Would you stop listening to a good band if it turns out they have a couple of racist songs?

So I I love this album except for the second to last song, African Man. It doesn't say much of anything and is a bit racist. I've heard he has another one. But I'm going to go on liking Iggy Pop. It's unfortunate about these songs but I don't have to listen to them. What do you think? Would you stop listening to a band that has a couple of racist songs?

Depends on the context.

If it was meant to be malicious, then yes, I'd probably stop listening to it.

However if it was a product of the times and not meant to be hurtful, but hasn't particularly aged well, then I probably would not stop.

The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" is a good example of this. Mick Jagger said he probably would not have written the song today due to the lyrics and subject matter, but he says it is also ambiguous enough to mean different things...I guess.

Some have argued the song is about heroin. Some have said it was written for Jagger's black girlfriend at the time. The lyrics are pretty racist but I wouldn't call them malicious. Any one that listens to Rolling Stones knows they have tremendous respect for blues and jazz.

Gold Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields

Sold in the market down in New Orleans

Skydog slaver know he's doin' all right

Hear him whip the women, just around midnight

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good?

Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should, oh no

Drums beatin' cold, English blood runs hot

Lady of the house wonderin' when it's gonna stop

House boy knows that he's doin' all right

You should have heard him, just around midnight

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good?

Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should, yeah

Brown Sugar, how come you dance so good?

Oh, got me quittin'

Brown Sugar, just like a black girl should, yeah

Now, I bet your mama was a tent show queen

And all her boyfriends were sweet 16

I'm no school boy but I know what I like

You should have heard them, just around midnight

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good? Oh, no no

Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should

I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, woo

How come you, how come you dance so good?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, woo

Just like a, just like a black girl should

Yeah, yeah, yeah, woo

I'm not telling you what to do, because that's your own business. But yes, I would stop listening to them if they made racist songs. A person/band who would write a racist song does not deserve any degree of patience or sympathy from me.

Can't think of any racist TBH.

Always found this video a bit rapey. They made Mr X sexy.

Guessing going for a Phantom Of The Opera type thing, but looks like a dude dressed as a seriel killer is following her around, and she develops stockholm syndrome, or something. And he has kinda forced looking sex with her, which she seems to get off on.

The dance at 1:47 always made me feel funny as a kid.

Donno, maybe just reading it wrong.

@uninspiredcup: you want rapey, go listen to Baby It's Cold Outside. Sure, an old fashioned duet for the holidays, but when you listen to the song it's basically a woman saying "Please let me go home" and the guy going "No, stay. Here have a drink to lower your inhibitions."

Now the importance of context is that back then it was unacceptable for two unmarried people to sleep so you could argue she is saying "I want to, but I can't" and he is like "Baby don't worry about it". I suppose the counter-argument to that is "no means no" no matter the subtext but....eh.

But in modern times it is pretty cringe.

What is your stance on a lot of rap, then? Do you not listen to certain artists or groups for their use of the n-word or a biased perspective on society?

I didn't think about it in my initial post but if I set my standards to "no racism" then I probably would have to stop listening to a lot of my favorite hip hop groups and artists.

probably

Cultural appropriation... This would not be acceptable in today's world. Still a nice song though

Good point.

Yea, if they presented that as them in a restaurant, and like, he's begging her to stay content would change, but in his house grabbing her every 20 seconds it's chirpy Harvey Weinstein.

Maybe we're just being abit Resetera and he isn't a potential rapist. If he tries anything she can poke his eyes out with her bra.

@mrbojangles25: Kinda fond of the interpretation from Key & Peele myself...

I don't listen to hip hop and I don't like it when people use the n-word in their songs. I acknowledge that rapping takes talent, though. I could never be a rapper; I just don't have that kind of talent. If I had to choose a favourite rapper, it would be Tech N9ne, but he uses that word all the time. Hip hop just isn't my cup of tea.

I stopped listening to a rap artist who promoted cheating, abuse and toxicity in a relationship. Reason being one of the women I dated back then is a huge fan of the guy and admitted to being "influenced" by his lyrics. Mind you this was when I was much younger but yeah if a band/artist is racist in a song, I'd probably stop listening to them, all about context though.

@mrbojangles25: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby,_It%27s_Cold_Outside

It's cringe because people don't remember different time periods.

Also I don't listen to music if I don't respect the artist.

This song is amazing. One of my favourite 80s pop songs.

Probably...I had a hard time listening to Megadeth for a while when their bassist (married) got caught wanking to a 19 year old. Its not so much the age (legal)...its more so the.....videos of......him..... that I saw. Curiosity got the best of me.

I know, and I did mention it in my original post or follow up that context is important.

It's just kind of fun listening to it without context lol. A very important thing to keep in mind when analyzing anything more than a few years in the past.

It's a great song; love the Dean Martin cover, even if I am driving and can't dance my foot is tapping lol.

Of course, you could argue that the songwriters knew of society's expectations at the time, and wrote this ironically, and the statement of the song is "Oh see? Your prudish sensibilities are actually kind of rapey when they try to be the opposite" or something. I don't know just spitballing here lol