News Analysis India

Tag: Kanye West

  • Twitter, now known as X, reinstates Kanye’s account: US media

    Last fall, West posted an image that appeared to show a swastika interlaced with a Star of David, and tycoon Elon Musk suspended the artist from the platform, which he had bought weeks earlier. WASHINGTON: X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, has reinstated rapper and designer Kanye West around eight months after his account was suspended, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

    Last fall, West posted an image that appeared to show a swastika interlaced with a Star of David, and tycoon Elon Musk suspended the artist from the platform, which he had bought weeks earlier.

    Musk at the time labeled West’s post as an “incitement to violence.”

    X’s press office did not immediately respond to a query about West’s account. By late evening, West had yet to post anything new.

    West, who now goes professionally as Ye, assured the platform he would not use his account to share antisemitic content or use harmful language, the Journal said.

    Anti-Semitic remarks by West last year cost him heavily in lost business deals. Adidas cut ties with him after a nearly decade-long partnership, abandoning his Yeezy-branded sneakers.

    In May, the German company said the end of its highly successful collaboration with West hit sales by about 400 million euros (US$441 million) in the first quarter of the year.

    Gap and Balenciaga also cut ties with the rapper and designer.

    Since Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion last October, he has fired thousands of employees and cut moderation of content.

    In December, he reinstated former president Donald Trump’s Twitter account although Trump has yet to return to the platform.

    A week ago, Musk and his newly hired chief executive, Linda Yaccarino, announced the rebranding of Twitter as X and said it would become an “everything app” that would allow users to handle all their finances as well as socialising.

    Musk also killed off the Twitter logo, replacing the world-recognized blue bird with a white X.

  • Kim Kardashian is having ‘really hard’ time co-parenting with Kanye West

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Kim Kardashian recently shared how the co-parenting situation is going with her former husband, Kanye West.

    During a Monday guest spot on the ‘Angie Martinez IRL’ podcast, the 42-year-old ‘Kardashians’ star discussed the highly controversial artiste and their four children, reports ‘People’ magazine.

    “Co-parenting is really f***ing hard,” Kardashian said, as she was brought to tears.

    The former couple, who share daughters North, 9, Chicago, 4, and sons Saint, 6, and Psalm, 3, finalised their highly-publicised divorce in November, following West’s on-and-off social media play-by-play of the situation.

    As per ‘People’, despite what is going on with West, Kardashian stands by the decision to shield their children from what plays out online and says she is doing her best.

    “If they don’t know things that are being said, why would I ever bring that energy to them? That is real, heavy, grownup s— that they are not ready to deal with,” she said, quoted by ‘People’.

    “When they are, we will have those conversations. One day, my kids will thank me for not sitting here and bashing their dad. I could,” she added.

    “I definitely protected him,” she said in the interview, “and I still will in the eyes of my kids. For my kids. So, in my home, my kids don’t know anything that goes on (in) the outside world.”

    LOS ANGELES: Kim Kardashian recently shared how the co-parenting situation is going with her former husband, Kanye West.

    During a Monday guest spot on the ‘Angie Martinez IRL’ podcast, the 42-year-old ‘Kardashians’ star discussed the highly controversial artiste and their four children, reports ‘People’ magazine.

    “Co-parenting is really f***ing hard,” Kardashian said, as she was brought to tears.

    The former couple, who share daughters North, 9, Chicago, 4, and sons Saint, 6, and Psalm, 3, finalised their highly-publicised divorce in November, following West’s on-and-off social media play-by-play of the situation.

    As per ‘People’, despite what is going on with West, Kardashian stands by the decision to shield their children from what plays out online and says she is doing her best.

    “If they don’t know things that are being said, why would I ever bring that energy to them? That is real, heavy, grownup s— that they are not ready to deal with,” she said, quoted by ‘People’.

    “When they are, we will have those conversations. One day, my kids will thank me for not sitting here and bashing their dad. I could,” she added.

    “I definitely protected him,” she said in the interview, “and I still will in the eyes of my kids. For my kids. So, in my home, my kids don’t know anything that goes on (in) the outside world.”

  • I see good things about Hitler also, says Kanye West

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: Kanye West declared his “love” of Nazis and admiration for Adolf Hitler on Thursday, sparking outrage as another commercial partner announced it was splitting from the troubled superstar.

    In an extraordinary hours-long appearance on Infowars, the show fronted by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, West — now known as Ye — wore a black mask completely covering his face, as he ranted about sin, pornography and the devil.

    “I like Hitler,” West said several times.

    Even though West hid his face — the mask had neither eye nor mouth slits — there seemed no doubt it was him. Jones addressed him as West as they spoke, Infowars billed the interview as being with West, and at one point Jones took West’s cellphone and posted a tweet on his account that appeared in real time.

    West, who has hinted he is running for US president in 2024, has spoken openly about his struggles with mental illness, but his erratic behavior has continued to raise concerns.

