Chris Redd has shed more light on Kanye West’s infamous pro-Donald Trump rant that took place during the 2018 season premiere of Saturday Night Live.
After performing on the September 2018 episode of SNL, Kanye launched into a pro-Trump rant, which didn’t make it on-air but saw the audience shower Ye with boos.
In a new interview with the Daily Beast, the SNL alum shared his thoughts about Kanye’s appearance on SNL, revealing that he delivered a similar speech during dress rehearsal.
“I remember the dress rehearsal where he tried his dress rehearsal version of that, and I heard it, but there was music playing still so people were like sitting there and vibing,” Redd shared. “But I was listening to his words, and I was like, bro, he’s about to pull some bullshit. And I’m not about to be on stage for that. I’m not going to entertain this. Like, I’ve been a fan of Kanye my whole life. And I miss the old Kanye.”
Redd added, “He came in there wanting to shoot everybody—verbally—and I just felt that was disrespectful, because we’re all grown adults. And now all of us don’t like you. He just came in there with a chip on his shoulder, ready to talk shit.”
Kanye’s original speech fell in line with his pro-Trump rhetoric at the time. “The Blacks want always Democrats… you know it’s like the plan they did, to take the fathers out the home and put them on welfare… does anybody know about that? That’s a Democratic plan,” West said while wearing a red MAGA hat. “There’s so many times I talk to, like, a white person about this and they say, ‘How could you like Trump? He’s racist.’ Well, uh, if I was concerned about racism I would’ve moved out of America a long time ago.”
In other Kanye-related news, the rapper has been slapped with a lawsuit over his Andre 3000 collaboration “Life Of The Party.”
TMZ reports KRS-One’s Boogie Down Productions has sued Kanye, claiming he didn’t ask for permission to sample the group’s iconic 1986 diss track “South Bronx.”
The lawsuit alleges Ye and his partner, Alex Klein, “sold around 11K Stem Players within the first 24 hours of its release, raking in around $2.2 million dollars … but claims they [Boogie Down Productions] never got permission to use the sample even though the company says Ye’s team initially reached out to try to license it.”
Boogie Down Productions is requesting that the song be blocked from streaming services, with Kanye handing over any profits that he’s received from “Life Of The Party.”
Julia Fox is opening up about how her relationship with Kanye West impacted her acting career.
During an appearance on Emily Ratajkowski’s podcast High Low with EmRata, the Uncut Gems alum admitted that her fling with Ye didn’t exactly help her acting prospects.
“After the big relationship, I definitely noticed a shift in the acting way, not in a good way,” Fox shared. “I’m not getting as many offers as I was before, weirdly. There’s been a lot of weird drawbacks with reaching that level of notoriety.”
Though she understands that some executives in Hollywood may see her as a “liability” or “tabloid type person” due to her relationship with West, 32-year-old Fox maintained that “I just have to trust the process.”
“It’s fine, I’m so busy,” Fox added. “I think things come to you at the right time, so that’s why I’m really not stressing. I really don’t care.”
Granted, Fox’s comments contradict what she previously has said about her relationship with Ye.
While attending the world New York premiere of The Batman in March, Fox reflected fondly on her time with Kanye when asked if she had any regrets about their romance.
“It was the best thing that could have happened to me,” Fox told Entertainment Tonight’s Rachel Smith. Julia added that dating Kanye was “like hitting a reset button,” because it “brought a spark back into my life that I had kind of forgotten about.”
Ghanaian businessman and entrepreneur, Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Cheddar,has given Kanye West an alternative on how his millions of dollars can be used to save some African countries whose currencies are losing to the dollar.
In a tweet he put out on November 6, 2022, Cheddar told the rapper that World Bank was holding some African countries at ransom for the economic crisis they are going through.
“@kanyewest IMF and the world bank are holding countries at ransom for economic crisis in Africa.
@kanyewest IMF and the world bank are holding countries at ransom for economic crisis in Africa Ghana my country is one of them. My advice for you is if they don’t want your billions in their banks then use some of the funds to save countries in Africa with currency depreciation
“Ghana, my country, is one of them. My advice for you is if they don’t want your billions in their banks then use some of the funds to save countries in Africa with currency depreciation,” he shared.
This comes after US banking giant, JP Morgan Chase, cut off its ties with the rapper and designer, who presently goes by the name Ye.
The bank gave Mr West until November 21, 2022, in the letter, to move his business.
Mr West had recently taken to social media to condemn JP Morgan’s administration and said they wouldn’t give him access to the bank’s CEO, Jamie Dimon.
The move by JP Morgan comes as Mr West’s business organizations have gone under expanded examination.
At the turn of the century, Roc-A-Fella cemented itself as the most powerful labelin rap on the strength of a star-studded roster of young talent that included then-rising rappers Cam’ron, Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Kanye West, and Juelz Santana.
Nearly 20 years after Juelz and Kanye released their respective debut albums (2003’s From Me To U and 2004’s The College Dropout), Santana hasn’t forgotten what it was like to witness the unmatched confidence of a young Kanye.
In a recent interview with VladTV, Juelz explained that money hasn’t changed Ye’s personality. In fact, Santana believes Kanye was just as cocky before he ever reached billionaire status.
“He always kind of been like that,” Juelz shared. “Ye never changed up. Now he just got a billion dollars, so it makes him more aggressive. More like, more intense, when he’s doing the shit he’s doing.”
When asked if the old Kanye is the same as the 2022 version, who’s dominated headlines over the past several months by making both outlandish and controversial statements, Santana maintained that West has always been the same guy.
“He’s always been that cocky, arrogant, flamboyant guy,” Juelz said.
Watch Juelz Santana’s full thoughts on Kanye West in the video up top.
Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles and Gene Kelly have some of the UK’s biggest streaming hits
What do Gene Kelly’s Singin’ In The Rain and The Notorious B.I.G.’s rap anthem Juicy have in common?
No, it’s not an infectious joie de vivre, or copious references to recreational drug use.
Instead, they are the UK’s most-streamed songs from the calendar year in which they were released.
That’s according to the Official Chart Company, who have identified the biggest streaming hit for every year since the chart’s inception in 1952.
Their findings will be broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 next weekend, marking 70 years of the UK singles chart.
The list features superstars from Elvis and the Beatles to Adele and Harry Styles – alongside several songs that were overlooked on release, only to be reclaimed as classics over time.
They include San Francisco rock band Journey, whose single Don’t Stop Believin’ stalled at number 62 in 1981, but subsequently became a rock standard, thanks to its inclusion in TV shows like The Sopranos and Glee.
It is now the most-streamed song of that year, overtaking contemporary hits like Come On Eileen (the UK’s biggest-selling record of 1982) and Survivor’s Eye Of The Tiger.
Figure caption, Warning: Third party content may contain adverts
Ray Charles’ I Got A Woman has enjoyed a similar second-life after being interpolated in Kanye West’s 2005 hit Gold Digger. The track is now the most-played hit of 1954, and has been certified silver (representing 200,000 sales) on streams alone.
By contrast, some of the biggest songs of their era are entirely absent from the Official Charts’ list.
Bryan Adams’ Everything I Do (I Do It For You) spent 16 consecutive weeks at number one in 1991 – an all-time chart record – but Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit is now more popular with streaming fans.
2013’s biggest-selling hit, Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines, has also fallen out of favour, replaced by Vance Joy’s beach ballad Riptide.
Figure caption, Warning: Third party content may contain adverts
Other entries are more predictable.
The Killers’ Mr Brightside, which has spent an unprecedented 338 weeks on the UK singles chart, is the most-played song of 2003 respectively. And streaming behemoth Ed Sheeran appears in the list three times – for Thinking Out Loud (2014), Shape Of You (2017) and Bad Habits (2021).
Queen also get three entries, with Bohemian Rhapsody (1975), Don’t Stop Me Now (1979) and Another One Bites The Dust (1980).
The Beatles’ sole entry, Here Comes The Sun, was never released as a single in the UK.
Christmas songs have been excluded from the countdown.
The full chart will be broadcast decade by decade on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 on 11 and 12 November, with guest hosts including Tony Blackburn, Johnnie Walker, Fearne Cotton and Jack Saunders.
“It’s particularly fascinating to see which classic songs from the past are rated by today’s music consumers, and how that appeal can be driven by exposure on TV, adverts and social media,” said Robert Gallacher, commissioning editor at BBC Radio.
“This chart is a true testament to the timelessness of brilliant pop music.”
You can browse the full countdown below.
1950s
1952 – Singin’ In The Rain by Gene Kelly
1953 – That’s Amore by Dean Martin
1954 – I’ve Got A Woman by Ray Charles
1955 – Tutti Frutti by Little Richard
1956 – I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash
1957 – Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley
1958 – Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry
1959 – Put Your Head On My Shoulder by Paul Anka
1960s
1960 – At Last by Etta James
1961 – Stand By Me by Ben E King
1962 – Cry To Me by Solomon Burke
1963 – Be My Baby by Ronettes
1964 – My Girl by The Temptations
1965 – I Can’t Help Myself by Four Tops
1966 – Paint It Black by Rolling Stones
1967 – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
1968 – (Sittin’ On The) Dock Of The Bay by Otis Redding
1969 – Here Comes The Sun by Beatles
1970s
1970 – Your Song by Elton John
1971 – Take Me Home Country Roads by John Denver
1972 – Tiny Dancer by Elton John
1973 – Jolene by Dolly Parton
1974 – Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd
1975 – Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
1976 – Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac
1977 – Dreams by Fleetwood Mac
1978 – September by Earth Wind & Fire
1979 – Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen
1980s
1980 – Another One Bites The Dust by Queen
1981 – Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey
1983 – Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) by Eurythmics
1984 – Wake Me Up Before You Go Go by Wham
1985 – Summer Of ’69 by Bryan Adams
1986 – Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
1987 – I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston
1988 – Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac
1989 – We Didn’t Start The Fire by Billy Joel
1990s
1990 – Thunderstruck by AC/DC
1991 – Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
1992 – Creep by Radiohead
1993 – What Is Love? by Haddaway
1994 – Juicy by The Notorious B.I.G
1995 – Wonderwall by Oasis
1996 – No Diggity by Blackstreet Ft. Dr Dre
1997 – Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve
1998 – Iris by Goo Goo Dolls
2000s
2000 – Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader
2001 – How You Remind Me by Nickelback
2002 – Lose Yourself by Eminem
2003 – Mr Brightside by The Killers
2004 – Let Me Love You by Mario
2005 – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor by Arctic Monkeys
Kanye West’s anti-Semitic remarks have put a sizable dent in his wallet.
According to documents reviewed by NBC News, the polarizing artist paid a settlement to a former employee who accused of him using bigoted speech in the workplace. The accuser spoke on the condition of anonymity, as they had signed a non-disclosure agreement; but the network reportedly reviewed the settlement documents as well as proof of the payout the ex-employee had received.
News of the settlement comes about a week after CNN published a piece about Kanye’s alleged fascination with Adolf Hitler and Nazi Party. The outlet reported Kanye had reached a settlement deal with an ex-executive who ultimately left his position because of the rapper’s “obsession” with the German dictator, whose years-long reign led to the deaths of millions of Jewish people in the 1930s and ’40s. NBC News has yet to confirm that settlement, as it “appears to be separate from the case of the former employee who shared settlement documents” with the network.
The documents also include accounts from six different people who allegedly witnessed Kanye praise Hitler or push anti-Jewish conspiracy theories in a professional setting. Half of those people described themselves as Kanye’s former employees or collaborators, while the others said they recalled hearing Kanye spewing anti-Semitic language during his infamous 2018 TMZ interview.
The documents support previous claims by ex-TMZ staffer Van Lathan Jr. and conceptual artist Ryder Ripps. The latter claimed he had worked with Kanye for several years, and heard him speak positively about Hitler and the Nazis in 2018; however, the Jewish artist admitted he didn’t think the comments were “that dangerous” at the time.
Kanye received backlash last month after he made several anti-Jewish remarks in televised interviews and online. His most controversial comment was a since-deleted tweet in which he vowed to go “death con 3” on Jewish people. Lathan claimed he wasn’t surprised by Kanye’s hateful rhetoric, as he heard him make similar statements during the aforementioned TMZ appearance.
“I mean, I was taken aback because that type of anti-Semitic talk is disgusting. It’s like, I’m taken aback any time anyone does that, right? But as far as [West], I knew that that was in him because when he came to TMZ, he said that stuff and they took it out of the interview.” Lathan said the Higher Learning podcast. “… He said something like, ‘I love Hitler, I love Nazis.’ Something to that effect when he was there. And they took it out of the interview for whatever reason. It wasn’t my decision.”
Kanye’s camp has yet to respond to NBC News’ report.
Music icon Diddy has replaced Kanye Weston the list of 2022’s wealthiest hip-hop artists, according to a new report from former Forbes editor Zack O’Malley.
Ye was in second place on the list of hip-hop highest earners earlier this year, with $250 million in earnings projected for 2021, but after his contract with Adidas was terminated due to his anti-Semitic comments, he’s dropped to third place in terms of net worth.
He was said to be worth $2 billion earlier this year. Diddy is now in second place, having previously trailed behind Ye with a total net worth of $1 billion.
His Cîroc partnership with Diageo is said to account for the majority of his wealth, but other assets such as Revolt and DeLeón Tequila have certainly helped; he made $90 million last year.
