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GrammysIn case you missed it, Chappell Roan took home the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at this year's ceremony.
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Her acceptance speech made headlines, with the star taking the time to speak about her experience of being dropped from her label, Atlantic Records, years ago and demanding better treatment for artists from their record labels.
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“It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and to feel so betrayed by the system and to be so dehumanized to not have healthcare,” Chappell said. “If my label would have prioritized artists’ health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to.”
And her words definitely ruffled some feathers across the industry. On Wednesday, the Hollywood Reporter published an opinion piece from Jeff Rabhan, a former Atlantic Records executive, that called Chappell’s speech a “hackneyed and plagiarized script.”
Christopher Polk / Billboard via Getty Images
Jeff, who used to work as an A&R executive at Atlantic and Elektra Records, called Chappell “far too green and misinformed” to speak up on the issues she raised, and accused her of acting like “the kid who didn’t get picked for dodgeball.”
He claimed that Chappell’s demands were disingenuous and that she was “an artist basking in industry love while broadcasting naïveté and taking aim at the very machine that got her there.”
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And while the piece had mixed reception, fellow musical artist Halsey took to Instagram to call out the Hollywood Reporter for platforming what she called a “ranting, seething tantrum.”
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Halsey pointed out that Jeff’s column was “loaded with assumptions and accusations that generalize the experience of every artist to that of the most successful.”
“If you want to profit off of someone else’s art; that artist should have the basic living means to feel safe enough to create that art,” they explained.
“I hope you’re embarrassed for the absolute personal attack that you’ve ran and disguised as critical journalism,” Halsey wrote. “Shame on you. Boot licking behavior.”
And now, Chappell has hopped on Instagram to let Jeff know that she’s more than happy to respond to his criticism.
Maya Dehlin Spach / FilmMagic
In the article, Jeff suggested that if Chappell wanted to make a change in the industry, she should “put her money where her mouth is.” This morning, Chappell wrote on her Instagram story that she’s pledging a $25,000 donation to struggling artists who have been dropped from their labels.
Promising to show receipts of her donations, she called out Jeff directly, “Let’s link and build together and see if you can do the same.”
And then, just to drive home how committed she is, Chappell took the time to platform some of her favorite emerging artists.
While Chappell has come under fire time and time again for her outspoken nature, one thing is for sure – she’s not afraid of any man.
Maya Dehlin Spach / FilmMagic
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English (US) ·