Backlash Against Spotify Star Joe Rogan Intensifies, Now Over Racial Slur

Spotify Technology SA's SPOT top podcaster Joe Rogan over the weekend apologized for using a racial slur on previous episodes of his show as the company removed over 100 episodes of the “Joe Rogan Experience,” according to JREMissing, a website which tracks the podcast.

What Happened: Rogan posted a video on his Instagram account on Saturday to apologize for his previous use of the N-word. He said his use of the word was "regretful and shameful," adding that “there’s nothing I can do to take that back,” and that he wishes he could do so. Rogan also said he would like his mistake to be used as a “teachable moment.

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Meanwhile, Rogan has been off Spotify’s airwaves for a week, as the backlash against him continues to build. One musician who is boycotting Spotify is India.Arie, who shared the video of Rogan using the racial slurs on her own Instagram account. She told her followers, “He shouldn’t even be uttering the word. Don’t even say it, under any context.”

Rogan has already been facing criticism from musicians over another issue related to his show. Neil Young had his material removed from the platform in January over Rogan’s interviews discussing the COVID-19 vaccine.

How To Delete Spotify: If you're now among those who want to end your association with Spotify over the brewing controversies, and delete your account, it's a relatively simple process. If you have a free Spotify account, your profile can be deleted through the platform’s website. You can do so by going to the Spotify account settings page and clicking on the closing your account link to the right. If you have a premium account, shutting down the service will require a phone call to Spotify customer service.

Photo: Coutesy of David on Flickr