D4vd was quietly dropped by his record label last year, it has been revealed.
The musician (real name David Anthony Burke) was charged with the murder of a 14-year-old girl, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, on Monday (April 20). Her remains had been found severely decomposed in the front boot of a Tesla registered to Burke last September. Earlier this year, the artist was named as the target of a grand jury investigation into the apparent murder of the teen.
In the wake of D4vd being charged, his collaborations with Laufey, Damiano David, Kali Uchis and more have been removed from online streaming platforms.
Now, it’s been revealed that, late last year, Interscope Records quietly dropped him, per a report from Rolling Stone, while Universal Music Group also helped to facilitate some of its artists who had collaborated with D4vd to remove songs from streaming platforms, as aforementioned.
Streaming sites such as Spotify and Apple Music are now facing calls to remove D4vd’s music entirely from their platforms, with music advocacy group Industry Blackout launching a petition.
“The music industry has a responsibility that goes beyond commerce. When an artist has been charged with the sexual abuse and murder of a minor, a child who was drawn into his orbit through his music and public persona, continuing to stream, promote, and profit from his catalogue is a choice. It is not a neutral one,” the group said in a statement on their Change.org petition.
Earlier this week, the court heard that investigators have obtained access to Burke’s iCloud account, which they claimed “contains a significant amount of child pornography”.
Burke has been charged with first-degree murder, as well as murder for “financial gain” and with murder of a witness to an investigation. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and is being held without bail. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
The third charge of murdering a witness to an investigation is related to evidence that shows the victim was a witness in an investigation of sexual acts committed by Burke, said District Attorney Nathan Hochman previously. The DA added that the charges involved numerous sexual acts with a minor and the mutilation of a body.
The LA medical examiner’s officer shared on Wednesday (April 22) that Rivas Hernandez’s death was a homicide, noting that she died from “multiple penetrating injuries” caused by an undisclosed object or objects.
Meanwhile, the Rivas family has thanked the police for their “hard work” on the case so far, as well as “the people of Lake Elsinore for all their support”.
“Celeste was a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance,” the statement continued. “Every Friday night was movie night, and we spent wonderful times together. We love her very much and she always told us that she loved us.”
The family added: “We miss her deeply. All we want is justice for Celeste.”
The victim was first reported missing in April 2024, with the Tesla later being discovered after it had been moved to an impound lot in LA. The LAPD subsequently confirmed that the case was being treated as an “investigation into murder”.
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