Kanye West’s net worth is now estimated to be around $500 million, with the loss of his Adidas deal becoming the most significant contributor to his decline.
Due to the retention of his 5 percent stake in Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS shapewear line, and rights to his master recordings and music publishing, Ye remains wealthy. He also still owns the Yeezy brand, even though Adidas remains “the sole owner of all design rights to existing products as well previous new colorways under the partnership.”
A report from Forbes earlier this month suggested that Ye’s net worth had dropped to $400 million after the Adidas deal was terminated. Upon his return to Instagram, he seemingly confirmed such reports and said he “lost 2 billion dollars in one day.”
Additionally, Jay-Z remains in his spot as the wealthiest Hip Hop artist in North America, with a $1.5 billion net worth.
After a week of financial fallout following antisemitic remarks on social media and in interviews, Kanye West is commenting on those thoughts, as well as what he has said about George Floyd and Black Lives Matter.
In a rambling 16-minute video shared by WmgLab Records on YouTube Saturday and seemingly recorded at some point after Adidas ended its business relationship with West on Tuesday, the artist appears to address a crowd of paparazzi and bystanders gathered outside a building as he exits.
“I think Adidas felt like cause everyone was ganging up on me that they had the right to just take my designs,” West told the small crowd.
“I feel like this is God humbling me right now,” he continued. “Because there’s two things that are happening. A lot of times when I would say ‘I am the richest Black man,’ it would be a defense that I would use for the mental health conversation. …What’s happening right now is I’m being humbled.”
West went on to address backlash over his suggestion in a recent podcast interview that George Floyd’s death was caused by fentanyl use.
“When the idea of Black Lives Matter came out, it made us come together as a people,” he said. “So, I said that, and I questioned the death of George Floyd, it hurt my people. It hurt Black people. So, I want to apologize to hurting them [sic] because right now God has shown me by what Adidas is doing, and by what the media is doing, I know how it feels to have a knee on my neck now.”
“So I thank you, God for humbling me and letting me know how it really felt. Because how could the richest Black man ever be humbled other than to be made to not be a billionaire in front of everyone off of a comment,” the rapper stated.
West also discussed his “exhaustion” caused by the reaction to him wearing a MAGA hat that was “misdiagnosed” as a mental health disorder and his refusal to take medication.
He stated that the medication would make him “one pill” away from Michael Jackson or Prince.
“At a time like this, if I was on medication right now, then one pill could have been swapped out, and it would have been Michael Jackson or Prince all over again,” West said.
He also compared himself to Emmett Till, who was brutally lynched in 1955 at age 14, and said at times he has felt like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I’m just not worried. Period,” West said in response to someone in the crowd who asked if he was worried that he had ruined his legacy. “God is alive.”
Antisemitic demonstrators referenced West in signs raised in Los Angeles last weekend and Jacksonville, Florida this weekend. In the video, West did not apologize for his antisemitic remarks but seemed to try to distance himself from any “hate group.”
“I have no association to any hate group,” West said as he closed his remarks in prayer. “If any hate happens upon any Jewish person, it is not associated (gestures to himself) because I am demanding that everyone walk in love.”
Stephen Jackson has spoken out on behalf of the family of George Floyd, again in response to remarks made by the artist formerly known as Kanye West.
In a recent post shared to Instagram, Ye said he gave $2 million “out of my pocket for the family” to, in his words, help Floyd’s daughter.
“Now for Roxie Washington and Roxie Washington ALONE,” Ye, who’s continued in recent days to make harmful comments widely condemned as anti-Semitic, wrote in the since-removed post. “I gave 2 million dollars out of my pocket for the family. To help George’s daughter…Your daughter! I can guarantee that most of those that came for me after my comments didn’t do what I did! Even those with millions of dollars in the bank!”
In the same post, Ye addressed a recently announced $250 million lawsuit, which—as previously reported—sees Washington acting on behalf of her minor child, who is the sole beneficiary of Floyd’s estate.
In a video response, Jackson urged Ye to “keep George’s name out your mouth.” He also questioned the $2 million figure mentioned in Ye’s IG post.
“First off, Roxanne could care less what you think about her hat. That’s number one,” Jackson said in the clip.
“We ain’t gon’ talk about that bullshit you be wearing and marking it up for your own people to pay for. But we ain’t gon’ talk about that. You say stupid shit, you get stupid prizes.
“Nobody asked you to say nothing about George Floyd but you decided to say that on your own so you gon’ pay the consequences. Roxanne was minding her business, Gianna was minding her business.
Oh, and also, Roxanne and Gianna and the family is two different people. She don’t stand with the family and the family don’t stand with her. They had different lawyers during the whole court process,” he said.
Specifically addressing the donation-focused aspect of Ye’s latest remarks, Jackson referred to the artist as “delusional” when providing a contradictory figure.
“Kanye delusional,” he said. “You didn’t give Gianna $2 million. She got $250,000 that they broken down through the families that Roxanne is giving back to you.”
Ye has since responded to Jackson, albeit on the right-wing platform Parler, which he was recently reported to be buying. Worth noting again, of course, is that the CEO of Parlement Technologies is married to Candace Owens.
“I’m a digital prisoner right now but if you keep talking Ima keep talking,” Ye wrote on the platform, as seen in screenshots shared to Twitter and elsewhere. “If you shut the fuck up I’ll leave it alone.”
Earlier this month, Jackson spoke out in response to comments Ye made about Floyd’s murder during a Drink Champs interview, official footage of which was ultimately pulled. When addressing the handling of the interview in question, Drink Champs co-host N.O.R.E. apologized to Floyd’s family.
“I don’t support none of it,” N.O.R.E. said when calling into The Breakfast Club.
“I don’t support the George Floyd comments, I don’t support the anti-Semitic [comments]. That’s all I have is Jewish friends, all I have is Black friends. That’s it.”
After a week of financial fallout following antisemitic remarks on social media and in interviews, Kanye West is commenting on those thoughts, as well as what he has said about George Floyd and Black Lives Matter.
In a rambling 16-minute video shared by WmgLab Records on YouTube Saturday and seemingly recorded at some point after Adidas ended its business relationship with West on Tuesday, the artist appears to address a crowd of paparazzi and bystanders gathered outside a building as he exits.
“I think Adidas felt like cause everyone was ganging up on me that they had the right to just take my designs,” West told the small crowd.
“I feel like this is God humbling me right now,” he continued. “Because there’s two things that are happening. A lot of times when I would say ‘I am the richest Black man,’ it would be a defense that I would use for the mental health conversation. …What’s happening right now is I’m being humbled.”
“When the idea of Black Lives Matter came out, it made us come together as a people,” he said. “So, I said that, and I questioned the death of George Floyd, it hurt my people. It hurt Black people. So, I want to apologize to hurting them [sic] because right now God has shown me by what Adidas is doing, and by what the media is doing, I know how it feels to have a knee on my neck now.”
“So I thank you, God for humbling me and letting me know how it really felt. Because how could the richest Black man ever be humbled other than to be made to not be a billionaire in front of everyone off of a comment,” the rapper stated.
West also discussed his “exhaustion” caused by the reaction to him wearing a MAGA hat that was “misdiagnosed” as a mental health disorder and his refusal to take medication.
He stated that the medication would make him “one pill” away from Michael Jackson or Prince.
“At a time like this, if I was on medication right now, then one pill could have been swapped out, and it would have been Michael Jackson or Prince all over again,” West said.
He also compared himself to Emmett Till, who was brutally lynched in 1955 at age 14, and said at times he has felt like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I’m just not worried. Period,” West said in response to someone in the crowd who asked if he was worried that he had ruined his legacy. “God is alive.”
Antisemitic demonstrators referenced West in signs raised in Los Angeles last weekend and Jacksonville, Florida this weekend. In the video, West did not apologize for his antisemitic remarks but seemed to try to distance himself from any “hate group.”
“I have no association to any hate group,” West said as he closed his remarks in prayer. “If any hate happens upon any Jewish person, it is not associated (gestures to himself) because I am demanding that everyone walk in love.”
Kanye West has more to say about the recent headlines surrounding him.
In a video reportedly taken in Los Angeles, Ye stopped to answer questions and make statements to a crowd of people.
“I had experiences where I felt like I was being teamed up on,” he says. “And I didn’t realize that term would be antisemitic. So I had a mediation with Adidas today and I think Adidas felt like cause everyone else was ganging up on me that they had the right to take my designs.”
“I feel like this is God humbling me right now,” he continues. “Cause there’s two things that are happening. A lot of times when I would say ‘I am the richest Black man,’ it would be a defense that I would use for the mental health conversation.”
“What’s happening right now is I’m being humbled. Another thing that’s happening to me is by being burned to the flesh every single day, it’s actually proving what I had to say. When I went to the mediation, what I wanna say is, Black people are like okay, ‘Lex Friedman got you to apologize, Piers Morgan got you to apologize to Jews, but you never apologized to us about the George Floyd comment that made us feel bad.’”
He then made sure to say his statement clearly so the “soundbite” is better. “When the idea of Black Lives Matter came out, it made us come together as a people,” he says.
“So I when said that and I questioned the death of George Floyd, it hurt my people. It hurt the Black people. So, I want to apologize [inaudible] because God has shown me by what Adidas is doing and by what the media is doing, I know how it feels to have a knee on my neck now.
So thank you God for humbling me and letting me know how it really felt. Because how could the richest Black man ever be humbled other than to be made to not be a billionaire in front of everyone off one comment.”
Because of Ye’s recent comments, he’s facing a $250 million lawsuit by George Floyd’s family for falsely claiming Floyd was killed by fentanyl, not police brutality. He was dropped by several companies including the aforementioned Adidas, Gap, JPMorgan Chase, Balenciaga, CAA, MRC, Foot Locker, and others.
His words have caused harm in the community, allowing an antisemitic hate group to support his statements by hanging a banner that read “Kanye is right about the Jews” above Interstate 405 in L.A.
You can watch the full video above, where he also coined a new term for 2022 called the “red media.”
A man dressed in a Nazi uniform was met with well-deserved vitriol when he walked into Fanelli’s, a bar in New York City, over the weekend.
Footage of the incident shows the unidentified man getting questioned by a patron for his choice of attire as he approaches the bar. The situation seemed to only get worse from there. According to the New York Post, the bartender refused to serve the guy, leading to his departure, but not before their encounter grew increasingly hostile.
a guy just walked into fanelli cafe in soho dressed as a nazi i have no words pic.twitter.com/4szraZgVEd
“Fuck you mate,” the man in the Nazi uniform said, to someone who responded, “You want to get fucked up? [Leave] for your own safety.” Another person walked over to ensure that the unwanted individual not only left the establishment, but didn’t even think about returning.
The newspaper spoke with a hostess during their brunch shift the following day about the man in the Nazi uniform, and they said no one had ever seen that person before.
The incident comes at a time where it seems as though anti-Semitism among notable figures is on the rise, most notably by the artist formerly known as Kanye West, who claims to have “lost two billion dollars in one day” after Adidas, Balenciaga, and other companies cut ties with him over a slew of anti-Semitic remarks.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving went back-and-forth with a reporter during a post-game press conference Saturday night after he shared a link to a documentary that makes a number of anti-Semitic claims.
Lil Pump doesn’t think J. Cole was right about his career trajectory, even if he’s on good terms with the rapper.
In an interview with Bootleg Kev, the 22-year-old rapper reflected on what he took away from his sit-down interview with Cole four years ago. “He was trying to understand [the] young generation, ’cause at that time people didn’t understand what was going on with the music,” he said.
“‘There’s this new wave coming in, we don’t understand it but we’re just gonna roll with it.’ But I fuck with J. Cole, I don’t have no problems with him.”
Kev asked if Cole was correct in his prediction about the younger generation of rappers on his song “1985,” which some listeners perceived as a diss directed at Lil Pump and many of his collaborators, came true in some respects. “Nope, because I’m still here,” he replied. “I don’t think he predicted shit. I’m still here.”
None of Lil Pump’s 2022 singles have charted on the Billboard Hot 100, despite his success in 2017 and ’18 with tracks like “Gucci Gang” and “I Love It” with Kanye West.
On “1985,” Cole rapped, “If it’s really true what people saying/And you call yourself playin’ with my name/Then I really know you fucked, trust/I’ll be around forever ‘cause my skills is tip-top/To any amateur n***as that wanna get rocked/Just remember what I told you when your shit flop/In five years you gon’ be on Love & Hip-Hop, n***a.” Around the time the 2018 track was released, Pump trolled Cole consistently.
Cole never clarified who he was directing his advice to on the track, and later suggested it was a “shoes fit” situation. “Why you yelling at your show?” he said, apparently in reference to both Pump and Smokepurrp leading “fuck J. Cole” chants at some of their concerts.
“You must feel attacked in some kind of way, must feel offended, and if you feel offended, then that means something rings true, something struck a chord. That’s cool with me. That’s all I ever want to do.”
UPDATED 10/28, 9:20 a.m. ET: Following an initial report claiming the artist formerly known as KanyeWest’s Donda Academy was closing for the remainder of the school year, only for a separate report to claim such talk had been walked back, yet another report (this time from TMZ) alleges the situation remains fluid.
In short, it’s now being reported that the school could indeed be closing down following the recent exit of a number of staff members. According to TMZ, several staffers have left their positions with the school in response to comments from Ye that have been widely called out as anti-Semitic, as well as in protest of his remarks about the murder of George Floyd in a since-removed Drink Champs episode and the inclusion of a hate slogan in his YZY SZN 9 show.
