The Weeknd has called on his corporate "partners" in the music industry to join him in making significant donations to support Black Lives Matter causes.
The Can't Feel My Face hitmaker has pledged a total of $500,000 (£400,000) to date to benefit various non-profit organisations as protests continue worldwide, demanding an end to police brutality and justice for African-American man George Floyd, who died at the hands of a white officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 25 May.
On Tuesday, as members of the entertainment industry participated in the #BlackoutTuesday movement to draw urgent attention to the issue of racial inequality, The Weeknd encouraged music executives to follow his lead and dig deep, too.
"To my fellow respected industry partners and execs - no one profits off of black music more than the labels and streaming services," he wrote in the public Twitter plea, which was accompanied by the logos of Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Warner Music, Apple Music, and Spotify. "I gave yesterday and I urge you to go big and public with yours this week. It would mean the world to me and the community if you can join us."
Company chiefs have yet to formally respond to the call to action.
The Canadian singer, real name Abel Tesfaye, used his donations to support the National Bailout Collective, aiding those arrested during ongoing protests over Floyd's death, the Black Lives Matter Global Network, and the Know Your Rights campaign, launched by American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick to combat police brutality.
