Republic Records Have Dropped The Term 'Urban'
The term will be erased...
*Republic Records* have confirmed that they will drop the term 'urban' from their music plans.
The term is a catch-all for Black music, essentially lumping together hip-hop, all forms of rap, R&B, and more under one umbrella term.
Not only highly misleading - many 'urban' acts hail from out of the way towns, while 'country' artists are often based in metropolitan centres - it's pretty damn offensive, treating Black artists in a completely different manner to their white counterparts.
Republic Records have moved to erase the term, placing a short statement on social media to confirm this fact.
It's an important step, given that Republic Records house everyone from Drake to Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift on their list of stars.
One lingering question remains, though: why has it taken so long to discontinue an onerous, misleading, and offensive term?
Here's the statement.
#WeUseOurVoices, Use Yours. pic.twitter.com/dQFoMMj0h1
— Republic Records (@RepublicRecords) June 5, 2020
Join us on the ad-free creative social network Vero, as we get under the skin of global cultural happenings. Follow Clash Magazine as we skip merrily between clubs, concerts, interviews and photo shoots. Get backstage sneak peeks, exclusive content and access to Clash Live events and a true view into our world as the fun and games unfold.
Buy Clash Magazine
