YouTube has removed both RKellyTV and RKellyVevo, two official channels associated with R. Kelly.
On September 27th, a federal jury convicted the disgraced R&B singer on nine charges related to sex trafficking, where he now faces ten years to life in prison. In the days following his conviction, the #MuteRKelly campaign gained steam across social media and called upon YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music to remove all accounts associated with Kelly. While Spotify actually removed him from all editorial and algorithmic playlists back in 2018, Kelly’s music and accounts remained.
“We can confirm that we have terminated two channels linked to R. Kelly in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines,” a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement provided to Reuters.
In line with those guidelines, YouTube has the right to terminate any channel if its creator is accused of a heinous crime, if the content is related to the crime, or if the creator is convicted. Kelly checks all three boxes. Furthermore, because Kelly has broken the responsibility guidelines in the past, YouTube will not allow the singer to own or create and channels moving forward. That is, of course, assuming he ever sees life outside of a federal penitentiary.
Though YouTube has now taken the biggest step in the #MuteRKelly campaign with the removal of all official accounts, his music still exists on YouTube Music. The campaign’s official Twitter account has now called on YouTube music and all other platforms to follow suit.
Waiting on you @youtubemusic, and you too @Spotify @AppleMusic @AmazonMusic, etc.#MuteRKelly #RKellyGuilty #RKelly https://t.co/VECbaCktQa
— MuteRKelly-Official (@OffMuteRKelly) October 6, 2021
Spotify, Apple, and Amazon have not responded to requests from Reuters to comment on their possible actions on the accounts associated with R. Kelly on their platform.
[H/T Reuters]
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