In music, there’s a phrase that goes "separate the art from the artist,” meaning overlooking the personal views and actions of creators to engage with their work. This concept is an outdated defense mechanism used to ease personal discomfort in tricky controversies.
Music is a personal form of self-expression. It’s raw, passionate and unique to its creator. When music is so deeply rooted in an artist’s personal experiences, separating them becomes impossible. Supporting artists who have committed crimes or spread hate is weak, prioritizing comfort over accountability and allowing destructive behavior to continue.
When "separating the art from the artist,” the most popular example is rapper Ye West, formerly known as Kanye. His controversies include denying the existence of racism, calling slavery a “choice,” embracing anti-semitism, being anti-vaccination, identifying as a Nazi and openly praising Adolf Hitler.
When an artist’s worldview is so deeply rooted in hatred, it can't stay out of their music. At this point, Ye’s public identity is synonymous with the hate he promotes.
On Jan. 28, Ye purchased a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal to apologize, titled “To those I’ve hurt.” He attributed his statements and actions to a bipolar type 1 diagnosis, which caused him to “lose touch with reality,” pulling him toward “the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika.”
Ye apologized to his family, the Jewish community and the Black community, and then said, “I'm not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
It’s clear Ye has serious mental health issues, but it doesn’t erase the years of racism, anti-semitism and violent rhetoric. His beliefs are repeatedly and publicly expressed, and one apology doesn’t make his music neutral. In this case, separating his music and his actions would require turning a blind eye to ignore years of real-world harm.
Another example is rapper Chris Brown, who was arrested and charged with felonious assault in 2009 after brutally attacking his then-girlfriend Rihanna. Brown has been in and out of legal trouble since, but is still incredibly popular. He has sold out stadiums and has over 60 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
The public saw the graphic images of Rihanna after the 2009 assault, but Rihanna eventually publicly forgave him, so Brown’s fans' argument is, “‘If she’s forgiven him, why can’t you?’” This argument ignores the severity of his crimes and tries to absolve Brown of any responsibility, which is impossible when the behavior continues.
Brown has been in and out of legal trouble since 2009, even being arrested in England last year. His legal history indicates he doesn’t feel remorse or want to change, reinforcing the idea that his success and fanbase have protected him from consequences.
Offering repeated forgiveness and continued support sends the message that talent and popularity are more important than accountability. Men get a lot of leniency for rape and sexual assault because of the prevalence of Rape Culture in America. Fans who overlook Brown’s crimes, even in small ways like streaming his music, preserve this culture. In Brown’s case, separating the art from the artist is less of a moral choice and more of a responsibility.
Recently, Nicki Minaj is under fire after becoming a loyal Trump supporter overnight, even though in 2020 she insisted she wasn’t going to “jump on the Trump bandwagon,” and criticized his anti-immigration policies because she came to America as an illegal immigrant at 5 years old, and as of 2024, isn’t a U.S citizen.
Minaj has now done a complete 180 by publicly expressing her love for the Trump administration, and people like Rep. Jasmine Crockett have echoed this.
Crockett refuses to listen to Minaj’s music and called her a “sellout,” which she can’t agree with in our “politically fraught” timeline.
Many speculate that Minaj is befriending Trump to receive U.S. citizenship, and I have to agree with Crockett, Minaj is a complete sellout. Anybody who continues to support Minaj as she sides with an administration that targets minorities and threatens democracy is ignoring real-world issues for no good reason.
On the other hand, a band known as “The Chicks” has taken a firm feminist, anti-war, pro-LGBTQIA+ stance while existing in the historically conservative space of country music. Formerly known as “The Dixie Chicks,” they dropped “Dixie” from their name in 2020 because of the word’s roots in racism and confederacy. They continue to stand up against racism and violence, as they have done their whole career, rejecting the “shut up and sing” idea forced down their throats when they tried to criticize the government, making “The Chicks” the opposite of sellouts.
In the words of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Alexander Hamilton,” “if you stand for nothing, Burr, what do you fall for?” If we fail to hold musicians accountable, when will we draw the line?
It’s impossible to separate the art from the artist because “everything they create is an extension of themselves and a glimpse into their identity.” Supporting work that encourages hate is a choice with real consequences.
Abby Shriver is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email/message them at as064024@ohio.edu / @abbyshriver_