UPDATED 10/27, 12:50 p.m. ET: Nevermind. The artist formerly known as Kanye West’s Donda Academy has decided not to shutter its doors for the remainder of the school year.
TMZ reports that the school will remain open. Parents and students were sent an email midnight on Wednesday, which is reported to have said, “Join us tomorrow morning in worship for the return of Donda Academy. With the help of our parents and community, we are back and returning with a vengeance!”
See original story below.
The artist formerly known as Kanye West’s Donda Academy is immediately closing for the remainder of the school year, according to a new report.
The Times shared a piece on Thursday in which an email to parents was cited, with Donda Academy principal Jason Angell most notably informing them that the school “will close for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year effective immediately.”
The move comes amid ongoing criticism and fallout spurred by a number of remarks made by Ye, both in interview settings and on social media, that have been widely called out as anti-Semitic. Unlike past controversies involving the artist, some longtime fans have also been more openly critical of Ye’s actions (and their immediate impact) this time around, including the “Ye da [G.OA.T.] no [cap]” guy.
Per the latest report, Angell’s email notes that the decision to close Donda Academy for the rest of the school year was made “at the discretion of our founder.” However, the current plan is for the school to “begin afresh” late next year.
“Our leadership team will be working diligently to assist all families during this transition, ensuring that every scholar has what they need to succeed in their next community in a prompt and gracious manner,” Angell’s email is reported to have said.
According to the school’s official site, the daily schedule for students included “full school worship,” core classes (i.e. math, science, and language arts), lunch, and recess. “Enrichment courses” are also listed as having been part of the curriculum, with offerings including classes on visual art and parkour.
News of Donda Academy’s (seemingly temporary) closure follows a prior report from TMZ revealing that the school’s basketball team had been removed from the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classics schedule in response to Ye’s recent actions.
Complex has reached out to Donda Academy for comment. This story may be updated.
The artist formerly known as Kanye West made his return to Instagram on Thursday, telling his 18.3 million followers he “lost two billion dollars in one day.”
Ye’s return to the platform comes amid continued fallout spurred by a series of comments widely condemned as anti-Semitic, including remarks he made on IG. At one point, Meta took action by restricting Ye’s account, with similar action later being taken by Twitter after Ye tweeted he was “going death con 3 on Jewish people.”
In one of his return-marking posts, Ye mentioned Ari Emanuel, the CEO of Endeavor. In a recent Financial Times op-ed, Emanuel urged businesses to distance themselves from Ye so as not to give his “misguided hate” amplification.
“There should be no tolerance anywhere for West’s antisemitism,” Emanuel said. “This is a moment in history where the stakes are high and being open about our values, and living them, is essential. Silence and inaction are not an option.”
Thursday, Ye shared what he billed as a “love speech,” seemingly addressed to Emanuel.
“I lost two billion dollars in one day,” Ye wrote. “And I’m still alive. This is love speech. I still love you. God still loves you. The money is not who I am. The people is who I am.”
Image via Ye on Instagram
Elsewhere, Ye shared a screenshot of a satirical “Ye has reportedly cut ties with Kanye West” post. In another update, 50 Cent was brought into the conversation, as was Donda Academy. Earlier on Thursday, a report from The Times stated that Ye’s Donda Academy was “immediately” closing for the remainder of the school year.
Image via Ye on Instagram
Image via Ye on Instagram
50, meanwhile, previously spoke out about Ye’s anti-Semitic remarks, as well as shared his thoughts on prior controversies (namely the MAGA era). “I think he’s in a dangerous area,” 50 said in a Hot 97 interview last week.
UPDATED 10/28, 12:30 a.m. ET: Once 50 Cent caught wind of further allegations regarding Kanye’s alleged history of admiration for Adolf Hitler, things took a less humorous turn, with the Queens mogul telling Ye to start “shutting the fuck up.”
“I have never seen anything like this before,” 50 opened his Instagram caption on a screenshot of CNN’s article about the aforementioned Hitler fixation. “I think Kanye should buy the car he likes the best and just ride off into the sun set, it’s really a wrap. People are really hurt by this shit. I have seen people in this position because of thing they have did not things they have said. Now you gotta master the art of shutting the fuck up! … you gonna make everybody hot. Go cool off!”
The post was deleted a little more than an hour after going up.
Image via Instagram
Several hours prior he shared a screenshot of Kanye saying “we got Donda school designs we need to build with 50 in Houston.”
Fiddy captioned that one, also since deleted, “OK YE lets build a school in Houston but go cool off, n***a you hot right now the Feds all on you!”
See original story below.
50 Cent referenced Kanye West’s swift fall from grace amid his embrace of anti-Semitism, and joked that he’s cut ties with himself via an Instagram post.
“Curtis Jackson has reportedly cut ties with 50 Cent,” the post reads alongside two photos of Fif side-by-side. “I’m getting rid of anybody who can get me f*cked up like Kanye right now! LOL.”
Fif’s post joking about the situation comes not long after Ye shared an image of a satirical headline that reads, “Ye has reportedly cut ties with Kanye West.” Ye also noticed 50 Cent’s post and re-shared it himself, adding, “We got Donda school designs we need to build with 50 in Houston.”
Young Thug joined in by posting a tweet that read, “JEFFERY HAS REPORTEDLY CUT TIES WITH YOUNG THUG.”
N.O.R.E. did his part as well.
The artist formerly known as Kanye West has made a string of anti-Semitic comments as of late, and even suggested that he wants to “go DEATH CON 3 on Jewish people.” He denied accusations that he’s been anti-Semitic by suggesting that he doesn’t believe anti-Semitism is real.
The list of companies that have cut ties with Kanye since he embraced Nazi sensibilities have included Balenciaga, entertainment studio MRC, talent agency CAA, his Yeezy partners Adidas, Foot Locker, and even Madam Tussauds.
Following the termination of his deal with Adidas, a report from Forbes said that Ye is “no longer a billionaire.” He has since backed up those claims in a post on Instagram, where he said he “lost 2 billion dollars in one day.”
Sources who have worked with the artist formerly known as Kanye West have claimed he’s long-held a fascination with Hitler.
CNN reports that several people who have been close to Ye said he once wanted to name an album after the Nazi leader. “He would praise Hitler by saying how incredible it was that he was able to accumulate so much power and would talk about all the great things he and the Nazi Party achieved for the German people,” said one business executive, who chose to remain anonymous. Those in his close circle were apparently “fully aware” of his alleged interest in Hitler, and four sources said his 2018 album Ye was at one point almost named Hitler.
The executive claimed Ye created a hostile work environment, and his “obsession” with Hitler is at least partly to blame. They left the position and came to a settlement with Ye over alleged harassment in the workplace. When they cut ties with the multi-hyphenate, they signed a confidentiality agreement in which Ye denied the allegations made against him. Ye apparently also openly spoke about his “admiration” for the Nazis and Hitler’s propaganda, and said he read Hitler’s manifesto Mein Kampf.
The report comes not long after former TMZ employee Van Lathan Jr. said Kanye professed his “love” for Hitler during his infamous 2018 “slavery was a choice” interview. One of the sources who spoke with CNN said they were present during that TMZ visit, and corroborated Lathan’s comments.
Kanye has made many anti-Semitic comments as of late, and in his latest rambling interview he spoke with MIT research scientist Lex Fridman. He shared many false statements about the Holocaust, abortion, and the Jewish community. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, he repeated a conspiracy theory about Jewish philanthropist and activist George Soros, who he claimed “would use the Black trauma economy to win an election.” Even stranger, he suggested “a Jewish doctor” diagnosed him with “bipolar disorder and shot me with medication.”
His embrace of dangerous conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric first started when he publicly expressed his appreciation for Donald Trump in 2016, but he’s been far more outspoken in recent months.
It all recently kicked off after he sported a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt alongside notorious far-right political pundit Candace Owens, who was once forced to explain her own praise of Hitler at a congressional hearing about white nationalism in 2019.
The artist formerly known as Kanye West’s Donda Academy is immediately closing for the remainder of the school year, according to a new report.
The Times shared a piece on Thursday in which an email to parents was cited, with Donda Academy principal Jason Angell most notably informing them that the school “will close for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year effective immediately.”
The move comes amid ongoing criticism and fallout spurred by a number of remarks made by Ye, both in interview settings and on social media, that have been widely called out as anti-Semitic. Unlike past controversies involving the artist, some longtime fans have also been more openly critical of Ye’s actions (and their immediate impact) this time around, including the “Ye da [G.OA.T.] no [cap]” guy.
Per the latest report, Angell’s email notes that the decision to close Donda Academy for the rest of the school year was made “at the discretion of our founder.” However, the current plan is for the school to “begin afresh” late next year.
“Our leadership team will be working diligently to assist all families during this transition, ensuring that every scholar has what they need to succeed in their next community in a prompt and gracious manner,” Angell’s email is reported to have said.
According to the school’s official site, the daily schedule for students included “full school worship,” core classes (i.e. math, science, and language arts), lunch, and recess. “Enrichment courses” are also listed as having been part of the curriculum, with offerings including classes on visual art and parkour.
News of Donda Academy’s (seemingly temporary) closure follows a prior report from TMZ revealing that the school’s basketball team had been removed from the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classics schedule in response to Ye’s recent actions.
Complex has reached out to Donda Academy for comment. This story may be updated.
Music standom is a fierce beast and Kanye’s group of stans are among the most ferocious. Over the years, they’ve stood behind him and responded to Ye’s antics by labeling him a troubled and misunderstood genius. Even thinkpieces published in major publications have focused on his mental issues. Complex has largely focused its coverage on the positive, too. Meanwhile, many of his biggest longtime supporters, collaborators, and corporations have opted for silence—until very recently.
Now, day one fans are no longer willing to drink Kanye’s Kool-Aid and people are vocalizing their frustrations, especially on fan forums and social media. On KTT2, a public fan forum that discusses all things Ye, one fan pointed out, “This is the first time in the 15 years [I’ve] been listening to him that I’ve seen his fanbase turn on him.” On KTT2, under the thread “Do You Love Ye?” stans shared their disapproval of Kanye’s current era. “Sorry, I will hate him. I will not just ignore anti-Semite and racist comments,” one person wrote. Another wrote, “Ignoring him is not holding him accountable.” On another KTT2 forum for Ye, a fan wrote, “It looks like the bridge is officially burned and there’s no returning.”
“Ignoring him is not holding him accountable.”
Chris Lambert, who has been running the “Watching the Throne” podcast along with his co-host Travis Bean since 2015, agrees. “I do think it’s the most tumultuous that it’s ever been, and the most that people are starting to lean away,” Lambert tells Complex.
The platform was initially conceived as a place to discuss Ye’s discography, but the content has evolved to touch on a variety of topics about the artist including his fashion and lifestyle. Over the past seven years, the platform has reached tens of thousands of Kanye fans, becoming one of the top trending music podcasts on iTunes. Its YouTube channel provides in-depth analysis of Ye’s work to more than 45,000 subscribers, while its Twitter account reaches more than 100,000 with updates about Ye’s life, interview soundbites, flashbacks, and more. Lambert has observed many different Kanye eras, but tells Complex the tipping point that affected fans’ opinions of Ye and their engagement came in 2018.
“Ye himself stepped away from just fashion and music and started getting into politics, philosophy, social commentary,” Lambert tells Complex. “He had always been philosophizing on those things, but I think from the perspective of the artist commentating, not from the perspective of a politician commentating or somebody that’s trying to have more of an effect on things and take a leadership role.”
2018 is better known as Kanye’s MAGA era. During that time, he visited the White House and publicly supported the Trump administration amidst a tumultuous political climate, but also used his platform to speak against the idea of group-thinking and embracing individualism. That same year, Kanye agitated fans after he appeared in a TMZ interview stating, “Slavery was a choice.”
Image via Getty/Kevin Winter
While Lambert acknowledges that fans started to question Ye’s actions, he says it was easier to understand his philosophy. “A lot of the stuff revolving around Trump and even his TMZ comments was about the ways in which people think and that if you’re part of a group, you can’t think differently than the group or else you’re ostracized from the group,” Lambert explains. “Rallying around that as a concept and applying it specifically to his life and his political views—that, to me, was something that even if I didn’t agree with the political views, there was a layer of understanding. It felt pertinent and relevant.”
The difference between 2018 and present day, however, is that Kanye has transitioned from sharing ideas and opinions to spreading hate speech. And instead of apologizing for his harmful comments after initially receiving backlash, he has doubled down on them many times over in various interviews.
“That’s really the line for me,” Lambert states. “I can step back and see the philosophy behind this, even if a lot of people are focusing on the messaging of the hat and what the hat means. But everything with the hate speech has been a lot more intense.”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s something that is dissipating.”
A couple of years after the White House visit, Kanye embarked on his own presidential campaign, where he incited women’s groups by spreading anti-abortion rhetoric during his rallies. After a period of silence, Ye re-emerged at the top of 2022, making death threats and other disparaging comments toward Pete Davidson, Kim Kardashian’s boyfriend at the time.
Most recently, Kanye has been on an even longer tirade. It started at Paris Fashion Week on October 4, where Kanye wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt during his YZY Season 9 show. He received further scrutiny after mocking Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who criticized his fashion choice in an editorial piece. Ye later sat down with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson to discuss his Yeezy line, and made a series of offensive claims about the Jewish community. He later amplified his anti-Semitic theories on Revolt’s Drink Champs, although the episode was eventually taken down.
