Canadian artists RAMZi (real name: Phoebé Gulleimot) and Priori (Francis Latreille) have announced the cancellation of their joint LP as Jumanjí. The album, which was slated for release on FATi Records, was met with criticism for its incorporation of audio clips from countries such as India, Brazil, and Mali, as well as samples from “Vande Mataram,” which is the national song of India. The project was condemned on social media for cultural appropriation, and in response to the criticism, FATi Records released a statement on their website stating that “the production of FAT02 - Jumanjí has been halted and excerpts were removed after members of the community voiced legitimate concerns regarding its content.”

FATi Records asserted that “it was never our intention to exotify our music for the sake of making it more exciting, nor was the inclusion of this sampled material an afterthought,” but later concluded that “after reading the feedback and engaging in thoughtful discussions, we realize that our process was misguided.” Read their full statement below.

“The production of FAT02 - Jumanjí has been halted and excerpts were removed after members of the community voiced legitimate concerns regarding its content. After thoughtful consideration we have decided to cancel the release of this album. Here are a few words about our approach and our decision.