Peloton is the latest company to distance itself from Kanye West’s controversial “Famous” track.
The rapper, who recently appeared in a video with a white nationalist group, said he’s “not racist” and “not homophobic” after his “Famous” track became a major flashpoint of controversy.
The track includes lyrics from the same hip-hop artist of West’s backing vocals, the artist, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, told the Miami New Times he never intended to “offend anyone” or give “anyone a hard time.”
The rapper’s song — which he said he used because he’s “always trying to break down certain gender stereotypes” — was taken down from iTunes immediately after its release, prompting fans and media to express outrage.
Peloton, the company that licenses the video game “Star Trek: Bridge Crew,” didn’t take down West’s track per se, but said it would not promote the artist, despite his history of controversial statements.
“Given the track’s use of audio samples from another artist, we believe our position statement is clear to consumers: We will not promote or promote an artist, product, or service without their express written consent,” the company said in a statement.
In an interview with the Miami New Times, Kanye West, whose real name is Robert Kardashian West, said he’s “not a racist,” and said his music is “about breaking down the stereotypes that people have on how people deal with other people who are different from them.”
West said his song, released in 2013, “was never meant to offend anyone,” and added that he “really tried to do things responsibly,” though he said some of his comments have gotten “too political for me.”
“I know it’s easy to