Since that final incident—which served as the straw that broke the camel’s back—the fashion industry has largely severed ties with Ye. Balenciaga, the high end fashion brand has had a longstanding relationship with the rapper since 2015, cut ties with the creative artist on Oct. 21. It was also reported on Oct. 24 that Def Jam has parted ways with Kanye’s imprint G.O.O.D. Music. And on Oct. 25, after weeks of backlash, Adidas, which partnered with Ye on his billion-dollar Yeezy shoe brand, terminated his contract with the rapper.
Lambert, who is Jewish, explains that Kanye’s anti-Semitic remarks on Drink Champs and social media have already caused a ripple effect. “The first hour of Kanye making the Defcon tweets, I had somebody call me the Jewish ‘K’ slur. I don’t think I’ve been called that seriously in my entire life,” he says.
Getty Images /Ferdaus Shamim
A super fan who goes by ProdByZaqq on social media—best known for writing “Ye da [G.OA.T.] no [cap]” under every Kanye post—most recently distanced himself from the rapper, too. “This is just insane. Bro wtf. I can’t stand this shit at all, this world got too much hate already,” he wrote on Twitter under a related article. The person behind Kanye Doing Things, an Instagram account that shares photos and memes of Ye, also shared a negative post on Oct. 24, calling him “an anti-Semitic piece of shit.”
For Lambert, deciding what and how to post about Ye now is a bit of a balancing act. “It’s been a bit of cognitive dissonance the last couple weeks because there’s something that’s dovetailing now,” Lambert admits. “Personally, it’s become a lot more difficult to casually repost something that’s like Ye at a basketball game because what’s going to follow this? Even if he apologized on Piers Morgan, what’s he going to say in the next interview? It doesn’t seem like it’s something that is dissipating. So, it’s just like, how do I pick and choose what parts I’m promoting or not promoting when all of it kind of feels part of the whole?”
“This world got too much hate already.”
Based on social media and chatter in public forums, there are still some fans holding out hope and support for Ye. In a fan forum titled “Is this the end for Kanye,” one hopeful fan predicted that the rapper would bounce back from his current position. “People will forget about these [in a] few days and move on,” another person wrote. “He’ll have a period of being quiet where people say they miss him and he’ll come back.” And on Twitter, some people are still referring to Ye as a “genius.” “Kanye is a genius and y’all are gonna be SICK when they take him out for speaking the truth that everyone is blind to,” one fan wrote on the 18th.
Kanye has also gained new supporters since he started spewing his hate speech. Of the nearly 20,000 accounts “Watching the Throne’s” Twitter follows, Lambert notes many of them are actually embracing and amplifying many of Ye’s anti-Semitic sentiments.
Lambert breaks Kanye fans down into three levels: level zero doesn’t generally like the person or his music; level one only likes the music; level two likes the music and is interested in the person; level three, “you’re all in.” Fans from level zero to level one have probably disconnected a while ago, but he says “those level two and three fans, the 75 to 90 percent range, will find a way through this.”
As time has shown, there is always a chance for folks to bounce back after cancellation, especially in this digital era. Even if Kanye takes a hiatus or publicly apologizes, will his legacy forever be changed? According to data site Luminate, Kanye’s album sales are down by 23 percent and his radio airplay has decreased by 17.5 percent.
Getty Images /Gotham/GC
Until now, many people speculated that to be canceled was nothing more than a myth. In fact, plenty of celebrities have come back after being canceled. Kevin Hart’s net worth rose to $450 million after he was “canceled” for his resurfaced homophobic tweets that lost him the hosting gig at the 2019 Oscars, and Travis Scott is gearing up for his next album following the 2021 Astroworld tragedy.
In fact, Lambert declares Ye’s legacy is “always dependent on the next era.”
He adds, “I do think, overall, his intentions are not as problematic as his messaging often is… It’s just a question of what energy he brings to things. And if he’s able to do so with the care that he seems to bring to his music and his lyricism, then I think people are going to stick around. But if it continues to be off-the-cuff anger, people are going to get exhausted.”
Whatever the next chapter holds, this current downward spiral serves as a cautionary tale for other celebrities, that the tables eventually turn—even for the biggest of idols.
Shoe brand Skechers claims it had to escort Kanye West from its corporate offices in Los Angeles after he showed up “unannounced and uninvited”.
The company added it had “no intention” of working with the rapper and designer who goes by the name of Ye.
It comes after Adidas, the German sportswear giant, cut ties with Mr West over anti-Semitic remarks he made on social media.
The BBC has contacted Mr West’s representatives for comment.
In a statement Skechers said Mr West had arrived at its offices with a party and was “engaged in unauthorised filming”.
The party were escorted from the building after a brief conversation, it said.
The brand said: “We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech.”
It added: “We again stress that West showed up unannounced and uninvited.”
Mr West, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, has been involved in a string of high profile spats with big brands in recent months and many have cut ties.
On Tuesday, Adidas ended its Yeezy brand collaboration with Mr West saying it does “not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech”.
His products will be pulled from sale with immediate effect, said Adidas. The collaboration was put under review last month after the rapper showed a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt design at Paris Fashion Week.
Days later, the rapper posted anti-Semitic comments on his Twitter account which led to his account being blocked. Mr West responded to his suspension by rejoining Twitter and saying he would go “death con 3 On Jewish people”, earning him a second disbarment.
Cutting the partnership, which has been hugely successful, means Adidas will make a net loss of £217m in 2022, it said.
Brands cut ties
JP Morgan and fashion house Balenciaga have also parted ways with the rapper over his remarks, while he has been dropped by his talent agency. Gap, which ended its tie-up with Mr West in September, is taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap products from its shops and online store.
Film and television production company MRC said on Monday it will not be airing its recently completed documentary on the rapper.
Mr West has not apologised for the anti-Semitic remarks and on 15 October defended them on US podcast Drink Champs.
The scandal has hit the rapper’s income and he has lost his position in Forbes magazine’s list of billionaires. The magazine estimates the loss of the Adidas partnership has cut Ye’s net worth from $1.5bn to $400m.
Following the lead of Adidas and Gap, the two companies have distanced themselves from the Grammy-winning musician after he made anti-Semitic remarks.
Kanye West was escorted out of Skechers in Los Angeles after he “showed up unannounced and uninvited,” and Madame Tussauds removed its waxwork of the controversial rapper from public view.
An increasing number of companies are distancing themselves from the award-winning musician – who has legally changed his name to Ye – after he made antisemitic remarks.
In a statement, the US footwear company said West had turned up at one of its corporate offices and then engaged in “unauthorised filming”.
Executives ejected him from the building after a “brief conversation”, and a statement added: “Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West.
“We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech.”
It comes days after adidas ended its lucrative partnership with West – and announced that production of the popular Yeezy line would stop immediately.
Meanwhile, a Madame Tussauds spokesperson said: “Ye’s figure has been retired from the attraction floor to our archive.
“Each profile earns its place at Madame Tussauds London and we listen to our guests and the public on who they expect to see at the attraction.”
The figurine was originally launched in the museum in 2015 alongside a waxwork of his then-wife Kim Kardashian.
In the past few days, Kardashian and members of her family have called for an end to the “terrible violence and hateful rhetoric” towards the Jewish community.
Image: Companies are distancing themselves from the West because of antisemitic remarks
West had been ranked at 1,513 on the Forbes rich list earlier this year and was valued at £1.7bn because of his fashion brands and deal with Adidas.
But the sportswear brand’s decision to terminate the partnership means West is no longer a billionaire, with his net worth dwindling to £344m.
Clothing company Gap Inc, which terminated its tie-up with West in September, is also taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap products from its stores.
Talent agency CAA and the Balenciaga fashion house have also cut ties with the 45-year-old – and a completed documentary about West has been shelved.
Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek has said West’s comments were “awful” but that his music would stay on the platform.
Kanye West’s Yeezy collaboration with Adidas has been one of the most successful in the brand’s history.
But that’s now over, as the clothing giant has dropped the rapper – known as Ye – over anti-Semitic comments.
Cutting the partnership means Adidas will make a net loss of £217m in 2022, with many other brands also ending their relationships with him.
For fans of the fashion and music, and the wider sneaker world, the big question is what comes next?
“I was a fan of him,” James Drury tells BBC Newsbeat. “He is a genius in the fashion industry and in the music industry.”
But the 28-year-old is no longer a fan and says he can’t stand by Ye after anti-Semitic comments.
“It does feel like he’s almost attention seeking to stay relevant,” he says. “And he’s just a little bit too far out there with me now.
“There’s certain things that you just can’t agree with.”
‘A separate brand’
James, from Shropshire, has been collecting Yeezys since 2016,when he first got into the range.
“It was more so the rarity,” he says. “Seeing images of various celebrities wearing them, it instantly pulls you in.”
But when it comes to being a Yeezy collector, he will continue despite Ye’s comments.
“I almost see Yeezy as a brand separately from Kanye West. Obviously, he controls much of it, but for some reason I see Yeezy as separate. So I will continue with it.”
Image source, James DruryImage caption, James has been collecting shoes since 2016
James says he’s not in it for the money though.
“I’m personally not in it for selling them, I collect because of the rarity rather than the money,” he says.
“I have huge stories behind [certain shoes that I’ve got].”
Emily Atkins from The Sole Supplier, a specialist trainer website, labels it “the biggest story in the sneaker world”.
And while cutting the partnership has cost Adidas money, Emily is interested to see the wider impact.
“We’ve been seeing that people have rebelled and boycotted Adidas because of Kanye’s comments,” the shoe expert says. “And I think his influence is on the whole brand.”
Emily, 25, says Adidas can recover from the backlash, and they can learn a big lesson on not putting “so much reliance on one influencer for their campaigns”.
“I think he started damaging his reputation a long while ago.”
But she recognises the need to keep in mind Ye’s mention of his mental health, as he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Image source, EmilyImage caption, Emily feels Ye’s departure from Nike didn’t have a big impact, so the same might be possible for Adidas
She adds there are other options for Adidas going forward, too.
“It’s dangerous for any brand to rely so heavily on one influencer to drive such a huge portion of their sales,” she says.
“But on the other hand, they do have other products, some very iconic silhouettes which have always been around pre-Kanye.”
The future for Ye?
As for Ye, he’s lost his position in Forbes magazine’s list of billionaires. It estimates that the loss of the Adidas partnership cuts Ye’s net worth from $1.5bn to $400m (£1.3bn to £349m).
In the world of fashion, Emily feels the rapper no longer has “the positive inputs he had all those years ago”.
“It’ll be interesting to see his next move. And which brands are brave enough to take him under their wing.”
As for his music, James says while he’s not yet at the stage where he’ll be pressing skip on his tunes, but “it’s getting very close”.
“I do think a lot of people will turn off his music now, will skip him and put [his comments] before the music.”
While many brands and entities are cutting ties with Kanye West (who now goes by Ye) following the artist’s repeated antisemitic comments, one of his closest partners, Adidas, has remained silent throughout the controversy. Now, a director at the brand is putting the pressure on the company with a public LinkedIn post.
Adidas director of trade marketing Sarah Camhi posted to her account this evening, saying the brand needs to do better by its employees and community. Camhi, who is Jewish, says that Adidas recently touted a “global week of inclusion” in the midst of Ye’s hateful remarks. According to her post, Adidas has not only remained quiet publicly, but it’s also said nothing about the matter internally to its employees.
Camhi argues Adidas has dropped athletes for far less problematic instances including the use of steroids and being perceived as difficult to work with, yet has failed to address the hate speech from Ye.
“We need to do better as a brand,” Camhi writes. “We need to do better for our employees and we need to do better for our communities. Until Adidas takes a stand, I will not stand with Adidas.”
On October 6, Adidas announced that its partnership with Ye was under review after a string of posts targeting the brand and its supervisory board. Days later, Ye began his descent into anti-Semitic speech by tweeting he would go “DEATH CON 3 on Jewish people.”
Adidas has yet to acknowledge his most latest comments, which have been amplified through an appearance on Drink Champs and interviews with the likes of Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan. In the Drink Champs episode, he taunted the brand over this exact matter. “The thing about me and Adidas is like, I can literally say antisemitic shit, and they can’t drop me,” he said.
Despite Adidas’ silence, many brands have recently taken action against Ye. Balenciaga confirmed Friday it had no future plans to work him.
Vogue’s Anna Wintour has reportedly cut ties with him. Talent agency CAA dropped him today, and Def Jam confirmed that his G.O.O.D. Music imprint is no longer affiliated with the label.
UPDATED 10/25/22, 2:31 p.m. ET: According to a statement from Universal Music Group that was published by The Hollywood Reporter, “Def Jam’s relationship with Ye as a recording artist, Def Jam’s partnership with the GOOD Music label venture and Ye’s merchandise agreement with Bravado all ended in 2021.”
UMG continued by denouncing anti-Semitism, writing, “There is no place for antisemitism in our society. We are deeply committed to combating antisemitism and every other form of prejudice.”
See original story below.
Kanye West and his G.O.O.D. Music imprint are no longer a part of Def Jam Recordings.
