Dr. Luke’s ongoing legal battle with Kesha amid sexual assault allegations seemingly led to his long-anticipated removal as CEO of Kemosabe Records, The Hollywood Reporter noted this week.
Quick reminder: Dr. Luke and his company, which he founded with Sony, owe the pop star most of its success.
Billboard produced a history of Kemosabe’s history on its top chart, the Hot 100, on Wednesday, reporting that 22 songs by Kemosabe artists have made the list. Of those, 13 came from Kesha. The company also holds two No. 1 hits: 2010’s “TiK ToK” and “We Are Who We R,” both by Kesha. Seven of the eight Kemosabe songs that have reached the list’s top 10 range belong to Kesha, too.
Kemosabe isn’t a big label, and Kesha is its most famous artist. Yet despite the fact that its biggest star claimed she was being abused by her producer, it took two and a half years before Sony nudged Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, out of the picture. According to The Guardian, his role as CEO terminated on March 31.
That sluggish decision reportedly came down to simple bad PR. A source told The Wrap that Gottwald’s legal entanglements, which date back to 2014, had turned into “a public relations headache” for Sony. Both sides have waged a war in the media, most recently as the singer released damning emails from Gottwald, prompting him to respond in turn.
Kesha now has not released an album since 2012’s “Warrior,” although a judge has ruled she is free to work with another producer under the Sony umbrella, and she released a song with Zedd one year ago.
The Hot 100 is waiting for her return.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.
