As controversy continues over Joe Rogan’s excessively racist use of the n-word, India Arie and several others have accepted his apology and are defending him.
Last week, Arie, 46, announced she wanted to remove her music from Spotify following in the rock legend Neil Young, musician Graham Nash and Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, who also requested to have their music removed due to Joe Rogan’s controversial comments (about race and COVID-19 misinformation) on his podcast.
Arie says that despite Rogan’s repeated racial slurs, she doesn’t believe the podcast host is racist.
“I don’t think Joe Rogan is racist for using [the N-word],” the singer said Monday on CNN’s Don Lemon Tonight. “I think he’s insensitive for using it,” Arie continued. “So, just don’t.”
Arie shared a compilation of Rogan repeatedly using the racial slur on old episodes of his popular podcast. Rogan apologized after the video came to light, saying the episodes contained things that “I wish I hadn’t said or had said differently.”
“I have to say, I did think he did a fine job with his apology,” Arie told Lemon. “He said a lot of the things I would want to hear someone say. The thing that stuck out for me most was when he said, ‘It’s not my word to use.’ And I think changed behavior is what we’re really looking for.”
Arie still stands against her music being streamed on Spotify and says that Rogan’s n-word slurs were simply the final straw.
“I knew about Joe Rogan’s insensitive comments around race before because I’m a podcast listener, and I had heard many episodes of his podcast,” Arie said. “When I learned of his language, I just tuned out on my own.”
“As a working musician who has always had issues with Spotify, and then they bring in this Joe Rogan thing, and now it creates a thing that I can’t not speak up about,” Arie said. “He’s not the reason, but he is the final reason.”
Watch the Don Lemon clip below:
Grammy award-wining singer India Arie is removing her music from Spotify after highlighting Joe Rogan’s repeated use of racist language.
BUT Arie says she’s not looking to cancel Rogan.
@donlemon speaks with @indiaarie. Watch: pic.twitter.com/Ez0qlcQfpe— Don Lemon Tonight (@DonLemonTonight) February 8, 2022