Per The New York Times, a person close to Def Jam has said that G.O.O.D. Music is no longer affiliated with Def Jam. Ye’s contract as an artist with the label expired following the release of 2021’s Donda, although it’s unclear if he was expected to continue his partnership with his longtime label home prior to his recent anti-Semitic outbursts.
Ye first released music with Def Jam under the Roc-A-Fella imprint with his 2003 debut single, “Through the Wire.” Every one of his projects, with the exception of Donda 2, was distributed through the label. He launched G.O.O.D. Music in 2004, and later signed an agreement with The Island Def Jam Music Group, now just Def Jam via Universal Music Group, in 2011. It is unclear when the relationship between G.O.O.D. and Def Jam came to an end.
Donda 2, was self-released exclusively for his $200 Stem Player. The record still hasn’t seen a traditional release via streaming or for purchase. The last two G.O.O.D. Music releases, 070 Shake’s You Can’t Kill Me and Pusha T’s It’s Almost Dry, were distributed by Def Jam in June and April, respectively. In January, Pusha T’s manager Steven Victor confirmed that It’s Almost Dry would fulfill the rapper’s contract with Def Jam. He has yet to announce if he’ll resign with the label or find a new home for his next release.
The news of Ye’s departure from Def Jam comes amid a string of anti-Semitic remarks from the multi-hyphenate, who tweeted that he wanted to “go DEATH CON 3 on Jewish people.”
On Monday, Hollywood talent agency CAA dropped Ye, and MRC studio executives announced they had scrapped a completed documentary about him.
United Talent Agency has condemned his behavior, too, while Balenciaga has cut ties on its partnership.
Complex has reached out to representatives for Ye for comment.
Gap has issued a new statement in the wake of continued fallout from the artist formerly known as Kanye West’s anti-Semitic comments. In it, the company said “immediate steps” were now being taken to remove Yeezy Gap product from its stores.
The statement, shared on Tuesday, noted that the Yeezy Gap partnership (initially slated to span a decade upon its announcement back in 2020) had previously seen its end announced in September.
“Our former partner’s recent remarks and behavior further underscore why,” the new statement reads. “We are taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap product from our stores and we have shut down [the Yeezy Gap site]. Antisemitism, racism, and hate in any form are inexcusable and not tolerated in accordance with our values. On behalf of our customers, employees, and shareholders, we are partnering with organizations that combat hate and discrimination.”
Also on Tuesday, Adidas announced the immediate termination of its Yeezydeal, with Forbes later reporting this had resulted in Ye no longer being a billionaire.
The latest Gap statement follows a report from Women’s Wear Daily last week revealing Balenciaga doesn’t have “any plans for future projects” involving Ye. The Kering-owned house had worked extensively with Ye, including in the form of the Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga project.
Ye, meanwhile, was recently announced to be acquiring right-wing social media platform Parler. The CEO of Parlement Technologies is George Farmer, the husband of Candace Owens.
Ye and Owens were photographed together at the YZY SZY 9 presentation in Paris earlier this month, both wearing a widely criticized design from the show featuring the “white lives matter” hate slogan.
UPDATED 10/25, 6:50 p.m. ET: Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown has cut ties with Donda Sports.
Brown announced the news Tuesday evening in a statement, writing that he will “always continue to stand strongly against any antisemitism, hate speech, misrepresentation, and oppressive rhetoric of any kind.”
“I do seek to continue providing mentorship, love, and support to the incredible children, faculty, and young athletes with whom I’ve been grateful to form bonds and relationships with during my time with the Donda Academy,” Brown said.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has also severed ties with brand, revealing the news in his own statement on Twitter that rejected West’s “recent comments and displays of hate and antisemitism.”
Fresh off his first Super Bowl win, Donald signed with Donda in June, announcing the partnership during an appearance on I Am Athlete, a podcast hosted by former NFL stars Brandon Marshall, Adam “Pacman” Jones, and LeSean McCoy.
“It was an opportunity that came to us, me and [my wife], and it made sense,” the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year said. “Hearing the whole spectrum of what they were going to be bringing, the whole family atmosphere that they got in Donda Sports. Not just me, but my wife being a part of that. For me it was a no-brainer.”
Antonio Brown, president of Donda Sports, shared his own thoughts late Tuesday, saying he remains “in support of the humanity that is Ye” and is “dedicated to helping clarify statements taken out of proportion by the media.”
“Over the past few weeks the world’s reactionary and selective outrage at comments in the media made by my brother, Ye, have inflamed and sparked rampant conversation and reflection,” Brown, 34, opened his statement. “I too have been able to reflect on statements that I and others in my circle have made that lack clarity in expressing my stance. The people and brands that have relentlessly profited from Black ideas and Black culture chose to distance themselves at a very specific time: a time that demonstrated their prioritization of certain groups over others.”
A.B. added, “Sensationalism and groupthink have forced people to not speak their minds and act out in fear rather than love. For these reasons, I stand by my dedication to freedom of speech, thought, and opinion. … Let me be clear, discrimination of any kind is an injustice to all people, which is exactly why I wish to issue this statement.”
See original story below.
Despite condemning Kanye West’s recent anti-Semitic comments, Jaylen Brown has said he will remain with Donda Sports.
The Celtics shooting guard told the Boston Globe that Ye’s Donda Sports agency is geared towards helping his community, which is why he’s sticking around.
“Like I said, I don’t condone any hurt, harm, or danger toward a group of people,” Brown told the outlet. “I will continue to be a member of my community, uplift my community through my work and what I’ve done throughout my career, and I’m going to continue to do that work.”
He continued, “A lot of time goes into creating an entity or organization. The reason why I signed with Donda Sports, it represented education, it represented activism, disruption, it represented single-parent households, and a lot more people are involved in something like that. A lot of people that I work with, work with their families, build love and respect for, spending time in the summer. A lot of people involved. That’s what the organization from my vantage point from Donda Sports represented.”
Brown signed on with Kanye’s Donda Sports in May alongside Los Angeles Rams player Aaron Donald, and admitted his relationship with the Yeezy mogul is complicated at the moment.
“He’s someone who’s obviously dealing with a lot of adversity that’s in front of him right now and everybody can see it and it’s public,” Brown said. “But a lot of people in the world are dealing with adversity and things that are going on that’s in front of them and they need help. It’s a lot going on right now.”
Adidas and Balenciaga are just some of the companies that have cut all ties with Ye in light of his string of hate speech.
“It’s tough to speak on because everybody is going to form their own opinions about what you have to say, but I look at people that I’ve been around, family, friends that you love,” Brown added.
“To me, it’s unconditional. To me, as they’re working through problems, we’re working through it in unison. I don’t agree with everything that everybody does. Like I said, I don’t stand for any hurt, harm, or danger toward anybody, but sometimes people need unconditional love and help to get them through the situation.”
The artist formerly known as Kanye West is “no longer a billionaire,” per Forbes.
The update arrives shortly after Adidas announced the immediate termination of its deal with Ye following a string of comments that have been widely called out as anti-Semitic. According to the publication, Ye is worth an estimated $400 million without the Adidas deal, which it valued at $1.5 billion. In a recent Piers Morgan interview, notably, Ye said he had “maybe only $120 million” in his account.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” a rep for the company said in a press release shared on Tuesday, adding that Ye’s recent remarks were “unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous.” As previously reported, Adidas had formally placed the Yeezy partnership “under review” earlier this month.
Several other collaborators have similarly distanced themselves from Ye, including Balenciaga. The Shop, meanwhile, announced its decision earlier this month to not air an interview with Ye. In a statement to Andscape, SpringHill Company CEO and Shop co-host Maverick Carter said Ye had used this would-be appearance “to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes.”
Jeezy was among those also featured on the episode in question. During a subsequent interview on Hot 97, Jeezy was asked about the shelved appearance, although he declined to get into any details.
“I just know that I came there, we did it, and I got a call and they said, ‘It’s a wrap,’” Jeezy said, adding that he “didn’t take it personally.”
Adidas officially has ended its partnership with Kanye West after he made numerous anti-Semitic comments.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the athletic company said in a statement Tuesday. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
Adidas has cut ties with Kanye West after he made a series of anti-Semitic remarks.
Jonathan Leibson (Credit: Jonathan Leibson)
Adidas announced its partnership with the Yeezy fashion designer was “under review” in early October after West, 45, wore a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to a fashion show — and then continued to wear it.
“After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,” Adidas shared in a statement at the time. “We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”
The company’s decision comes after celebrities, including West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian, condemned West for his remarks.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the company announced Tuesday. GC Images
West didn’t take to the company’s decision kindly, responding on Instagram, “F—K ADIDAS I AM ADIDAS ADIDAS RAPED AND STOLE MY DESIGNS.”
The rapper’s relationship with both Adidas and the rest of the fashion world worsened after he vowed to go “death con 3” on Jewish people. He was immediately banned from both Twitter and Instagram.
He later bashed “Jewish media” for silencing him online after he posted a screenshot of his text messages with Diddy in which the rapper wrote, “This ain’t a game. Ima use you as an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me.”
West has maintained he would not be cancelled despite the failing business ventures. @CelebCandidly / MEGA
Despite Adidas, Balenciaga and Vogue severing their relationships with West, the “Flashing Lights” rapper maintains he’ll never be cancelled.
“I ain’t losing no money,” he told TMZ, shrugging. “The day I was taken off the Balenciaga site, that was one of the most freeing days.”
He added, “We here, baby, we ain’t going nowhere.”
A completed documentary about Kanye West has been shelved following his recent antisemitic remarks – with his ex-wife Kim Kardashiansaying hate speech is “never OK or excusable”.
Studio executives Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu and Scott Tenley – from the documentary’s production company MRC – said in a statement on Monday that they “cannot support any content that amplifies his platform”.
The 45-year-old US rapper, who legally changed his name to Ye last year, has also been dropped by talent agency CAA in the wake of the controversy.
And reality TV star Kardashian, 42, wrote on Twitter and Instagram: “Hate speech is never OK or excusable. I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”
West was recently barred from posting on Instagram and Twitter over posts that the social media companies said violated their terms of service.
The artist has made a string of controversial remarks recently.
On top of saying he was going to go to “death con 3” on Jewish people, he has also suggested slavery was a “choice” and called the COVID-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast”.
Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu are co-founders and co-CEOs of MRC Entertainment. Scott Tenley is MRC’s chief business officer.
In a lengthy memo, the trio discussed the history of antisemitism.
They wrote: “Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3,000 years – the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain.
“This song was performed acapella in the time of the Pharaohs, Babylon and Rome, went acoustic with The Spanish Inquisition and Russia’s Pale of Settlement, and Hitler took the song electric. Kanye has now helped mainstream it in the modern era.”
Image:Pic: AP
Earlier this month, West was widely criticised for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to his own collection’s show at Paris Fashion Week.
Shelving the documentary comes after the French fashion house Balenciaga and US banking firm JP Morgan both cut ties with West.
Others in Hollywood – including other members of Kim Kardashian’s family – have condemned antisemitism.
However, some have supported the rapper, with demonstrators unfurling banners praising West on a Los Angeles flyover over the weekend.
Kanye West has been dropped by his high-powered divorce attorneys amid his ongoing anti-Semitic rants.
The rapperhas been ditched by a series of collaborators — such as Gap, Vogue and Balenciaga — after he went on a social media tirade, saying that he was going “death con 3 on Jewish people.”
Kanye West’s divorce lawyers have stopped working with him following his anti-Semitic remarks.
TOT/MEGA
But a source told us Monday, “The firm is no longer representing Kanye West.”
Reps for West and his former lawyers Clair and Cohen — whose clients have included Melinda Gates, Chris Rock and Judith Nathan in her divorce with Rudy Giuliani — didn’t get back to us.
While West and Kardashian have both been declared single, legal wrangling in their divorce continues over custody of their four children and some financial matters. kimkardashian/Instagram
In one of his most high-profile cases, Cohen helped Gates, 58, walk away from her divorce from Bill Gates with an estimated settlement of about $76 billion.
Cohen and Clair were West’s fifth law firm in this divorce case, as the billionaire entertainer has had a revolving door of lawyers represent him over the past year and a half.
Kardashian, 42, filed to divorce West in February 2021, and the former couple was declared legally single in March 2022. However, discussions have continued over finances and custody of their four kids: North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm.
This past week, Ye, 45, has been taken off Twitter and Instagram for hateful messages about Jews.
Kardashian filed for divorce after seven years of marriage. Getty Images
Following his comments, Kardashian posted a statement to her Instagram Story on Monday, writing, “Hate speech is never ok or excusable. I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”
Kardashian filed for divorce after seven years of marriage. WireImage
Plus Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner posted a statement that originated from Jessica Seinfeld’s Instagram which stated, “I support my Jewish friends and the Jewish people.”
The radio personality, whose real name is Lenard McKelvey, has been in the media game for more than two decades but has continued to elevate himself and his career by taking on new challenges along the way. Most recently, he took on a late-night talk show host role on Comedy Central’s Hell of a Week With Charlamagne tha God.
On Hell of a Week, he shares his unfiltered opinions on politics, the week’s biggest cultural news, and conducts the type of celebrity interviews he is notorious for. The variety news show follows a similar format to his 2021 show Tha God’s Honest Truth With Lenard ‘Charlamagne’ McKelvey, which was also produced by Stephen Colbert. Charlamagne has a full writers’ room, a production crew, and a team of panelists he collaborates with weekly, but the hosting responsibilities fall solely on him.
