President Joe Biden has recently inked a pivotal bill that could spell the end for TikTok in the United States, leaving the hip-hop community and its artists pondering alternative promotional avenues. The legislation demands the sale of TikTok by its China-based parent company ByteDance within nine months, failing which the platform will face a nationwide prohibition, citing national security concerns.

In an address following the bill’s signing, President Biden emphasized its significance for national and global security, underscoring America’s continued leadership in the international arena.

“I just signed into law the national security package that was passed by the House of Representatives this weekend and by the Senate yesterday,” President Biden says in the video below. “It’s going to make America safer, it’s going to make the world safer and it continues America’s leadership in the world, and everyone knows it.”

WATCH PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN STATEMENT

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While the debate over the potential threat posed by TikTok’s user data to U.S. citizens lingers, its impending ban could notably impact the music industry, particularly the vibrant hip-hop scene. Over the past decade, TikTok has wielded significant influence in catapulting artists like Sexyy Red and Toosii to stardom.

Toosii’s “Favorite Song” gained viral traction on TikTok in January 2022, prompting its official release and subsequently becoming his most commercially successful track to date, landing him in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the first time. Similarly, Sexyy Red’s breakout hit “SkeeYee” soared to the inaugural No. 1 position on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart in September 2023, propelling her burgeoning rap career to new heights.

TIKTOK CEO REACTS TO THE UNITED STATES PRESIDENT

In response to the legislative threat, TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew vows to vigorously contest the ban in court, highlighting the platform’s role as a hub for community and connection for millions of Americans.

“[The bill to ban TikTok] will take TikTok away from you and 170 million Americans who find community and connection on our platform,” Chew says in the video below. “Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice.”

He continued with saying, “Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere. We are confident and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts.”

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As the legal battle looms, TikTok’s future hangs precariously, with its fate intertwined with the outcome of the impending court proceedings.