Keke Palmer calls out music industry

Singer and actress Keke Palmer has been involved in the entertainment industry for over two decades. The 29-year-old got her start in movies like ‘Barbershop 2: Back in Business’ and television shows like ‘Cold Case’.

On Friday, Palmer released a new album titled ‘Big Boss’ alongside a 40-minute movie that details her experiences in the music industry. The short film highlights several topics including setbacks in business and cases of sexual harassment.

Palmer gets candid

“Bad s*** happens in all industries, obviously, but specifically entertainment,” Palmer said.

“We know bad things happen in all of them, but it’s almost like the acting world represents a union and the music industry represents non-union.”

Palmer also referenced the #MeToo movement by saying it “hasn’t happened in music, and it should.”

The #MeToo movement is a social campaign that raises awareness of sexual harassment. The movement rose to prominence in 2017.

“It’s happening in the actor world but eventually, it’s going to come to a damn halt,” the singer continued. “Somebody’s going to get called out. Something’s going to happen.

“At some point, we’re going to come to some kind of understanding. With music, it’s like everybody is being paid, and everybody’s a crooked cop.

“So, it seems like nothing will ever really come to a head.”

Finding her voice

After so many years in the industry, Palmer states that she eventually found the courage to stand up for herself.

“Being a woman is like, ‘Damn, the biggest mistake you can make is trusting somebody.’ Damn, I just shouldn’t have trusted someone?” she said.

“I wish that there was more that we could do, but it seems like we can’t even really expect for people to respect our boundaries.”

When asked if her experiences have ever made her consider leaving the music industry altogether, Palmer said ‘yes’.

“Yeah, all the time. All the time I’ve thought about stepping away and somehow would find myself back again.”

‘Big Boss’ is now available to stream.