The radio host’s deadpan and frank delivery when asking questions and having conversations has gotten him into trouble in the past, but this era of celebrity podcast hosts has brought forth a new level of appreciation for those like him who aren’t afraid to ask hard-hitting questions. He speaks freely on the radio, but he says working with other writers and comedians challenges him to view and approach things differently.
Aside from his new TV hosting duties, Charlamagne has also launched The Black Effect Podcast Network, the Short Black Handsome Productions company with Kevin Hart, and his Black Privilege Publishing imprint with Simon & Schuster—all with the purpose of helping others succeed. “I like seeing who that next person is and giving that person an opportunity to express themselves. That’s what I like to do,” Charlamagne tells Complex. “Anything that I’m doing now if it’s just about me, it’s not big enough.”
He’s taking that same mentality as his popular Power 105.1 morning show The Breakfast Club is on the verge of a major transformation. Co-host Angela Yee’s upcoming departure means Charlamagne and DJ Envy will continue sharing co-hosting duties, and while Charlamagne knows the value of Yee’s presence on the show, he’s looking forward to the changes. “
Angela Yee is irreplaceable and you could never replace that piece we’ve made history with. We’ve all made history together,” Charlamagne says. “Some people say we might be one the most impactful radio shows of all time. But you can never replace her. It’s just, to me, the natural evolution of a radio show.”
Charlemagne hopped on a Zoom call with Complex and he opened up about his new gig at Comedy Central, The Breakfast Club, his thoughts on Kanye West, the state of hip-hop media, who should host The Daily Show, and more. Read our interview with the radio host, lightly edited for length and clarity, below.
Kim Kardashian condemned hate speech and expressed her support for the Jewish community following Kanye West’s recent anti-Semitic remarks.
“Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” she tweeted. “I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”
Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Kendall Jenner also expressed their support.
Khloé posted a message on Instagram that read: “I support my Jewish friends and the Jewish people.” The same statement, which was first shared by Jessica Seinfeld, has been shared by many other celebrities, including Kris, Kendall, Reese Witherspoon, and Amy Schumer.
The move comes on the heels of Kardashian’s ex-brother-in-law Kanye’s recent public outbursts, which climaxed earlier this month with Ye making harmful and offensive comments on social media and in interviews, including tweeting that he planned to go “death con 3 on Jewish people,” seemingly in reference to DEFCON 3.
“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” he wrote at the time. “The funny thing is I actually can’t be anti-Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”
Twitter subsequently removed his tweet for violating its rules. Ye’s latest Drink Champs episode was taken down shortly after premiering this week; it contained anti-Semitism and misinformation about the death of George Floyd. An already-taped appearance on LeBron James’ The Shop was scrapped for similar reasons.
Since then, Balenciaga and Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour have decided to cut ties with Ye, who over the weekend retained the counsel of Camille Vasquez, one of the attorneys who helped Johnny Depp in his defamation trail with ex-wife Amber Heard.
Vasquez, along with her Los Angeles-based law firm Brown Rudnick, will provide Kanye with legal counsel on a “variety of business matters.”
Hollywood talent agency CAA has dropped Kanye Westfollowing his recent string of anti-Semitic remarks.
As reported by The Los Angeles Times, the renowned agency has quietly made the decision to no longer work with Ye. According to a person who has knowledge of the situation, CAA ended its relationship with him on account of his embrace of anti-Semitism on both social media and in various interviews. The news comes not long after Balenciaga pulled the plug on its partnership with Ye, who tweeted that he intended to go “DEATH CON 3 on Jewish people” earlier this month.
On Monday, MRC studio executives Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu, and Scott Tenley also announced they have scrapped a completed documentary about Ye.
“This morning, after discussion with our filmmakers and distribution partners, we made the decision not to proceed with any distribution for our recently completed documentary about Kanye West. We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform,” the three wrote. “Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3000 years—the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain.”
United Talent Agency co-founder and CEO Jeremy Zimmer has also condemned the multi-hyphenate’s behavior, which emboldened a hate group to hang a “Kanye is right about the Jews” sign above the 405 in Los Angeles.
“As a company we stand for a wide diversity of voices and ideas; But we can’t support hate speech, bigotry or anti-Semitism,” Zimmer wrote in a note sent to staff, per Variety. “Please support the boycott of Kanye West. Powerful voices spewing hatred have frequently driven people to do hateful things.” Ye was previously a client of UTA.
Ari Emanuel, who heads entertainment and sports company Endeavor, made similar comments in a column for Financial Times last week. “Those who continue to do business with West are giving his misguided hate an audience,” Emanuel wrote. “There should be no tolerance anywhere for West’s anti-Semitism.”
The 38-year-old comedian addressed the issue in a between-the-scenes TikTokvideo posted by The Daily Show. The clip begins with an audience member asking Noah about his and Ye’s so-called “beef”—a term that he believed was inapplicable to the situation.
“Why am I beefing with Kanye? That’s an interesting way to phrase it because a beef has to go both ways,” Noah said. “Genuinely, it does. In my limited understanding of the world, beef has always been something that generally will happen between two hip-hop artists. I was never beefing with Kanye West. I was concerned about Kanye West.”
Noah went on to highlight Ye’s mental health struggles and how they’re largely ignored by his critics. The host pointed out that Kanye has been quite open about his health issues, and has even admitted to not taking his medication. Noah said it was “a little shitty” that some people would chose to platform and exploit Kanye during one of his “episodes.”
“My grandfather was bipolar … and I’m not saying Kanye is, by the way—I’m just saying my grandfather was bipolar, and one thing we knew was when he was having one of his episodes, he could act in a certain way and could do certain things … but our job was to support him,” he explained. “It would be weird if I was there going, ‘Oh, my grandfather’s having an episode again. I’m going viral tonight!’ I think it’s a little bit strange.”
Noah reiterated that his criticism of Ye didn’t come from a bad place. The host has previously called out the rapper for his antisemitic remarks as well as his treatment of Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson. Ye responded to the latter criticism back in March, when he shared an Instagram post in which he used a racial slur directed at Noah. The social media platform suspended Ye’s account shortly after.
“For me, it’s not a beef …” he continued. “I don’t have beef with a human being who has expressed openly that they’re dealing with a mental health issue. I don’t have beef with that human being.
What I have beef with is us as society not coming together around the person and going like, ‘Hey, hey, maybe this is not the moment to put a microphone in your face so that you just go off saying everything.’
If this is what you want to say when you’re on your medication, then that’s a different story. But because you’ve told us that, I’m not going to sit by and say that.”
TMZ reports Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who has had a well-documented relationship with the artist formerly known as Kanye West, has decided to cut ties with Ye due to his “erratic behavior” and anti-Semitic comments.
The news comes on the heels of West retaining the counsel of Camille Vasquez, one of the attorneys who helped Johnny Depp in his defamation trail with ex-wife Amber Heard. Vasquez, along with her Los Angeles-based law firm Brown Rudnick, will provide Kanye with legal counsel on a “variety of business matters.”
On Friday, Balenciaga was reported to have said it has no “plans for future projects” with West, according to Women’s Wear Daily.
“Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” a rep for Kering, the parent company of Balenciaga, told the publication.
Earlier this month, Ye sparked backlash by making harmful and offensive comments on social media and in interviews, including tweeting that he planned to go “death con 3 on Jewish people,” seemingly in reference to DEFCON 3.
“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” he wrote. “The funny thing is I actually can’t be anti-Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”
Twitter subsequently removed his tweet for violating its rules. Ye’s latest Drink Champs episode was taken down shortly after premiering this week; it contained anti-Semitism and misinformation about the death of George Floyd.
An already-taped appearance on LeBron James’ The Shop was scrapped for similar reasons.
As more and more people distance themselves from the artist formerly known as Kanye West, an anti-Semitic group unabashedly showed their support for Ye with a banner that hung over the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Oren Segal, vice president of ADL Center on Extremism, shared a photo on Twitter showing seven people delivering a Nazi salute as they stand near a banner which reads, “Kanye is right about the Jews.” Another sign read, “Honk If You Know.”
The Anti-Defamation League considers the white supremacist group, which shall remain nameless, to be aligned under a common goal to “cast aspersions on Jews and spread antisemitic myths and conspiracy theories.”
West has come under fire following a series of appearances in which he delivered anti-Semitic remarks after vowing to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE” on Twitter. In a baffling interview with Piers Morgan, Ye refused to apologize for his previous comments before expressing remorse towards “the people that I’ve hurt,” ascribing his behavior to being hurt and trying to do the same onto others.
In light of his remarks, Vogue’s famed editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has decided to cut ties with West, and Balenciaga has reportedly done the same. George Floyd’s family has also filed a $250 million lawsuit against him for falsely claiming on the since-pulled Drink Champs podcast episode that Floyd didn’t die at the hands of the Minneapolis police officers, specifically Derek Chauvin.
Balenciaga is moving on from its collaboration with Kanye “Ye” West. Kering, the parent company for the luxury brand, confirmed the split in a statement to Women’s Wear Daily on Friday.
“Balenciagahas no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” Kering says.
Balenciaga previously collaborated with West on his line, which was sold at Gap before he ended the partnership. He also walked in the French fashion house’s summer 2023 show for Paris Fashion Week earlier this month.
Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna, has a long-standing relationship with both West and his ex, Kim Kardashian, dressing the reality star in her infamous face-covered 2021 Met Gala look.
In fact, after West walked in the Paris Fashion Week show, which was set in a mud pit, Kardashian posted several photos to her Instagram of her lying in the dirt in Balenciaga looks, writing, “When I couldn’t make it to the @balenciaga show @demna sent the show to me.”
Shortly after walking in the Balenciaga show, West made headlines with his controversial “White Lives Matter” shirt for his own Paris Fashion Week Show.
He followed that up with a series of anti-Semitic posts and comments, which led to his social media accounts being locked.
Kanye West seems to be ready to legally settle his divorce from his estranged wife Kim Kardashian after hiring one of the most high-powered attorneys in Hollywood.
According to court documents obtained by Page Six, the “Donda” rapper filed a “declaration of disclosure,” which is usually filed when a divorce case is on the verge of being settled.
The documents also show that the 45-year-old has sent over all of his financial information to the reality star.
While the former couple has agreed on how to split up their multibillion-dollar empire, there’s no indication that they came to an agreement on custody of their four children — North, 9, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3 — which might be an uphill battle for Kardashian.
Kanye West recently hired a new attorney amid his divorce from Kim Kardashian. Keith Griner / MEGA
Despite saying he and Kardashian, who filed for divorce from the rapper in 2021, had been “co-parenting” better, West told Tucker Carlson earlier this month that he isn’t willing to “compromise” when it comes to his kids’ education.
“Right now we’ve come to a compromise — but I’m not finished because I don’t compromise — but we’ve come to a compromise that my kids come to my school after school and they learn choir,” he told Carlson.
The reality star filed for divorce in 2021. PA Images via Getty Images
The “Donda” rapper and reality star have been feuding for months about where to send their kids to school, with the rapper suggesting an “idea” that they split time between their private school and his Donda Academy.
Getty Images for Sean Combs
However, Kardashian has been reluctant to send their kids to West’s mysterious school, which has yet to be accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
The Skims founder currently has custody of their children “80 percent” of the time and has reportedly cut off all communication from West amid his social media tirades.
Sources exclusively told Page Six that the beauty guru refuses to talk to West about their kids’ schedules without her assistant.
West has been adamant about sending his children to the Donda Academy. Getty Images For Balenciaga
“They have had zero communication in several weeks, and all communication regarding the kids’ schedules are now coordinated through assistants,” an insider told us.
Although Kardashian is “very upset” about Ye’s behaviour, the reality star knows “everyone is now seeing for themselves” what was the “catalyst for the divorce.”
Our insider added that Kardashian “felt it was best to end the marriage when she realized she could no longer help someone that didn’t want to be helped.”
The former couple has had no communication over the past couple weeks. NurPhoto via Getty Images
Ye’s shocking decision to move forward with his divorce proceedings comes amid weeks of racist and anti-Semitic remarks from the “Heartless” rapper.
Earlier this week, West claimed George Floyd died from a “fentanyl” overdose rather than the brutal force used by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Since the outlandish claims, Floyd’s family has sued the rapper for $250 million for “undermining & diminishing the Floyd family’s fight.”
Friends of the controversial rapper say he is in the midst of a psychiatric episode. @CelebCandidly / MEGA
During the same interview, West made a series of anti-Semitic comments about “the Jewish media” just days after being banned from Instagram and Twitter for making similar comments.
In a since-deleted tweet the rapper wrote in a disturbing post: “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”
His social media outbursts come after West made headlines for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt amid what his close friends are calling his worst “psychiatric episode.”
The artist formerly known as Kanye West is acquiring Parler, the social media platform billed as a so-called conservative alternative to other sites.
In a press release, Parliament Technologies CEO George Farmer argued that Ye was “making a groundbreaking move” with this deal.
“Parlement will be honored to help him achieve his goals,” Farmer, who is married to Candace Owens, said.
In the same press release, a Ye quote is also included, complete with similarly Fox Newsian wording.
“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” Ye said.
Parler, as the Southern Poverty Law Center pointed out last January, has been criticized as “a haven for far-right extremism of all stripes.” The platform became a much-discussed facet of the larger Capitol riot investigation, with a previously published USA Today analysis showing the extent of Trump’s real-time impact on the platform in the moments leading up to the attack.
