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.”
Kendrick Lamar Films “Not Like Us” Music Video
Watts, CA – June 22: Kendrick Lamar dances during the music video shoot for “Not. Like Us” at Nickerson Gardens on Saturday, June 22, 2024 in Watts, CA. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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.
About The Author
Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor’s degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends.
On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni.
His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.
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