What did Jann Wenner say? Rolling Stone founder sparks backlash with comments on black and female artists

Rolling Stone's co-founder Jann Wenner, is embroiled in controversy after he addressed the absence of black and female artists in his upcoming book The Masters. The book is set to be released later in September and has multiple interviews that Wenner had conducted with iconic white male rock musicians. These include musicians like Mick Jagger, Bono, Bob Dylan, and more, during his tenure at Rolling Stone.

However, Wenner's explanation for not including black and female artists in his book drew sharp criticism online. His interview with David Marchese of The New York Times was published on September 15, 2023. David asks Wenner about the concerns about the lack of black female artists in his book.

“Just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level,” Jann Wenners tells the journalist.

Marchese reacts to this by saying that Wenner was claiming that Joni Mitchell wasn't "articulate enough on an intellectual level." He then told Wenner that he would let the latter "rephrase" his statement.

As Jann tried to rephrase his comment, he said that his criteria for the interviews in his book were those who he believed were "kind of philosophers of rock." He claimed that none of the women, including Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell weren't these philosophers.

Needless to say, when people read and heard Jann's comments, they were infuriated. Netizens were furious about the Rolling Stones' co-founder claiming black female artists weren't articulate. It led to a massive outrage on the internet with people even calling the comments low mentality, among other things.

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Jann Wenner issues statements over black and female artist's absence in his book

Jann Wenner, co-founder of Rolling Stone, issued a statement in response to the controversy surrounding the absence of black and female artists in his upcoming book. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Wenner's comments ignited outrage as he explained the exclusion of diverse voices from his work.

Journalist David Marchese asked Wenner about the selection process which was outlined in the book's introduction. In it, he explained that the artists of color and female performers weren't in his zeitgeist.

“When I was referring to the zeitgeist, I was referring to Black performers, not to the female performers, OK? Just to get that accurate. The selection was not a deliberate selection. It was kind of intuitive over the years; it just fell together that way," Wenner said.

He added:

"The people had to meet a couple criteria, but it was just kind of my personal interest and love of them. Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level.”

Jann Wenner also said that he should now add any black or female performers for the sake of Public Relations.

“You know, just for public relations sake, maybe I should have gone and found one Black and one woman artist to include here that didn’t measure up to that same historical standard, just to avert this kind of criticism. Which, I get it. I had a chance to do that," he stated.

He concluded his statements by saying that he was probably old-fashioned and didn't care much about it. He did add that in retrospect he wished he could have interviewed Martin Gaye as he would "have been the guy." Alternately, Jann said that he could have also spoken to Otis Redding had he been alive as he also "would have been the guy."

Jann Wenner's statement reflects the growing conversation about representation the of black artists and female artists in the music industry. Fas said that it showed the need for greater inclusivity, as his remarks continue to stir controversy and debate.

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Jann Wenner is facing massive backlash on the internet over his explosive remarks on Black and female artists

Jann Wenner's recent statements have infuriated netizens and he is now facing backlash from the music community and fans. In his interview with The New York Times, Wenner's comments about the absence of Black and female artists in his new book drew widespread criticism.

Music enthusiasts and industry insiders took to X to express their disappointment and frustration over his explosive stance. Wenner's failure to include these underrepresented voices in his book. Users said that the book should be flagged during the editing or publishing process as it only focuses on white male musicians. Others said that they wouldn't listen to Jann's music anymore due to his comments.

Jann Wenner hadn't made any apology statement at the time of writing this article. However, it remains to be seen if he will make the apology that fans expect him for his comments on the black and female artists not being a part of his book.