First launched in 2018, Parler quickly became the go-to social media choice for a number of far-right figures. By November 2020, per an Anti-Defamation League report at the time, those with sizable presences on the platform included Islamophobic conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer and the Proud Boys hate group.
In recent days, Ye has been met with account-restricting actions on Twitter and Instagram in response to antisemitic remarks. Elon Musk, who himself is set to acquire Twitter, later claimed to have spoken with Ye regarding his then-recent Twitter activity.
“Talked to ye today & expressed my concerns about his recent tweet, which I think he took to heart,” Musk claimed in a tweet, marking an apparent reference to Ye having previously said on the platform that he was “going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”
To read more on the dangers of amplifying antisemitism, hit this link.
Nearly a year after he first appeared on Drink Champs, Kanye West returned to the show this week to discuss a variety of topics with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN.
One of the clips from the episode that’s resulted in backlash sees Kanye discussing George Floyd, who West incorrectly claims died of a drug overdose. While referencing Candace Owens’ new documentary, “The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM,” Ye attempted to tie Floyd’s death to fentanyl. Floyd’s death was of course, ruled a homicide, and his killer, Derek Chauvin remains in prison.
“If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that,” Kanye said.
Though Floyd’s autopsy found fentanyl in his system, medical experts determined it wasn’t enough to be considered fatal.
Kanye West says George Floyd passed away because of fentanyl and that the cop’s knee “wasn’t even on his neck like that” pic.twitter.com/sVKy3VK35O
Elsewhere in the episode, Kanye mentioned how his Drink Champs viewership did better than Kim’s SNL episode when she hosted. He also called Drake “the greatest rapper ever.”
The interview with Ye was pushed back several hours last night, but later went live on the Revolt app. They added a disclaimer this time: “All views or opinions expressed during the Podcast are solely those of the individuals expressing such view or opinion and does not reflect the views or opinions of Sean Combs, Revolt Media & TV LLC, or their respective parent and/or affiliate companies.”
Ye x @Drinkchamps part 3 is now LIVE on the REVOLT app 🎬 You don’t want to miss this one!
In the sneak preview, Ye talked about Virgil Abloh, Mav Carter blocking his interview on The Shop, and Bad Bunny.
The episode arrives as Kanye has been embroiled in controversy.
Earlier this month, Kanye experienced backlash after wearing a t-shirt with the phrase “White Lives Matter” during his YZY SZN 9 presentation that took place in Paris. The Chicago artist subsequently doubled down, calling Black Lives Matter a “scam.” He has since been ripped by countless critics, including Diddy, Boosie Badazz, and Jaden Smith, among others.
Throughout the interview, Ye continues speaking about Jewish people, most notably Dov Charney—the Los Angeles Apparel founder, who printed Kanye’s controversial White Lives Matter tees. According to Ye, Charney, who is Jewish, refuses to release the shirts after West’s “Death con 3 on Jewish People” tweet. Charney encouraged West to visit the Holocaust Museum, to which West told him to visit Planned Parenthood, “our Holocaust Museum.”
West also claims the four concerts he had booked at Los Angeles’ So-Fi Stadium were canceled by the stadium owners following his Death Con 3 tweet.
Ye then accused Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, of killing Virgil, who died in November 2021 after a battle with cancer. Shortly after posting the rant on social media, Tremaine Emory, Supreme’s creative director, urged the rapper to not use the Virgil’s name as part of his “victim campaign” and alleged that Ye “rode on [Abloh] in group chats” and elsewhere.
Emory then shared a screenshot of Ye’s Instagram post about YZY SZN 9 from earlier in the day in which he proposed discussing “more important things like how late the show was or how Bernard Arnault killed my best friend.” Arnault, notably, is the CEO at LVMH.
In his caption, Emory urged Ye to not use the late Virgil Abloh’s name as part of his “victim campaign” and alleged that Ye “rode on [Abloh] in group chats” and elsewhere.
“Ye tell the ppl why you didn’t get invited to Virgil’s actual funeral the one before the public one at the museum,” Emory, the founder of Denim Tears and Supreme’s current creative director, said.
“You knew Virgil had terminal cancer and you rode on him in group chats, at yeezy, interviews…YOU ARE SO BROKEN. KEEP VIRGIL NAME OUT YOUR MOUTH.”
ASAP Bari is facing a lawsuit in connection with a car accident he was involved in back in July.
TMZ reports Bari has been sued by the victim who was injured in the crash. The lawsuit accuses the A$AP Mob co-founder of driving his Mercedes-Benz “carelessly, recklessly, and negligently” before colliding with another vehicle driven by a man named Jorge Baez.
Baez is suing Bari for more than $30,000 in damages, as he alleges the accident left him with serious injuries, not to mention an assortment of medical expenses.
“It was nice of Kanye West to buy A$AP Bari a new Maybach and enable him to move on like nothing happened, but something did happen and A$AP Bari must pay for his negligence,” Baez’s lawyer Jared Newman told the outlet.
The news arrives just a week after Bari was kicked out of his fashion label VLONE due to his behavior.
VLONE announced the news on Instagram on Oct. 7, saying Bari’s “behavior is contrary to our collective.”
“VLONE is the stamp for creatives who stand tall, thriving on individuality, caring less about conformity that has long governed the fashion style of society,” the label wrote.
“Create your own stylish rules, set your own trend, embed your own morale in which you can express yourself creatively without limitations. In the new era of VLONE, our brand will embrace distinctive creatives, who defy the norm and inspire the willing.”VLONE continued, “In closing, we will not partake in any irrational behavior associated or related with Jabari ‘Younglord’ Shelton. He has no authority to style himself as “Mr. Vlone,” use or license VLONE – this behavior is contrary to our collective.
Former NBA player Stephen Jackson slammed Kanye West for his comments about George Floyd.
During an appearance on the latest episode of Drink Champs, Ye incorrectly claimed that Floyd died of a fentanyl overdose. “If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that,” Kanye said, referring to ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering Floyd.
Jackson took to Instagram on Sunday to rip Kanye’s remarks as “clout chasing.” The All The Smoke host posted a short clip in which he indirectly criticizes West, among others, for taking advantage of Floyd’s death by “dissing” him.
“It’s all noted,” he captioned the clip. “To say u a Legend in music @kanyewest it’s sad that u still gotta talk about other people lives to be relevant is wack. Its really sad u doing all this over some ‘Pussy.’ Tender dick ass n***a.”
Jackson isn’t the only one who called out Kanye speaking about Floyd.
Boosie Badazz also hopped on social media Sunday to blast West in a pair of tweets.
“@kanyewest the hatred you have for Blacks is sad,” Boosie wrote. “N they still support your coon ass. First Slavery was a choice, white lives matter, now George Floyd etc.N it’s sad that Blacks with a platform ain’t telling u shit for attacking our race like u do.”
The artist formerly known as Kanye West could face a lawsuit from the family of George Floyd for spreading the incorrect and unproven narrative that he died of a drug overdose during his wildly controversial Drink Champs podcast appearance.
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt posted on Twitter Sunday that a lawsuit against Ye is under consideration based on the disgraced artist’s “false statements about the manner of his death.”
While one cannot defame the dead, the family of #GeorgeFloyd is considering suit for Kanye’s false statements about the manner of his death.
Claiming Floyd died from fentanyl not the brutality established criminally and civilly undermines & diminishes the Floyd family’s fight.
Ye cited Candace Owens’ latest documentary about Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement to support his claim that fentanyl contributed to his death. Considering West previously admitted he hasn’t “read any book,” one can almost assume he didn’t read about the independent autopsy which found that Floyd died from “asphyxia due to sustained forceful pressure.”
It’s also likely West didn’t read about Dr. Martin Tobin, an expert in the physiology of breathing, testifying that Floyd died from a lack of oxygen due to the positioning of the victim’s body, which brought about the actions of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin. A jury of 12 individuals found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, based on the evidence presented, Dr. Tobin’s testimony included.
Stephen Jackson, former NBA player and friend of Floyd, posted a video in response to West’s remarks earlier today, imploring West to talk to those who actually knew him, instead of believing “clout chasers” who have made a living off of dishonoring Floyd’s name.
Van Lathan Jr., the former TMZ staffer who confronted Kanye West in 2018 after he suggested slavery sounded “like choice”, recently alleged that the controversial rapper and fashion designer also expressed his love for Adolf Hitler and the Nazis during the same encounter at the company’s office, Forbes reported.
The allegations against West come after both Twitter and Instagram restricted the 45-year-old’s accounts after he shared anti-Semitic posts over the weekend. In his Higher Learning podcast on Tuesday, Lathan claimed his former employer edited out the section of the 2018 interview where West expressed love for Hitler and the Nazis.
Lathan reportedly said that West making anti-Semitic comments on Twitter and Instagram did not come as a surprise to him because their 2018 encounter made him get to know the College Dropout rapper’s line of reasoning.
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Lathan alleged that West “said something like, ‘I love Hitler, I love Nazis,’ something to that effect. And they took it out of the interview for whatever reason—it wasn’t my decision.” He added that the section in question was edited out after West was spoken to.
He also claimed that a producer at the office spoke to West and condemned his comments. Lathan said the producer told West, “I’m Jewish and that is offensive to me, what you just said.”
Lathan alleged producers edited out portions of his conversation with West. He added that they allegedly scrapped a part of the confrontation where he spoke about the people who lost their lives “because of Nazism and Hitler” because “it wouldn’t have made sense unless they kept in Kanye saying he loved Hitler and the Nazis.”
During the conversation, Forbes reported that West mentioned Jews and the Holocaust when he connected that genocide’s link with Jews to slavery’s connection to Black people. The 45-year-old also claimed “prison is something” that brings together “Blacks and whites as one race.”
This allegation also comes after The Shop talk show announced it wasn’t going to broadcast a recent interview with West because he allegedly came on the platform “to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes.”
JP Morgan Chase, the world’s largest bank, has ended its connection with rapper and designer Kanye West, now known as Ye, and his Yeezy brand.
A conservative commentator shared a letter from the bank alerting Mr West of the decision on Twitter.
At the weekend, his Twitter and Instagram accounts were suspended after he posted anti-Semitic messages.
The BBC understands the letter from JP Morgan pre-dated recent controversies, as it was sent on 20 September.
In the letter, the bank gave Mr West until 21 November to transfer his business.
JP Morgan Chase declined to comment.
Mr West had previously taken to social media to criticise JP Morgan’s leadership and said they would not give him access to the bank’s chief executive Jamie Dimon.
He told Bloomberg in September that he was severing ties with his corporate partners and that “it’s time for me to go it alone”.
Representatives for Mr West did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.
The move by JP Morgan comes as Mr West’s business partnerships have come under increased scrutiny.
Last week, sportswear firm Adidas said it was reviewing its deal with him days after he showed a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt design at Paris Fashion Week.
The company did not mention the controversy but said “successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values”.
Mr West responded on Instagram, claiming the firm “stole” his designs. That post now appears to have been deleted.
Adidas told the BBC it had made the decision to put the partnership under review after “repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation.”
A spokesperson for the German sportswear company also said that the “Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history.”
Last month, Mr West said he was ending his partnership with the retailer Gap.
He accused the firm of failing to honour the terms of the deal, including by failing to open standalone stores for his Yeezy fashion label.
Van Lathan Jr. says he wasn’t surprised by Kanye’s antisemitic comments.
The media personality addressed the topic during the latest episode of the Ringer podcast Higher Learning, saying he heard West make similar remarks during his infamous TMZ appearance back in 2018, where the artist shared his opinion that slavery was a “choice.” Lathan, who was working for the outlet at the time, recalled to co-host Rachel Lindsay that Kanye professed his “love” for Adolf Hitler and the Nazis; however, those statements were edited out of the final video.
“I already heard him say that stuff before at TMZ,” Van said about West’s recent comments about Jewish people at the 20-minute mark below. “I mean, I was taken aback because that type of antisemitic talk is disgusting. It’s like, I’m taken aback any time anyone does that, right? But as far as [West], I knew that that was in him because when he came to TMZ, he said that stuff and they took it out of the interview.”
Lathan continued, “If you look at what I said at TMZ, it goes from me saying like, ‘Hey Kanye, there’s real-life, real-world implication to everything that you just said there.’ What I say after that—if I can remember, it’s been a long time—was, actually, ‘12 million people actually died because of Nazism and Hitler and all of that stuff,’ and then I move on to talk about what he said about slavery.”
Lathan pointed out that the “12 million people” part was taken out of the final cut.
“The reason they took it out is because it wouldn’t have made sense unless they kept in Kanye saying he loved Hitler and the Nazis, which he said when he was at TMZ. He said something like, ‘I love Hitler, I love Nazis.’ Something to that effect when he was there. And they took it out of the interview for whatever reason. It wasn’t my decision.”
The Higher Learning episode comes days after Instagram and Twitter restricted West’s accounts over posts that were widely considered antisemitic. Last week the multi-hyphenate shared a text exchange in which he suggested Diddy was being controlled by Jewish people. Kanye post stemmed from Diddy’s criticism of the “White Lives Matter” shirt that West debuted during Paris Fashion Week earlier this month.
Shortly after Kanye posted the text messages, Instagram confirmed it had restricted his verified account, prompting the Donda artist to take to Twitter. Shortly after returning to the social media platform, West tweeted he would go “death con [sic] 3 on Jewish people” in response to the backlash. Twitter locked his account soon after.
