The President of UK Atlantic Records, Ben Cook has resigned due to the ''offensive'' Run-DMC costume he wore at a party almost 7 years ago. After an internal disciplinary process, caused by numerous rumours that only emerged last year, he decided to step down from his position. Ben Cook was known for his 12 years as the boss of Atlantic Records, which gave rise to famous artists such as Ed Sheeran and Stormzy.
He announced that he will be leaving the label because he'd made a ''terrible mistake'' by dressing up as the New York rapper at a birthday party. He also apologized if his costume was offensive, or if it hurt anyone, when his intention was apparently to ''honor a musical hero.'' He also added, ''I am devastated that this mistake has caused upset and has called into question my commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, values which I have championed throughout my career. I have learned a great deal from this event and will resolutely continue to champion these values moving forward.”
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According to the Guardian, during Cook's tenure at Atlantic Records, the label's market share grew to 7.9% with two No.1 albums, including Rudimental, as well as various hits from Sheeran and Clean Bandit.
There aren't any photos of the birthday party, and no one (except the party attendees) can actually tell what he looked like as he portrayed Run-DMC. What are your thoughts about this scandal?
