Grammy Award winner Chappell Roan fired back at a recent op-ed that trivialized her onstage plea for artists’ healthcare, asking the music executive who wrote it to (pink) pony up.
Former Atlantic Records exec Jeff Rabhan ridiculed Roan’s callout at the Grammys in an op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week. Rabhan argued labels had no obligation to provide more than the contracts outlined saying the “Hot To Go” singer was “broadcasting naïveté and taking aim at the very machine that got her there.”
Rabhan implored Roan to “put [her] money where [her] mouth is,” a dare that the Midwest Princess happily took up. Roan responded on her Instagram Story on Friday, asking Rabhan to go band for band (for charity).
“Wanna match me $25k to donate to struggling dropped artists?… Let’s talk,” Roan wrote. “Will keep everyone updated with the much-awaited [Jeff Rabhan] response. I will show receipts of the donations.”
Roan was working at a donut shop before her debut album rocketed up the charts. After winning Best New Artist at the Grammys earlier this month, Roan used her speech to advocate for better protections for up-and-coming musicians.
“Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection,” she said.
Rabhan responded to Roan’s callout in a post to X accusing the “Femininomenon” singer of faux-activism and refusing to put up his own cash.
“Who thought it was a good idea to publicly challenge an educator to a 25k “one-upping” contest? Really?” Rabhan wrote. “Sitting atop your platform punching me and challenging me is about as productive as running on a treadmill expecting to get somewhere.”
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