ZUEZEU issues statement after being dropped from agency and Lost Lands lineup for ‘racial remarks’

ZUEZEU has issued a statement on the aftermath of the fallout with his talent agency, manager, and Lost Lands due to “racial remarks.”

ZUEZEU has issued a statement following the major career fallout due to his digital footprint of “racial remarks.” The rising tech house star has already fallen, after being dropped by his agency, manager, and Lost Lands Music Festival.

The DJ (real name Reef Shaw) shared his views on race via social media back when he was 17. Shaw, now 22, clarifies that the statements made were out of ignorance—and that the Instagram account @ReefShaw is not, and has never been his.

In the original video that sparked controversy, Shaw said he was “so sick of hearing about white privilege and entitlement.” The teenage Shaw continued: “If you’re of any color and you live in this country, you are automatically entitled, you are automatically privileged, and you’re automatically the freest person in the world with the most opportunity at your disposal.”

Producer LA Riots joined the conversation by sharing proof on his Instagram Stories of Shaw’s racism. According to his pinned Story, this content, dated 2 years ago, showed Shaw doing a nazi salute signal.

Shaw’s multiple racial tirades did not stop there. Allegedly, the Instagram account using his real name as the handle had posted memes mocking a Black person. However, that account no longer exists. In response to this content surfacing, Shaw faces cancellation from various angles. The online EDM community has gathered pitchforks, and Lost Lands Music Festival has scraped his scheduled performance. Meanwhile, United Talent Agency (UTA) and his manager Paul Campbell have dropped him.

In the aftermath of his fall from grace, Shaw issued a response on the official ZUEZEU Instagram account. The lengthy statement addressed his wrongdoings, and acknowledged how the videos had offended “marginalized communities.”

The statement clarified that Shaw has no affiliations with the @ReefShaw account. He finished his statement by specifically apologizing to Black people and the LGBTQ community. However, his Instagram account is now private. The ZUEZEU account on X “no longer exists,” and his page on the UTA website generates a 404 error. Shaw’s Artist profile on Insomniac’s website is still up, as ZUEZEU will still perform at EDC Orlando, as of this article’s publishing time.

Kim Reyes

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