Comedian Dave Chappelle may have started something in terms of artists taking back the power with their creative work. In a brief video, Chappelle urged fans not to stream “The Chappelle Show” in an 18-minute video he titled Unforgiven.
In it, Chappelle explained that while his ground-breaking show was being streamed on Comedy Central and HBO, he was not receiving any money from it. Though he created it, he didn’t own the rights to it. As a result, he asked fans to do something I’d never heard of an artist before. He told them to boycott his show on those networks.
And wonder of wonders, the plea worked. So much so that weeks later, Comedy Central agreed to give him the license for his show back and paid him millions of dollars in the process.
It seems that Chappelle has launched a bit of a movement. Legendary singer Anita Baker is following in his footsteps asking fans not to stream or buy any of her music
Baker made the request via Twitter saying that while she had outlived all of her contracts and they no longer own her name and likeness, the record companies are putting up a fight when it comes to her Masters being returned to her. Until that happens she’d like for her fans not to advertise, buy or stream her music.
Baker is referring to a measure called copyright reversion which returns copyrights to artists after 35 years. But, according to Yahoo News, the measure is not automatic. Artists still have to participate in certain steps to retrieve their rights.
Throughout her career, she’s released seven studio albums and one live compilation and is listed as the co-writer for many of her most popular songs including, “Sweet Love,” “Caught Up in The Rapture,” and “Giving You The Best That I Got.”
Later, she broke down exactly how little money artists actually receive from traditional streaming platforms.
*Correction
2020 Streaming rate
$0.003 – $0.005
1/3rd – 1/2 A PENNY Per Stream, for Artist.
minus…
*fees
*taxes
*ect. ect. ect.
They need to Leave me alone💥 fr
— Anita Baker (@IAMANITABAKER) March 9, 2021
Thankfully, fans seem to be in support of the measure.
I got the albums auntie! Don’t worry!
— The Audacity of Hoe (@atltantra) March 15, 2021
Good thing I cleaned my house this weekend.
— Alderwoman Maxine Shaw, Attorney at law (@RidetheMaverik) March 15, 2021
Give Ms Baker her shit.
— Pheonix Fellington (@amipheonix) March 15, 2021
We appreciate and support Baker standing up for herself. Hopefully, she’ll be able to receive what’s rightfully hers very soon.
