The rapper Dr Dre has spoken out against the use of his song Still DRE in a self-promotional video by the Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene to celebrate her role in electing fellow GOP lawmaker Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House.
“I don’t license my music to politicians, especially someone as divisive and hateful as this one,” the rapper and producer told TMZ on Monday morning.
In the nearly two-minute video, posted on Monday morning with the caption “It’s time to begin … and they can’t stop what’s coming,” the far-right lawmaker from Georgia walks out of her office in slow motion to the familiar first notes of Dre’s 1999 hit with Snoop Dogg.
Greene then walks the halls of Congress and boards an elevator – still in slow motion, and eventually in black and white. The video also commemorates a phone call with “DT” (Donald Trump) and McCarthy’s election as speaker after an even farther-right rebellion within his own party and a historic, grueling 15 votes.
The video has since been removed from Twitter “in response to a report from the copyright owner”.
Greene’s video immediately drew backlash online. “ChatGPT, show me an example of peak cringe,” tweeted political strategist Rick Wilson, referring to the AI text-generation service.
Greene, a hardline Trump ally who has promoted a number of antisemitic, white supremacist and far-right conspiracy theories, was first elected to Congress in 2020. Consistent with her views, the video begins with a sign reading “There are two genders, male and female!”
Dr Dre is not the first musician to oppose the use of their music by Republican politicians. A number of artists, including Elton John, Adele, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Rihanna, have voiced displeasure with Donald Trump’s use of their songs at rallies or other political events, with some, including Phil Collins and Aerosmith, issuing cease-and-desist orders.
The rapper Dr Dre has spoken out against the use of his song Still DRE in a self-promotional video by the Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene to celebrate her role in electing fellow GOP lawmaker Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House.
“I don’t license my music to politicians, especially someone as divisive and hateful as this one,” the rapper and producer told TMZ on Monday morning.
In the nearly two-minute video, posted on Monday morning with the caption “It’s time to begin … and they can’t stop what’s coming,” the far-right lawmaker from Georgia walks out of her office in slow motion to the familiar first notes of Dre’s 1999 hit with Snoop Dogg.
Greene then walks the halls of Congress and boards an elevator – still in slow motion, and eventually in black and white. The video also commemorates a phone call with “DT” (Donald Trump) and McCarthy’s election as speaker after an even farther-right rebellion within his own party and a historic, grueling 15 votes.
The video has since been removed from Twitter “in response to a report from the copyright owner”.
Greene’s video immediately drew backlash online. “ChatGPT, show me an example of peak cringe,” tweeted political strategist Rick Wilson, referring to the AI text-generation service.
Greene, a hardline Trump ally who has promoted a number of antisemitic, white supremacist and far-right conspiracy theories, was first elected to Congress in 2020. Consistent with her views, the video begins with a sign reading “There are two genders, male and female!”
Dr Dre is not the first musician to oppose the use of their music by Republican politicians. A number of artists, including Elton John, Adele, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Rihanna, have voiced displeasure with Donald Trump’s use of their songs at rallies or other political events, with some, including Phil Collins and Aerosmith, issuing cease-and-desist orders.