LOS ANGELES - The music industry is coming together, holding a day to reflect and implement change in response to the death of George Floyd and police brutality, particularly against unarmed black citizens in the United States.
A number of top record labels have organized Black Out Tuesday as protests continue to spread throughout the US over the unjust killings of African-Americans Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Floyd died after a white police officer knelt on his neck in Minneapolis last month, Taylor was fatally shot by a Louisville Metro Police Department officer in March while Arbery was shot to death while jogging in Georgia in February.
Columbia Records, in an Instagram post on June 1, said: "[Black Out Tuesday] is not a day off. Instead, this is a day to reflect and figure out ways to move forward in solidarity."
Owned by Sony Music Entertainment, the record label is the home to artists including Beyonce, John Legend, Adele, and Bob Dylan.
"Perhaps with the music off," the company continued, "we can truly listen".
Other record labels that have joined Black out Tuesday include RCA, Epic, Atlantic, Warner as well as a group of Universal Music Group divisions - Republic, Def Jam, UMG Nashville, Capitol and Island.
In addition to joining Black out Tuesday, Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA), owned by Universal Music Group, has said they will not be releasing any music this week.
IGA - which counts artistes like Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar in its stable - is the first label to do so, postponing releases including those by Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), 6lack, and Dylan, in coordination with the label's partners.
In a statement on their website, IGA said that instead of releasing music, that they would "contribute to organisations that help to bail out protesters exercising their right to peaceably assemble."
They will also be aiding "lawyers working for systemic change" and providing "assistance to charities focused on creating economic empowerment in the Black community".
Also on board are smaller, independent labels, music publishing companies, management firms, and other music-based outfits including video-sharing social network TikTok.
