Kendrick Lamar is among several artists who have had some of their music blocked on YouTube amid the company’s legal dispute with the performing rights organization SESAC. Other artists affected by the situation include Adele, Burna Boy, Mariah Carey, Bob Dylan, Green Day, Nirvana and R.E.M, among many others. Adele’s “Hello” and “Someone Like You,” as well as R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion,” are all unavailable.
In a statement to Billboard, a YouTube spokesperson said: “We have held good faith negotiations with SESAC to renew our existing deal. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before its expiration. We take copyright very seriously and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US. We are in active conversations with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible.”
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Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter noted that the TeamYouTube X (formerly Twitter) account has been posting the following message for fans having trouble accessing the songs: “Our music license agreement with SESAC has expired without an agreement on renewal conditions despite our best efforts. For this reason, we have blocked content on YouTube in the US known to be associated with SESAC – as in line with copyright law … We understand this is a difficult situation and our teams continue to work on reaching a renewal agreement.”
The SESAC drama comes after Universal Music Group and TikTok endured a similar dispute, earlier this year, that left many popular songs off of the social media platform. It appears that Kendrick Lamar’s latest single, “Not Like Us,” is unaffected by the dispute. Be on the lookout for further updates on Kendrick Lamar and YouTube on HotNewHipHop.
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