With near-constant chatter surrounding West, who legally changed his name to Ye, it’s hard to remember all that’s happened in just two weeks, which is why we’ve gathered some of the biggest recent controversies surrounding Ye.
1. ‘White Lives Matter’ Shirts at Paris Fashion Week
Two weeks ago to the day, Ye debuted a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt at his Yeezy Season 9 show during Paris Fashion Week, sparking a wave of criticism and some of Ye’s social media tirades later that week.
He sported the shirt at the show and the models debuted the line of clothing with the slogan on the runway, much to the dismay of many social justice activists.
“Kanye west making Black models wear ‘white lives matter’ shirts is a culmination of his anti blackness and his immersion in white supremacy ideologies and methods. Disgusting,” wrote @Blu_Alexia_ on Twitter.
Ye explained later that week while a guest on Fox News with Tucker Carlson that he had a “gut instinct” about the shirts.
“I do certain things from a feeling. I just channel the energy. It just feels right. It’s using a gut instinct, a connection with God, and just brilliance,” Ye said.
2. Ye Snaps Back at Criticism Over Shirts
Criticism from many, including Global Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, over the shirts unleashed a whirlwind of social media posts from the 45-year-old rapper.
He first took on Karefa-Johnson, who was present at the Yeezy show and criticized the designs for being “pure violence.” Ye began posting screenshots of her Instagram profile and taking low shots at her sense of style, and many came to her defense, including model Gigi Hadid.
“You wish u had a percentage of her intellect,” Hadid told Ye of Karefa-Johnson in a comment on his Instagram post. “You have no idea haha…. As if the ‘honor’ of being invited to your show should keep someone from giving their opinion ..? Lol. You’re a bully and a joke.”
Hailey Bieber also came to Karefa-Johnson’s defense, and Ye wrote in an Instagram post, “Wait Am I canceled again???” He shared a screenshot of a headline that showed Bieber defending Karefa-Johnson before he pulled her husband, Justin Bieber, into the argument. “Justin please let me know.”
He went on about the controversy in a lengthy post that has since been removed, and ended the message with, “and Justin, get your girl before I get mad.”
3. Tucker Carlson Interview
After the fashion show on Monday, an explosive interview with right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson was released Thursday in which Ye covered a multitude of controversial topics in a very short amount of time.
The rapper discussed his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, Lizzo’s weight, abortion rights, and everything in between, ranting about the media and even discussing his ties to the Trump, Kushner, and Clinton families. His comments about numerous topics were the center of criticism following the interview.
4. Ye’s Antisemitic Comments
Ye’s antisemitic rhetoric over the last week has continued as well. In the wake of the T-shirt backlash, Ye posted a screenshot of a message from rapper Shaun “Diddy” Combs who appeared to be attempting to intervene. According to the messages, Ye responded, “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… I told you this was war…Now gone get you some business.”
His comment was criticized by Jewish advocacy groups, including watchdog group StopAntisemitism.
But that unfortunately was not all; the rapper later tweeted a message that read, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.
“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.”
He appeared to have written “death con 3” in reference to the U.S. military defense alert state known as DEFCON. The tweet was taken down for “violating the service’s policies against hate speech” and Ye was later locked out of his Twitter and Instagram.
Many spoke out against the antisemitic messages, including celebrities, politicians, scholars, and social justice groups. Actor and activist Malynda Hale told Newsweek in an earlier report, “Words matter because words are a gateway to actions, and if you are starting to perpetuate this type of vocabulary and saying things like ’tomorrow morning, I’m going DEFCON three on Jewish people,’ that is making it open season on the entire Jewish community with the millions of followers that you have.”
Following Ye’s antisesmitic posts, his trainer, Harley Pasternak, who is Jewish, told Newsweek in a previous report that he cut all ties with the rapper.
“I spoke to Kanye for about five hours yesterday, and his communication is very incoherent at this point. It doesn’t forgive someone for being antisemitic. In fact, the lack of outrage over his tweet from people is very sad, regardless of whether he’s mentally ill or not. It’s not acceptable,” Pasternak said.
“As someone who’s been his friend for 15 years, I will not speak with him again until he issues a formal apology. He seems like he’s either [having] or is on the verge of a mental break,” he added.
Other people have come to Ye’s defense in recent weeks, including conservative commentator Candace Owens, who was also present at the Yeezy fashion show in Paris.
“Now, if you are an honest person, you did not think this tweet was antisemitic,” she said on her Daily Wire podcast a week ago. “You did not think that he wrote this tweet because he hates or wants to genocide Jewish people. This does not represent the beginning of a Holocaust. That’s if you’re an honest person, you’ll admit that, right?”
5. George Floyd Conspiracy
The family of George Floyd, the Black man who was killed by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May 2020, is considering suing Ye for his recent comments about how Floyd died.
Floyd’s death caused national outrage after a video circulated online showing officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as he gasped for breath, but Ye said that’s not how Floyd died.
During an appearance on the Drink Champs podcast on Sunday, Ye discussed watching Candace Owens’ new documentary, The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM, the premiere of which he attended last week.
“They hit [Floyd] with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that,” said the rapper and fashion designer. “They said he screamed for his mama; mama was his girlfriend. It’s in the documentary.”
He alleged that Floyd died as a result of having taken fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used as a pain medication that is 50 to 100 times more addictive than morphine. While medical experts ruled that a small amount of the drug was in Floyd’s bloodstream, doctors confirmed he died due to Chauvin’s knee being on him for eight minutes, causing asphyxiation.
6. Ye Set to Purchase Controversial Social Media Site
Most recently, Ye announced on Monday that he plans to buy Parler, a social media platform favored by those on the far-right.
The move was deemed by parent company Parlement Technologies as “taking a bold stance against his recent censorship from Big Tech,” and in a statement, Ye said, “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves.”
Parler has recently faced scrutiny over its ties to the January 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol building, as reports have claimed that the social media app was used to plan and coordinate the riots.
Newsweek reached out to a representative for Ye for additional comment.
