Indie Rapper Joey Valence Expresses Disgust Over Unauthorized Use of His Group's Song in ICE Promo Video: Taking Action to Have It Removed

The U.S. government has recently faced criticism for using popular songs in promotional videos without artists' permission. While major hits from artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Kenny Loggins have been featured, a recent video by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spotlighted a lesser-known track.

On December 3, DHS released a recruitment clip for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) featuring the 2023 single Hooligang by Philadelphia hip-hop duo Joey Valence and Brae. The video, which begins with the songs spoken intro, Yo, you wanna see something cool? Well, Im a do it anyway, shows footage of the Buffalo, N.Y. ICE detention center, snow-covered ICE vehicles, and agents in combat gear handling rifles and moving around trucks. The clip concludes with a call to action: Join ICE.GOV, accompanied by the caption, This winter, the forecast calls for ICE.

Joey Valence expressed his anger on X, stating, Im disgusted to see our music was used without our knowledge or consent to promote I.C.E. To be clear this video does NOT represent my OR JVBs thoughts or beliefs in any form and we are actively working to have it taken down.

This incident follows similar controversies where the Trump administration has paired music with government content. Earlier, Carpenter criticized a White House video featuring ICE officers chasing people set to her song Juno, calling it evil and disgusting. Olivia Rodrigo and Kenny Loggins have also publicly condemned unauthorized uses of their music in government-related videos.

The DHS/ICE spokesperson has not yet commented on Joey Valences video. These occurrences continue to highlight the tension between artists rights and the governments use of music for promotional purposes.

Author: Riley Thompson