Diplo Under Fire For GIF Theft, Rude Tweets
It’s starting to seem like there’s a story about Diplo being rude to a female artist every time I open Twitter. There was that whole fiasco with Lorde and Taylor Swift, and now it looks like he’s ventured into the realm of content theft.
Yesterday, Diplo sent a Snapchat teaser of Jack Ü’s “Take Ü There” featuring Missy Elliott, and included the GIF below:
But that GIF isn’t just another TV/film/awards show screenshot circulating your social feeds — it’s original artwork created by Rebecca Mock, who was never consulted on becoming part of Diplo’s marketing messages. When she confronted him on that front, he responded with sexist comments. Most have been deleted, but Jezebel collected screengrabs.
Portishead’s Geoff Barrow (who has also used Twitter to accuse others of stealing his work) chimed in. Diplo went after him, too.
It’s the second time this week the producer was accused of ripping someone off.
Plz call @diplo out for stealing my cookie picture pic.twitter.com/pxCJAzLj17
— Ashley Bender (@daddyy_issues) February 10, 2015
Earlier today Diplo met with his PR firm to discuss “gif gate.” We’ll update when he apologizes!
(FWIW, Diplo recently made up with Swift. Maybe.)
UPDATE: Diplo has sort of apologized via a post on Twitlonger.
@rebeccamock sorry if i hurt your feelings, or trivialize your art… lets go thru the steps to see where we are now.. so maybe I was posting music I’m working on.. i used a gif, and I recorded on a studio computer.. found out later that u made said gif (it was via google image search came up with Wifflegif.com and thats who posted your gif) and then u said it was hard to reach me on twitter.. but i saw it and i wrote u that it was only a snapchat where the gif was playing on my computer while i was working on the remix.. it never came over me that wifflegif.com was a site where artist have there gifs for sale or whatever.. i have no idea..
But out of respect for you (you were polite enough in your correspondence) i saved the snapchat to my phone and posted it on instagram but this time i said the gif was made by you and added your name.. something i never seen done on any spontaneous vine/instagram or snapchat posts.. i mean if had to credit every piece of art in my studio.. i would be crediting a Korean girl that made a pic for me, a illustration by Jean Andre, and a painting by Geof Darrow who did Shoalin cowboy .. Do i have time for every piece of art in my studio to be credited on every medium of social media.. actually i don’t.. maybe i need an intern .. I’m sorry i have trollish tendencies on the internet and i like to fight with people .. if your friends and “supporters” hadn’t attacked me we could have probably shared some correspondence maybe even worked on something together … but when people attack me i tend to shit on each and every one of them because thats just what i do.. I’m sorry thats my nature, (i get shitted on too but i have thick skin) I don’t take twitter seriously, i think its a funny place .. For me.. Its not a place for breaking news or serious conversations legal battles.. I’m sorry I think its funny.. and do i like the attention? maybe.. I’m just a joking person and i don’t even take myself serious so how can i take you guys seriously. Its a .gif that played on my laptop and i recorded on a snapchat. i wasn’t selling it or making a profit over it.. i put it up on my instagram because that’s all i could do to make people aware that it was yours (snapchats delete after 24 hours).. if you would like me to delete it i will.
Was i an asshole? yes.. probably .. Is everyone else being an asshole .. yes but who cares we all live another day and we don’t have to always fight… did anyone get hurt.. i hope not .. i just want to make sure you know that i didn’t mean any negative feelings towards you (none of the “misogynistic” twitters even tagged you) and i have said much worse things on here. so maybe this is also a future apology to everyone on the internet who follows me
[Top photo via Diplo’s Instagram.]
