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Today, over 400 artists and indie labels from across the world have joined the music boycott project No Music For Genocide, which launched today. Artists such as Faye Webster, Arca, MIKE, Japanese Breakfast, redveil, and many more have geo-blocked their music from all music streaming platforms in Israel, in protest of what Amnesty International and other organizations have deemed a “genocide” in Gaza.
The organizers tell Rolling Stone that major label and major label-distributed artists such as Massive Attack, MØ, Primal Scream, Kelsey Lu, and Kneecap are attempting to join the boycott by requesting for their labels to geo-block their music in Israel; all other artists and rights-holders are encouraged to join the boycott, which they hope will emulate the impact of the Eighties boycott of Apartheid South Africa.
NMFG is a decentralized initiative and, for now, organizers are not going public. In a statement provided to Rolling Stone, they say, “Culture can’t stop bombs on its own, but it can help reject political repression, shift public opinion toward justice, and refuse the art-washing and normalization of any company or nation that commits crimes against humanity. This initiative is one part of a worldwide movement to erode the support Israel needs to continue its genocide. We’re inspired by the escalating efforts in pursuit of that goal, from the recent Film Workers For Palestine pledge to Spain’s ban of Israel-bound ships and planes to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard to dockworkers in Morocco who’ve refused to load weapons onto vessels ordered by Tel Aviv.”
“Many of our peers have felt, like ourselves, unsure how to use music in this moment. Our first goal with No Music For Genocide is to inspire others to reclaim their agency and direct their influence toward a tangible act,” they continue. “We are so grateful for all of the artists, managers, and labels who have already committed to this first step, and we’re excited to expand this together. The more of us there are, the stronger we will be. This is just the beginning.”
The boycott is partnering with The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), whose website says they’re “tasked with overseeing the academic and cultural boycott aspects of Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS).” At the end of September, the boycott organizers will be spearheading a 48-hour takeover on Radio Alhara, a station located in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian artists aren’t participating in the boycott due to the political implications they face in the region, but several helped organize it. Palestinian musician ZOHUD زُهد tells Rolling Stone, “As a Gazan musician, I have witnessed firsthand how essential music is to people’s ability to live, recover, and maintain hope. It is never acceptable to use music to normalise oppression or to hide crimes against humanity. The music industry’s future depends on its ability to stand firmly for justice and dignity while refusing to support genocide. Rather than being a means of erasure, our art must serve as a bridge to freedom. And Ahmed Eid أحمد عيد, another Palestinian musician who also teaches kids how to make and record music via The Palestinian Music Space movement, notes, “The Music we need to amplify right now, from the river to the sea and beyond, is Palestinian music.”
PG County artist redveil, who made waves in 2023 by calling for a ceasefire and using his Camp Flog Gnaw set to memorialize the names of children killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, tells Rolling Stone in an e-mailed statement, “Art & artists should always reflect their time. I feel it is the bare minimum as artists not to pretend as if ongoing genocide is acceptable as our norm. Especially in a time where our thoughts and convictions are so rapidly accessible, it is literally now or never to take a strong stance against it.”
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