The legendary MC tore into the music industry’s streaming model, comparing its greed to Scrooge McDuck.
Yasiin Bey—formerly known as Mos Def—unleashed sharp criticism on the modern music industry, likening its greed to the cartoon tycoon Scrooge McDuck.
In a no-holds-barred interview with The Guardian, Bey revealed his early disillusionment with the business, saying it drained his enthusiasm for making music long ago.
“I was so disillusioned,” Bey said. “You start out with idealism and passion, and then you encounter the kind of conduct and values George Orwell called ‘inanities.’ And they do this s**t to everybody, it’s not even personal, it’s systemic.”
He didn’t stop there. Bey blasted streaming services, calling their business model “gross” and “exploitative” for paying artists fractions of a cent per song.
“That s### is gross, paying people part of a penny for their music,” he said, slamming current industry practices. “Those motherfuckkers are cold-blooded, man, like Scrooge McDuck, lickin’ his lips as he jumps into a pool of gold coins… The music industry of now makes the one I started out in seem charitable. It’s completely exploitative.”
Bey has long been outspoken about the economics of the music business, and his views align with many artists who feel streaming platforms profit off their work while giving little in return. While record labels and streaming giants defend their revenue-sharing models, artists continue pushing back, demanding fairer compensation.
Despite his frustrations, Bey expressed gratitude for the opportunity to keep creating. His latest project, Forensics, is expected later this year, and he remains focused on the bigger picture.
“I’m just happy to be alive, to be able to create art and beauty, to the best of my ability,” he said. “Like, to be a human being is a miracle. We’re on this spaceship, planet Earth, sharing this experience, and it’s crazy. Like, who needs peyote? We’re already in outer space, baby.”