Kanye faced more controversy following his interview on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight, where he propagated anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and antisemitic tropes about greed and money. Many suspect he made similar comments during his recent appearance on The Shop. The series’ co-host Maverick Carter confirmed the episode would not air due to Kanye’s hate speech.
“The Shop embraces thoughtful discourse and differing opinions, we have zero tolerance for hate speech of any kind and will never allow our channels to be used to promote hate,” Carter said in a statement. “I take full responsibility for believing Kanye wanted a different conversation and apologize to our guests and crew. Hate speech should never have an audience.”
On the latest episode The Daily Show, Trevor Noah blasted the artist formerly known as Kanye West over a series of antisemitic comments the rapper has made in recent days.
“I don’t even know where to begin with this shit,” Noah said. “I mean promoting antisemitism to your 50 million followers?”
Ye’s Instagram and Twitter have since been locked, after a series of antisemitic comments he made on the platform. “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” Kanye wrote on social media. “The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”
“I know this is not the point but that’s not how you say it. I know it’s not the main issue. I know that,” Noah joked. “But it’s DEF CON 3. Alright, not death con 3. Death con sounds like like a trade show where they unveil all the latest coffins or something.”
Noah suggested that he “feels bad” for the American right as they’re forced to deal with Ye, who just recently sported a “White Live Matter” t-shirt to much criticism. “I feel bad for American rightwingers, you know? Because they’re getting Kanye now,” he said. “They missed College Dropout, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Graduation. They missed all that and they’re getting this Kanye. It’s like getting to date the high school prom king, but decades after high school.”
Noah is no stranger when it comes to trading shots with Ye, who notably got restricted from Instagram in the past for an offensive post directed at the TV host. Ye’s latest comments have provoked Noah to once again criticize the rapper, who he has praised the music of in the past.
Earlier this week, unaired footage from Ye’s interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson surfaced online and showed him making more antisemitic comments. “Think about us judging each other on how white we could talk would be like, you know, a Jewish person judging another Jewish person on how good they danced or something,” he said. “I mean, that’s probably like a bad example and people are going to get mad at that shit.” A moment later, he added, “I probably want to edit that out.” During the same interview, he suggested Planned Parenthood was created with the KKK in order to “control the Jew population.”
Ye was also scheduled to appear on an episode of LeBron James’ interview series The Shop, but the decision was made to scrap the episode due to apparent hate speech from. “While The Shop embraces thoughtful discourse and differing opinions, we have zero tolerance for hate speech of any kind and will never allow our channels to be used to promote hate,” reads the statement from Maverick Carter, the co-host of the show. “I take full responsibility for believing Kanye wanted a different conversation and apologize to our guests and crew. Hate speech should never have an audience.”
Unaired footage from Kanye West’s recent interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson surfaced on Tuesday, as Vice’s Motherboard obtained several unedited clips that see the artist making more controversial statements about a variety of topics, including more antisemitic comments in line with what he’s shared over social media in recent days.
In the clip up top, West shared his thoughts on Planned Parenthood, which he claims was created with the KKK in order to “control the Jew population.”
“When I say Jew, I mean the 12 lost tribes of Judah, the blood of Christ, who the people known as the race Black really are,” West said. “This is who our people are. The blood of Christ. This, as a Christian, is my belief.”
In another clip, he mentioned Jewish people again while opining that Black people are too quick to judge each other.
“Think about us judging each other on how white we could talk would be like, you know, a Jewish person judging another Jewish person on how good they danced or something,” he said. “I mean, that’s probably like a bad example and people are going to get mad at that shit.” A moment later, he added, “I probably want to edit that out.”
He also said he prefers to work with Hispanic people and seemingly stopped himself before offering additional antisemitism. “I just, I trust Latinos when I, you know, when I work with them. I trust them more than…” he told Carlson, pausing. “I’ll be safe: certain other businessmen, you know.” Elsewhere he bemoaned his kids learning about Kwanzaa at school. “I prefer my kids knew Hanukkah than Kwanzaa. At least it would come with some financial engineering,” he said.
Kanye alleged that “fake children” were placed in his home to manipulate his kids, as well.
“I mean, like actors, professional actors, placed into my house to sexualize my kids,” he said. “Everyone saw in broad daylight these public figures kidnap my Black child on her birthday. I did not know the location of the birthday party and Travis Scott had to give me the address. When I showed up, they were so frazzled. If that’s not the most Karen-level thing, to feel like you can take a Black child and not give the father the address. This is the way people are treated when they get out of prison when they go to prison. And 100 percent, I am in a glass prison, or else I’d be the one with the say-so over where my children go to school.
Kanye West was a guest on The Shop, but nobody’s going to see the conversation.
“Yesterday we taped an episode of The Shop with Kanye West,” Maverick Carter, SpringHill Company CEO and LeBron’s co-host of the talk show, told Andscape in a statement. The outlet notes James was “not present at the taping.”
Carter’s statement continues:
“Kanye was booked weeks ago and, after talking to Kanye directly the day before we taped, I believed he was capable of a respectful discussion and he was ready to address all his recent comments. Unfortunately, he used The Shop to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes.
We have made the decision not to air this episode or any of Kanye’s remarks. While The Shop embraces thoughtful discourse and differing opinions, we have zero tolerance for hate speech of any kind and will never allow our channels to be used to promote hate. I take full responsibility for believing Kanye wanted a different conversation and apologize to our guests and crew. Hate speech should never have an audience.”
Andscape writes that production sources say West “doubled down on his recent anti-Semitic remarks” in the would-be episode, which also featured his “Amazing” collaborator Jeezy and shoe designer Salehe Bembury.
Complex reached out to a Springhill Company rep for further comment and was issued a copy of the above statement.
Over the weekend, West began making comments about Jewish people while slamming Diddy, then broadened his antisemitic remarks on Twitter when Instagram suspended him. A tweet where he declared “when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” was pulled for violating the platform’s rules.
On Tuesday, unaired footage from West’s conversation with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson emerged, depicting further antisemitic remarks.
Jewish advocacy groups have called out the 45-year-old for perpetuating stereotypes and “antisemitic tropes like greed and control.” The American Jewish Committee (AJC) criticized his “incoherent rants laden with racist and antisemitic undertones made on the country’s top cable news program.”
The Shop finished its fourth season on HBO last October, with Jay-Z, Tom Brady, Kid Cudi, Wanda Sykes, and many more stopping by. Season 5 moved to YouTube in March and has aired on a roughly monthly basis, with 2022 guests including Donald Glover, Quinta Brunson, Rick Ross, Idris Elba, Draymond Green, and Drew Barrymore.
Kanye West is at war. The artist (who these days goes by just Ye) has made his battles increasingly public in recent weeks, using his social media to blast adversaries as diverse as LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, Supreme creative director Tremaine Emory, and Diddy. He’s spurned his apparel partner Gap, cutting short his deal to produce Yeezy clothing with the iconic brand. Ye has also waged this war on Adidas, the brand that makes his massively popular Yeezy footwear.
In Instagram posts, he’s accused Adidas of ripping off his intellectual property and openly mocked its board of directors. In a YouTube video released on Monday, he exposed some of his dealings with the brand, showing snippets of a tense meeting with Adidas execs as part of a 30-minute piece called “Last Week.”
“You guys have done wrong by the company, by the business, and by the partnership,” Ye says in the meeting. At one point, he plays a clip of a porn video, holding his phone up to an Adidas exec’s face and comparing him to an actor in the clip.
Ye’s latest attack is among his most surreal. The video opens with a Grand Theft Auto-looking section where faceless Yeezy Gap-clad characters meander through Tokyo. From there, it cuts to scenes shot by videographer Nico Ballesteros that show Ye embarking on various missions relating to his business.
In the Adidas meeting, the participants are obscured. Ye airs his grievances to blurred-out faces, but the voices and details in the conversation confirm their identities. Who are the other men in the room with him?
To his right is Shervin Pishevar, a venture capitalist who recently partnered with Ye and has been spotted alongside him. Pishevar is not in the sneaker business, but did claim in 2020 that he’d met with Kobe Bryant in 2019 for a pitch about an independent Kobe sneaker brand.
Pishevar mentions Ye terminated his Gap deal the day before the Adidas conversation, a comment that seems to place the meeting on Sept. 16.
Pishevar argues Ye’s points about Adidas stealing his designs, explaining his anger. He admonishes the executives, saying they know they did wrong.
“When someone steals this man’s ideas, his creations, it’s like you’re stealing a child,” Pishevar says in the meeting. “These are all children of his mind, and you’ve kidnapped them. There are Yeezy-inspired derivatives that are making significant revenue because people can’t tell the difference.”
In the middle of the group is former Adidas brand president Eric Liedtke. His position between the two sides in the conversation is appropriate, and in the minutes of it that are shown he acts like a mediator.
“It starts with somebody feeling very highly disrespected,” says Liedtke, referencing Ye’s reaction to the sneakers Adidas has released that look like his. “And there’s grounds for that, in my opinion.”
Liedtke worked closely with Ye at Adidas, helping architect the long-term Yeezy deal the artist signed in 2016. He was a veteran employee, having started at the German sportswear company in the early ‘90s. Liedtke left Adidas in 2019, a departure he makes reference to “Last Week” by saying, “I’ve been removed for three years.”
Liedtke now runs Unless Collective, an eco-friendly streetwear company he co-founded in his post-Adidas life. He shows off its hoodies in a different section of the video, presenting Ye with a piece of Unless clothing while making apparent reference to the contentious relationship with Adidas.
“It’s not going to have your shape,” Liedtke says, “because, you know, we’re not into knocking off your artistry.”
Ye has posted about this meeting before—on Sept. 15, he uploaded a screenshot to his Instagram stories showing a text exchange with Liedtke. In it, Liedtke asks if Ye wants to meet before they meet with Adidas. The timing of the post aligns with the Sept. 16 date suggested by Pishevar’s comments.
Ye is enthusiastic about Unless in the YouTube video and even tells Liedtke he wants to buy the company.
In the “Last Week” meeting, West says he won’t work with Adidas unless they make Liedtke CEO. Ye has been focused on the chief executive role at Adidas, making outgoing CEO Kasper Rorsted the subject of some of his public ire earlier this year.
The meeting also features Adidas chief creative officer Alasdhair Willis, who sits to the right of Liedtke. Ye posted about Willis on Instagram in September, asking why he’d never been allowed a phone call or meeting with Willis. Hours later, Ye asked his fans not to disseminate memes of Willis as they had with other Adidas leadership, saying he believed him to be a good guy.
Alasdhair Willis was named Adidas’ chief creative officer in March 2022. Image via Adidas
Willis is married to Stella McCartney, who has her own line with Adidas. Pishevar references her in their conversation; Ye references her father, Paul McCartney, and the music they’ve made together.
“We can certainly do a lot better in the way we work with you,” he says to Ye.
The mostly silent man who sits at the left end of the group in the meeting is Torben Schumacher, a senior vice president at Adidas who’s worked for the sneaker maker since 2004. He oversees Adidas’ sport lifestyle business on a global level, which means his purview includes the Yeezy category.
Schumacher is the victim of the meeting’s most bizarre moment. Ye shows the group a porn video on his phone and compares a man in it to Schumacher, noting similarities in their voices. The scene in the porn depicts a man reacting to his partner cheating on him, which Ye likens to Adidas cheating on him and copying his designs. He puts his screen next to Schumacher’s face to drive home his point and calls his videographer over for a tighter shot.
“Come on, man,” Schumacher says before pushing Ye’s arm away.
The parts of the meeting that we’re privy to are, of course, highly edited and presented by Ye. They are filtered through his perspective on the relationship between Adidas and Yeezy. The rebuttals from the Adidas execs present and the context of the conversation’s real back-and-forth are missing. Complex reached out to Liedtke, Schumacher, Willis, and an Adidas spokesperson for comment, but none responded.
Ye has accused Adidas of ripping off his Yeezy Slides. Image via Adidas
Ye recording the encounter and showing it to the world blurs the line between it being a legitimate attempt to reconcile with Adidas and a strategic performance to make the brand look bad. It’s reminiscent of his sustained social media abuse earlier this year of Daniel Cherry, a high-ranking Adidas employee responsible for interfacing with Yeezy.
Ye’s antics have veered into hate speech—his Paris Fashion Week show on Oct. 3 was memorable not for its clothes but its embrace of a white supremacist slogan. This week, West was locked out of his social media accounts after posting antisemitic comments.
The moves read partly as those of a man determined to sabotage his deals by making himself too toxic to touch. He says in the meeting that he is confronting Adidas with its worst nightmare. Though the meeting shown in “Last Week” appears to actually be from last month, Ye’s more recent actions continue to test the limits of his relationship with Adidas.
After Ye showed his “white lives matter” shirt in Paris, Adidas issued a statement that it was placing the Yeezy deal under review, saying that it was important for partnerships to be built on “mutual respect and shared values.” The brand has parted with tenured employees in the past for less inflammatory comments, but it still sells Yeezy sneakers for now.
How much longer it can do so, and how much longer the partnership will be remotely tenable, is unclear. Ye speaks in unequivocal terms in the meeting, assuring the Adidas execs and the viewing public that he is waging a scorched-earth campaign.
“Our army is so prepared,” he says. “You understand? This is a different level of nuclear activity that no one will recover from.”
