Beyond the impeccable list of hits The-Dream has penned (which include ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Umbrella’, the songwriter is renown for his debate-inciting soundbites.
The latest came during a new interview with Billboard; within the feature Dream – real name Terius Nash – delved into the “battle” Black artists tend to face compared to their Caucasian counterparts in the music industry.
During his lengthy explanation, he playfully yet seriously threw a few jabs at producer Dr. Luke, who he cites as being among the list of those who borrow from Urban culture to replicate in the Pop sphere.
His words below…
Via Billboard:
Taylor Swift and Big Machine pulled her music from Spotify. As a label owner and creator, do you support that?
I can support it, but I could never do the same. I’m black.
Meaning what?
It’s a race thing. It’s always going to be a race thing. For one, if I took my records off of Spotify, it would affect the people who listen to my music for free and may not have the means otherwise. Taylor Swift fans probably have the means to go and buy a Taylor Swift record.
What role does race play in how artists get paid today?
If you got a hit and you’re white, there are no limits to what you can do. If you’re black and you have a hit today but can’t do it again tomorrow, then your ass is out of here. When the industry uses you up, that’s it. You’re gone. It’s a constant battle for our culture. We can’t say no to radio, we can’t say no to Spotify, and we can’t have a concert because nobody will come. And the whole time, everybody is taking from our culture to enhance the pop side of things. By the way, the pop side doesn’t mean you have to be white. Bruno Mars is pop. Nobody listens to Bruno Mars like he’s a black artist. Which I’m sure for him, he’s like, “Thank God.” There are urban artists and then there are pop artists, and urban artists get things taken from them. We create the swag, and everybody knows it.
Dr. Luke has been remaking [Rihanna’s] “Umbrella” since we made “Umbrella”! I tell him that to his face! He has been making it over and over, and pop radio loves it every time.
Quite a loaded set of statements from Mr Nash – many of which we don’t necessarily disagree with.
That said, what are…