Republic Records has announced it is dropping the use of the term “Urban” as a descriptor for Black music. In a memo, the company said that it is launching its own campaign, “one aspect of which is that the company will cease to use the term ‘urban’ to describe black music.” The move comes amidst nationwide protests surrounding racial justice in America.
Republic notes that “‘Urban’ is rooted in the historical evolution of terms that sought to define Black music. “As with a lot of our history, the original connotation of the term urban was not deemed negative. Nearly 50 years ago, [WBLS DJ] Frankie Crocker coined the term ‘urban’ to define the sound of his radio station in an attempt to better represent his audience.
“However, over time the meaning and connotations of ‘urban’ have shifted and it developed into a generalization of Black people in many sectors of the music industry, including employees and music by Black artists. While this change will not and does not affect any of our staff structurally, it will remove the use of this antiquated term.”
The memo adds that “We encourage the rest of the music industry to consider following suit as it is important to shape the future of what we want it to look like, as to not adhere to the outdated structures of the past.”
Also, Republic Records is working closely with UMG’s Task Force, which includes members of the Republic team, to donate $25 million to several different organizations.
All these actions are part of the label’s newly launched Republic Records Action Committee (R2AC).
