Multiple outlets reported “Meet The Flockers” by YG was removed from YouTube following complaints the song promoted violence against Asian Americans. Those concerns were highlighted again after eight people, mostly Asian women, were killed at three different Atlanta-area spas and massage parlors on March 15.
The My Krazy Life track opens with the lyrics, “First, you find a house and scope it out. Find a Chinese neighborhood ’cause they don’t believe in bank accounts.” Apparently, YouTube employees expressed their frustration that their executives refused to take “Meet The Flockers” off the platform.
“YouTube has an open culture and employees are encouraged to share their views, even when they disagree with a decision,” stated a spokeswoman for the company. “We’ll continue this dialogue as part of our ongoing work to balance openness with protecting the YouTube community at large.”
On April 5, a censored version of “Meet The Flockers” was uploaded to YG’s verified YouTube channel. As of press time, the comment section for the audio on the video-sharing site has been turned off.
Back in 2016, left-leaning Korean-American politician Jane Kim criticized YG for the “Meet The Flockers” music video. Kim claimed the visuals perpetuated the idea that Asian Americans are ideal targets for burglary, and she called the MV “deeply offensive” to Chinese Americans.
This situation involving “Meet The Flockers” is one of the latest high-profile conversations about artistic expression, censorship, offensive language, and potential hate speech. It is not clear if YouTube forced the removal of the lyrics or if that decision was made by YG, Def Jam Recordings, and/or Universal Music Group.
“He was pretty much fed up + kind of at the end of his rope + yesterday was a really bad day for him” – white male sheriff explaining execution of 8 murders.
Race, gender + class were absolutely intertwined w/murder of working-class asian immigrant women https://t.co/HDbhfamPIe
— Jane Kim 金貞妍 (@JaneKim) March 18, 2021