Producer and engineer Will Yip has launched a huge raffle of gear, merch, records, and more in response to the wave of anti-Asian racism and violence in the U.S., with all proceeds going to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Fund.
Fans can buy raffle tickets for chances to win three grand-prize lots full of items like mint-condition Fender guitars and Zildjian drums, along with vinyl records, merch items, test pressings, lyric sheets, and more from some of the many punk, emo, and indie rock acts that Yip has produced or engineered (as well as other friends and colleagues in the music business).
Among the artists with items in the prize lots are Japanese Breakfast, Mannequin Pussy, Code Orange, Title Fight, Turnstile, Tigers Jaw, La Dispute, Bartees Strange, and many more. Record labels such as Relapse, Roadrunner, Secretly Group, Epitaph, and Run for Cover also contributed items to the raffle. Each prize lot also includes a one-on-one Q&A with Yip.
“The growing racism and violence against Asians in America have been horrific,” the producer said in a statement. “It’s been even more apparent as of late. We need to come together and stand up for one another and keep each other safe. I’m very grateful for the community of artists, instrument makers, record labels, and brands who stand with me in fighting for the rights of AAPI.”
On top of the raffle, Yip’s fundraiser also includes three separate eBay auctions: one for a snare drum signed by Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg, one for a Fender Stratocaster designed by the band Nothing, and one for Yip’s own custom drum kit.
In a longer statement posted to Twitter, Yip wrote about his parents’ experience emigrating from China in the Seventies. “My parents… made it to America with just the clothes on their back in hopes of a better life and better opportunities for their children,” he wrote. “This is the same dream all of our ancestors in this country had. They all just wanted a chance to do better, for their future generations to do better. Instead, we live in a world where the color of your skin still dictates so much.”
He also shared his own early experiences in the music business. “Personally, getting into the ‘rock music’ scene that’s dominated by white males as a Chinese kid wasn’t easy. No one wanted to make music with a Chinese kid because I didn’t look like what their rock idols looked like. But I was lucky. My parents always taught me to have thick skin. I always felt like I had to work five times harder to get what I wanted though. I want it easier for any Asian and POC in the future, it has to be.”
Enter the raffle here, and read more about how to stand against anti-Asian racism here.Producer and engineer Will Yip has launched a huge raffle of gear, merch, records, and more in response to the wave of anti-Asian racism and violence in the U.S., with all proceeds going to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Fund.
Fans can buy raffle tickets for chances to win three grand-prize lots full of items like mint-condition Fender guitars and Zildjian drums, along with vinyl records, merch items, test pressings, lyric sheets, and more from some of the many punk, emo, and indie rock acts that Yip has produced or engineered (as well as other friends and colleagues in the music business).
Among the artists with items in the prize lots are Japanese Breakfast, Mannequin Pussy, Code Orange, Title Fight, Turnstile, Tigers Jaw, La Dispute, Bartees Strange, and many more. Record labels such as Relapse, Roadrunner, Secretly Group, Epitaph, and Run for Cover also contributed items to the raffle. Each prize lot also includes a one-on-one Q&A with Yip.
“The growing racism and violence against Asians in America have been horrific,” the producer said in a statement. “It’s been even more apparent as of late. We need to come together and stand up for one another and keep each other safe. I’m very grateful for the community of artists, instrument makers, record labels, and brands who stand with me in fighting for the rights of AAPI.”
On top of the raffle, Yip’s fundraiser also includes three separate eBay auctions: one for a snare drum signed by Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg, one for a Fender Stratocaster designed by the band Nothing, and one for Yip’s own custom drum kit.
In a longer statement posted to Twitter, Yip wrote about his parents’ experience emigrating from China in the Seventies. “My parents… made it to America with just the clothes on their back in hopes of a better life and better opportunities for their children,” he wrote. “This is the same dream all of our ancestors in this country had. They all just wanted a chance to do better, for their future generations to do better. Instead, we live in a world where the color of your skin still dictates so much.”
He also shared his own early experiences in the music business. “Personally, getting into the ‘rock music’ scene that’s dominated by white males as a Chinese kid wasn’t easy. No one wanted to make music with a Chinese kid because I didn’t look like what their rock idols looked like. But I was lucky. My parents always taught me to have thick skin. I always felt like I had to work five times harder to get what I wanted though. I want it easier for any Asian and POC in the future, it has to be.”
Enter the raffle here, and read more about how to stand against anti-Asian racism here.
#StopAsianHate #StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/tC2rp489if
— Will Yip (@willyipmusic) March 25, 2021
The world leader, who has repeatedly faced criticism for featuring songs from artists who do not want their music connected to his political views, shared a viral clip of We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love) that focused on the lyric: “Me and my truth we sit in silence.”
The footage shows Trump at a rally while the statement “Men can’t have babies and should never compete in women’s sports” appears on screen.
The Team Trump TikTok account posted the video with the caption: “This shouldn’t be controversial! #trump #arianagrande #maga.”
Ariana responded in a comment that was later removed, saying: “Never use my music again. Also, your truth is false.”
Trump has a well known record of opposing transgender rights, and the US Supreme Court recently ruled that states can prohibit transgender women from taking part in women’s sports. In a 6 to 3 ruling, the justices determined that such laws do not breach Title IX or the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.
The decision in June came after several other actions by the Trump administration involving transgender policies. Earlier in May, the Supreme Court also permitted the administration to continue with its “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” order, which would prevent transgender individuals from serving in the US military.
Ariana’s statement arrived soon after Taylor Swift also took steps to stop Trump from using her music on TikTok. Trump had featured a number of her songs in his social media posts, including a video of him and his wife Lady Melania Trump watching fireworks accompanied by August.
The song was later taken off the post and replaced by a notice that read: “This sound isn’t available.”
Trump appeared to deliberately select Taylor’s track, adding the message: “I’m sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song!”
He also responded to the Team Trump video with: “Mood because it’s August and Donald Trump is your president.”
Other Taylor Swift songs that were removed from Trump’s TikTok content included The Fate of Ophelia and Father Figure.
Trump previously made headlines when he wrote “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on Truth Social after the singer publicly announced that she planned to support Kamala Harris in the previous presidential election.
