were strengthened by a massive class-action lawsuit following Combs’ federal charges and a new lawsuit against country star Garth Brooks.
Five years ago, when a series of explosive accusations against R&B hitmaker R. Kelly became public, news outlets such as AFP asked whether it was the beginning of a major change in music.
Kelly was convicted of child sex crimes, sex trafficking, and extortion and sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.
This was a real milestone for the #MeToo movement, as it was the first major sexual abuse trial in which the majority of the accusers were black women.
But broader cultural changes in an industry long clichéd as a bastion of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll never seemed to materialize.
Over the years, women have come forward with serious accusations against shock rocker Marilyn Manson, music mogul Russell Simmons, DJ Diplo, producer Dr. Luke and many other powerful figures in the industry. It’s here. After that, there are almost no consequences.
“There’s all this passing that we’re giving rock stars because of the rock star metaphor,” says Occidental College professor and co-founder of the Sound Off Coalition, which focuses on sexual violence in the music industry. says Caroline Heldman.
“Many of the music industry survivors I spoke to had internalized the rock star idea that because he was a rock star, they should have expected ‘bad behavior.’ she told AFP.
– “Please be quiet survivors” –
Kate Glover, a professor of women’s and gender studies at Washington and Lee University who studies the intersection of gender and the music industry, said the concept of “genius” is especially salient in music.
“When we label someone as a genius, we create a kind of scarcity model where that person is considered too big to fail,” she says.
However, she added that women “are seen as much more disposable than men in the music industry.”
Many experts, including Grover and Heldman, say race is an obvious factor when considering which cases will be taken seriously by the public. Celebrities also play an important role.
The victims in Kelly’s lawsuit were young black girls and women who “didn’t have the star power of many of the actresses who came forward against Harvey Weinstein,” Glover said.
And top pop musicians are often empires in their own right, Heldman said, “and they employ people who help them with their long-standing criminal activities.”
A number of similar lawsuits have been filed since longtime partner Kathy Ventura first filed suit against Combs. He is in jail on federal charges of extortion and sex trafficking and is awaiting trial.
The scale of the class-action lawsuit against him that followed this week “really speaks to the power of some people in the music industry to marshal their fame and resources to silence survivors,” Heldman said.
– “Systemic problem” –
Ventura’s case was followed by a surge in lawsuits against other music industry heavyweights, from artists to CEOs.
Tiffany Redd, a singer-songwriter and activist who has worked with Ventura, said in an open letter to Combs in December that the myriad of allegations underscored “the gravity of the situation.” .
“The systemic issues of rape culture and misogyny that are deeply entrenched in the music industry pose a real threat to the safety of so many people in this industry every day,” Red wrote.
“How can we expect meaningful change when senior leaders and superstars are facing accusations of these crimes?”
Heldman also pointed to “perverse market incentives.” After Kelly’s extortion conviction, sales increased by more than 500%, and streams increased by 22% in the week that followed.
Similarly, Diddy’s music also saw an average 18.3% increase in on-demand streams compared to the week before his arrest, according to industry data firm Luminate.
While names in the news may spark curiosity for some, Heldman also pointed to the intense fandom that musicians enjoy.
“In all my years of doing this work with survivors from a variety of industries, I have never seen such dedication from fans to a musical artist,” she said.
Still, Heldman said, “We feel like we’re on top of something.”
“I think rape artists who have operated with the idea that they can silence survivors now know that things are over.”
MD/ST
