Of the Trees Pulls “Mushrooms” From All Platforms Due to Fraught Concerns With Lyrics

Of The Trees and Freddy Todd make the socially conscious decision to censor their work and fans express both solidarity and outrage.

Producers and DJs Of The Trees and Freddy Todd, who copilot the music producer alias BLAAP, recently pulled a track titled “Mushrooms” from all streaming platforms. When the duo was made aware of the track’s problematic lyrics (i.e. “If I gave her a gram, she gone let me hit from behind”), they instantly made the decision to rescind their release. Although many of their fans expressed mixed reactions, from support to outrage over “censorship,” BLAAP remained resolute regarding their decision.

In addition to the public statement above, Of The Trees shared additional commentary via his fan page Temple of The Trees. “I’m not really looking for a back-and-forth or to start and argument between who agrees or disagrees with my decision to pull the track down,” Of The Trees wrote via Facebook. The artist continued with, “I am just doing what I personally feel is best for the BLAAP Project, my label, and what I feel was the best decision on behalf of my fanbase and community. I understand there’s already tons of existing music out there with lyrics of which lots of people strongly disavow, but that simply isn’t what we want for this project and aren’t messages I’m trying to promote from my label.”

Of The Trees closed his sentiments with, “I sincerely hope you guys can understand, and even if you don’t understand or agree, can at least respect that this is my decision and what I felt was best regardless of outside opinion. It meant a lot to Freddy and I to see the initial support on the release and I can promise that you will be entirely happy with the edits and subsequent release once we are able to make those adjustments into a project we feel good about all the way through.”

Regardless of individual opinions on the matter, or commentary from the peanut gallery, BLAAP made their decision and they’re sticking with it.

Although depicted questionably in the track, mushrooms continue to remain one of the largest living organisms in the world (when considering their expansive subterranean mycelium), both intelligent and sentient (according to researchers at the Hokkaido University in Japan that witnessed petri-dish-grown fungi reroute a replica of Japan’s subway system to become more efficient), and capable of boosting your immune system, reducing the severity of certain cancers, sometimes poisoning unlucky prey and at other times sending all those intrepid enough to board the rocket ship on an excursion to the unknown.

But regardless of your team – whether you be team mushrooms, team censorship, team free speech, or team SpongeBob Squarepants – artists should have the ability to reflect upon their work and narrow their scope of intention in that reflection. We grow and change as people and if pulling content that no longer represents your values is gonna float your boat, then float that boat! Art, as always, is what you will it to be… and that’s the beauty of it all.

To listen to the redacted track by BLAAP, venture below.

Saracha

Heralding from sunny South Florida, I am a proud Florida Woman. In my free time, I surf the swamp, wrangle gators, open fan mail, and tend to my pets. In the wild, I’m most often spotted at immersive art spaces, step tappin’ in a shadowed corner of the club, hater blockerz on, totally incognito as your resident EDM spice girl. Although I generally tout my spicy side, if there’s one thing I’d love to impress upon the world, it would be this: it’s not a waste to give love to those who do not deserve it – it’s a gift. The world would be a better place if we gave, in kindness and in mercy, to those who need it most with no expectation in return.

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