Major players in the music industry are suppressing independent artist Tom MacDonald and his new song “Facts” featuring Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro, according to MacDonald.
The rapper posted a video to his social media on Sunday accusing the music distribution company TuneCore as well as YouTube of suppressing “Facts,” described by MacDonald as a takedown of establishment and mainstream media “sacred cows.”
“This is how the music industry screws independent artists. Whether you like me or hate me or think my music is awesome or think it’s trash, I don’t care,” began MacDonald. “I just dropped a new video and a new song called ‘Facts’ with Ben Shapiro. TuneCore, a distribution company for independent artists, refused to release the song because of ‘lyrical content.’ Now, YouTube is screwing with us on the trending charts,”
MacDonald showed a screenshot of rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the top trending spot on YouTube, with “Facts” behind at number two.
“Our video has over a million more views than hers in the same time frame. Our video also has over 30,000 more comments in the same time frame,” explained MacDonald. “How is Megan Thee Stallion still number one? Because the industry wants you to listen to manufactured bulls*** and they don’t want you listening to ‘controversial music.’ That’s the music industry.”
“So, if you want to help us beat the machine, again, head to iTunes, head to Amazon, download our new song ‘Facts’ by Tom MacDonald and Ben Shapiro and maybe go drop a bunch of comments on our music video. Love y’all, appreciate the help. Get those downloads in, let’s go,” he added.
MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. To the folks who decide to help us out – thank you.
iTunes: https://t.co/4wNCC4iEtH
Amazon: https://t.co/iD4Cfb8joB
Video: https://t.co/5AAG3NI0rs pic.twitter.com/6sFs98ySle
— Tom MacDonald (@IAMTOMMACDONALD) January 28, 2024
MacDonald and Shapiro, a longtime critic of rap as a genre of music, released the new single on Friday. Hours after the release, “Facts” climbed the charts on iTunes to become the top song in the United States.
“I just want to thank God, [Tom MacDonald], and my parents, who paid for 15 years of classical violin lessons so I could become the #1 rapper in America,” Shapiro posted on X after “Facts” hit number one.
“As a longtime devotee of rap, becoming a rapper was the natural next step in my career trajectory,” Shapiro said. “So, when Tom asked if I wanted to collaborate on a song, I leapt at the chance. This was the moment I spent 20 years of classical violin training preparing for. For those who don’t appreciate my artistic stylings, all I can say is that they didn’t appreciate Bach properly in his own time, either.”
“I like to do things nobody else can do,” MacDonald said after releasing “Facts.” “Not everybody can get Ben Shapiro on a track. For someone who had never recorded a rap song before, he got in the studio and nailed it. We’ve both criticized the status quo of hip-hop, so it made sense. There is a good intention at the heart of ‘Facts.’ There is light.”