YouTube denies employee request to remove rap song with anti-Chinese lyrics
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge YouTube is facing employee calls to remove a rap song that allegedly encourages violence against Asians, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Rapper YG's Meet the Flockers" is a detailed description of a burglary - a relatively common trope in rap music - but it opens with a specific reference to Chinese communities: find a Chinese neighborhood, cause they don't believe in bank accounts." In light of the recent rise in street violence against Asians, a group of YouTube employees argued that message was straightforwardly dangerous, ultimately asking the Trust & Safety team to remove the video.
But YouTube ultimately declined to remove the song, citing the platform's exception for educational, documentary, scientific, and artistic" (or...