According to Consequence Sound, the co-founder of Rolling Stone, Jann Wenner, has spoken much about his forthcoming book titled The Masters. Wenner seeks to provide his readers with his interviews with seven male musicians.

The co-founder of said music group has also commented on why he had a specific selection of musicians to interview. The musicians he interviewed were: Bono, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, and Pete Townshend. His selection of these musicians, or in his words, were “intuitive” choices that were based on his “personal interest and love of them [the musicians].”

Wenner has also provided an argument, saying how there is a lack of diversity because Black and female musicians “just didn’t articulate at the level” of their male musician counterparts. He commented on female musicians: “Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level [of music].” The co-founder then gives an example of Joni Mitchell, a Canadian-American folk musician.

To conclude his discussion on Black and female musicians, Wenner commented, “Just for public relations sake, maybe I should have gone and found one Black and one woman artist to include here that didn’t measure up to that same historical standard, just to avert this kind of criticism. Which, I get it.”

In the year 2018, Jann Wenner was reportedly accused of allegedly soliciting sexual favors in exchange for writing jobs. The journalist Ben Ryan has detailed his accusations and the co-founder of Rolling Stone’s alleged actions after inviting the former to his Upper West Side townhouse.

Ryan discussed how Wenner reported hired him to write an article for Men’s Journal 13 years back in 2005. However, after allegedly inviting Ryan to his home, Wenner allegedly kissed the journalist after allegedly forcing a drink for the both to share. The reporter described his alleged encounter with Wenner as “the most pure form of sexual harassment.”