Reggae singer Frankie Sly is stepping onto a different kind of stage.
The veteran entertainer has been named national spokesperson for the Creator Rights Movement (CRM), a growing coalition of artists, songwriters, filmmakers and media professionals pushing for sweeping reforms to copyright law, streaming royalties and creators’ ownership rights.
The appointment places Frankie Sly at the forefront of an international campaign advocating for perpetual copyright protection, fairer streaming contracts and greater education around intellectual property rights.
As part of his new role, the reggae artist will join the organization’s Creators’ Tour, a series of workshops and town halls designed to educate artists, authors, journalists, producers, composers and musicians on copyright ownership, contract negotiation, registration and royalty rights.
“Having established artists like Frankie Sly stand with us proves they recognize the severe challenges creators are facing today,” said Mark G. Goldstein, founder of the Creator Rights Movement. “Their involvement shows they are eager to use their platforms to help us make a real difference.”
For Frankie Sly, the appointment carries particular significance.
The artist has been embroiled in a highly publicized copyright dispute involving reggae star Buju Banton, making issues of ownership and intellectual property especially personal.
Together we join forces, we build and we break these barriers which infringe on our rights,” Frankie Sly said. “Creators, your careers are limited until we take a stand together as one and make changes for our future.”
The Creator Rights Movement has assembled a diverse coalition of creative professionals from across the music, film and publishing industries, all united around what they describe as systemic inequities in the way artists are compensated and protected.
Among those supporting the initiative are songwriter and former Motown artist Ricky Abernathy of Lakeside, filmmaker Phabian Winfield, rapper and producer Shawn Mims—best known for the hit This Is Why I’m Hot—R&B artist S.O.A.Q. (Abdul Qadaae Bey), Akustix Andrew Donovan White and many other musicians, producers and speakers.
CRM managing partner Kimberly Weekes argued that the issues extend beyond business disputes.
“What every creator around the world is experiencing is a human rights violation,” she said. “Frankie gives voice to millions who’ve been silenced by fine print and bad deals.”
At the heart of the movement is an online petition urging the U.S. Congress to strengthen creators’ rights by granting authors and artists perpetual ownership of their works while restricting perpetual corporate ownership of creative content.
The organization is also calling on streaming platforms to renegotiate contracts to provide fairer per-stream royalty payments, transparent accounting practices and expanded audit rights for creators.
As debates over streaming revenue, copyright ownership and artists’ compensation continue to intensify across the global music industry, Frankie Sly’s new role signals that the fight for creators’ rights is moving beyond the courtroom and into the public spotlight.
