What started as a conversation about someone reconnecting with their roots through music turned into a full blown political conversation about the responsibilities creators and consumers have. Separating art from the creator has become a controversial topic in current times, especially with the documentary about Michael Jackson.

Listening to artists like Chris Brown means that they continue to get away with abusing their power. As a society, we justify excusing people’s behaviors because of their talents and while there is public outrage, it is rare that enough people care to really economically cripple those abusers. It has taken over two decades to finally get justice for R. Kelly’s victims. Chris Brown is still relevant and making money. It is almost impossible to separate the artist from their art.

People convinced me that it isn’t as black and white, that the responsibility can’t be put entirely on consumers to make sure that creators that abuse their positions of power are brought to justice. However, consumers do have a responsibility to ensure that the art they are supporting does not contribute to causes that they do not believe in. I find Kanye’s popularity a problem because it legitimizes him as an authority figure and validates his beliefs. There are people that blindly believe whatever their idols believe and while artists shouldn’t not state their political beliefs, they should consider their audiences and be responsible with what they are sharing on social media. Kanye does not belong in the same category as Michael Jackson or R. Kelly, but I do worry about the effects of his very public political stance.

Popularity should not be confused with authority. I do think that people should take into consideration what the impact of  supporting an artists’ work. Even if I love someone’s music, I would not be able to listen to it if it meant supporting someone whose actions I find problematic.