Electronic dance music star Skrillex is defending JAY-Z against criticism he is facing for not removing his collaborations with embattled singer R. Kelly from online streaming sites, insisting he should be able to make his own choice.
Jay-Z and Kelly worked together on 2002’s The Best of Both Worlds and 2004’s Unfinished Business albums, but since the release of documentary Surviving R. Kelly, which details years of allegations of sexual and physical abuse levelled against Kelly, many of his former collaborators, including Lady Gaga and Celine Dion, have pulled their music with him from sites like iTunes.
However, JAY-Z and Kelly’s songs remain available and the rapper has been shamed for not acting quickly after the damning film aired earlier this month.
The 49 year old has yet to comment, but Skrillex insists it his right to keep the music online.
“You know, I don’t think he needs to do so. It’s hard… There’s a word. It’s called occhiolism. It’s the awareness of the smallness of your own perspective,” the DJ tells TMZ. “If JAY-Z wants to keep his music because it’s music he made a long time ago, it’s part of the archives, it’s part of history. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. That doesn’t mean he supports bad people, but if someone doesn’t want to listen to his music that’s fine too.”
Some people are more tolerant of things that upset us,” he adds. “We have a lot of bad stories in history. We can’t go too far and… cover our eyes from everything in the world.”
Kelly has denied all allegations against him, including previous accusations he has had sexual relationships with underage girls.
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