REM takes down Montreal rapper's English-language promo video
A rap video created by a Montreal musician promoting the REM was deleted because it did not meet the “digital publication criteria” of the company in charge of the transit system, CDPQ Infra.
Montreal musician Makendal St-Félix, known as Maky Lavender, created the short video, which was posted to the company’s TikTok account on Aug. 17.
Days later, CDPQ Infra deleted the video. St-Félix believes the fact that he was rapping in English played a role in the video being taken down.
The video was filmed during the public unveiling of a replica REM car last year. In it, St-Félix is seen in a REM jersey walking through the empty passenger aisle, rapping about the train and other braggadocios subjects.
He says it was deleted eight days later after some viewers posted comments about the video not being in French.
“I think they knew I was going to rap in English but I don’t think they knew people would react this much,” said St-Félix, who is bilingual.
“I think it was a TikTok thing, because before it was on TikTok, nobody reacted.”
CTV News asked CDPQ Infra if it took the video down because of language.
“After validation, the clip was removed from our newly launched TikTok platform because its content did not meet our digital publication criteria,” wrote the company in a statement.
“Our platforms highlight the different milestones of the project and are mostly in French.”
After being asked to clarify, the company said its content is “at least bilingual and mostly in French.”
St-Félix says he was disappointed by the company’s move to delete the video. It was especially disheartening, he says, after the pandemic put the live music industry on hold.
"It was so easy for them to pull the plug. It was so easy for them to be like, 'yeah we’ll just take it off -- don’t talk to the press'," he said. "They really hoped for that to happen. I don’t understand how it was so easy for them.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
3 injured after man with knife enters Montreal-area mosque
Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
Police arrest 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole Porsche and ran over its owner
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Woman nearly shut out of mother's estate sues brother in B.C. Supreme Court – and wins
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
Teen arrested in New Brunswick after emergency alert; 5 people in custody
A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.
Kamala Harris tells Oprah any intruder to her home is 'getting shot'
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Thursday issued a warning to any potential home intruder: 'If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot.'
On the trail of the mystery woman whose company licensed exploding pagers
What Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, 49, the Italian-Hungarian CEO and owner of Hungary-based BAC Consulting, says she hasn't done is make the exploding pagers that killed 12 people and wounded more than 2,000 in Lebanon this week.
Woman shot by B.C. police was Colombian refugee with young daughter, advocate says
Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.
'We're still pushing hard': Search for missing Manitoba boy continues, RCMP find tracks
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
Video released of person of interest after cat is allegedly set on fire in Orillia, Ont.
Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.