    The rapper-businessman has seen his commercial relationships crumble after a series of anti-Semitic comments, as the one-time titan of fashion and music appears to have entered a disturbing spiral.

    In his lengthy appearance on the Infowars livestream, West opened the throttle, drawing shocked laughter and even disagreement from far-right host Jones.

    “I see good things about Hitler also,” he told Jones.

    ALSO READ | Former US president Trump blasted for dinner with ‘white supremacist’ Kanye West

    “This guy… invented highways, invented the very microphone that I used as a musician, you can’t say out loud that this person ever did anything good, and I’m done with that.”

    Hitler did not invent either of those things.

    “I’m done with the classification, every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.

    “I like Hitler.”

    ‘I love Nazis’

    Jones, a serial provocateur who has been ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for claiming one of America’s deadliest school shootings was a “hoax,” interjected that “the Nazis were thugs and did really bad things.”

    West did not back down.

    “But they did good things too. We gotta stop dissing the Nazis all the time… I love Nazis,” West said.

    Hours after the astonishing performance, social media platform Parler, a favorite of conservatives for its hands-off approach to moderation, said a deal for West to buy the outfit was off.

    “Parlement Technologies would like to confirm that the company has mutually agreed with Ye to terminate the intent of sale of Parler,” the network said on Twitter.

    ALSO READ | Kanye West has eyes set for 2024 elections, wants Trump as ‘running mate’

    “This decision was made in the interest of both parties in mid-November.”

    In October, German sportswear giant Adidas severed its lucrative tie-up with West after the star made anti-Semitic statements, including threatening to “go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” using a misspelled reference to US military readiness.

    Paris fashion house Balenciaga and US clothing retailer Gap have also ended ties with West, who appeared at a Paris fashion show wearing a shirt with the slogan “White Lives Matter,” a rebuke to the Black Lives Matter racial equality movement.

     Fuentes

    West appeared on the Jones program with Nick Fuentes, the same white supremacist with whom West had dinner last week with Donald Trump at the former president’s Florida estate, in a meeting that provoked outrage.

    Thursday’s livestream sparked immediate condemnation from the Republican Jewish Coalition, which dubbed the three men “a disgusting triumvirate of conspiracy theorists, Holocaust deniers, and anti-Semites.”

    “Given his praise of Hitler, it can’t be overstated that Kanye West is a vile, repellent bigot who has targeted the Jewish community with threats and Nazi-style defamation,” a statement from the group said.

    “Conservatives who have mistakenly indulged Kanye West must make it clear that he is a pariah. Enough is enough.”

    LOS ANGELES: Kanye West declared his “love” of Nazis and admiration for Adolf Hitler on Thursday, sparking outrage as another commercial partner announced it was splitting from the troubled superstar.

    In an extraordinary hours-long appearance on Infowars, the show fronted by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, West — now known as Ye — wore a black mask completely covering his face, as he ranted about sin, pornography and the devil.

    “I like Hitler,” West said several times.

    Even though West hid his face — the mask had neither eye nor mouth slits — there seemed no doubt it was him. Jones addressed him as West as they spoke, Infowars billed the interview as being with West, and at one point Jones took West’s cellphone and posted a tweet on his account that appeared in real time.

    West, who has hinted he is running for US president in 2024, has spoken openly about his struggles with mental illness, but his erratic behavior has continued to raise concerns.

    The rapper-businessman has seen his commercial relationships crumble after a series of anti-Semitic comments, as the one-time titan of fashion and music appears to have entered a disturbing spiral.

    In his lengthy appearance on the Infowars livestream, West opened the throttle, drawing shocked laughter and even disagreement from far-right host Jones.

    “I see good things about Hitler also,” he told Jones.

    ALSO READ | Former US president Trump blasted for dinner with ‘white supremacist’ Kanye West

    “This guy… invented highways, invented the very microphone that I used as a musician, you can’t say out loud that this person ever did anything good, and I’m done with that.”

    Hitler did not invent either of those things.

    “I’m done with the classification, every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.

    “I like Hitler.”

    ‘I love Nazis’

    Jones, a serial provocateur who has been ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for claiming one of America’s deadliest school shootings was a “hoax,” interjected that “the Nazis were thugs and did really bad things.”

    West did not back down.

    “But they did good things too. We gotta stop dissing the Nazis all the time… I love Nazis,” West said.

    Hours after the astonishing performance, social media platform Parler, a favorite of conservatives for its hands-off approach to moderation, said a deal for West to buy the outfit was off.

    “Parlement Technologies would like to confirm that the company has mutually agreed with Ye to terminate the intent of sale of Parler,” the network said on Twitter.

    ALSO READ | Kanye West has eyes set for 2024 elections, wants Trump as ‘running mate’

    “This decision was made in the interest of both parties in mid-November.”

    In October, German sportswear giant Adidas severed its lucrative tie-up with West after the star made anti-Semitic statements, including threatening to “go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” using a misspelled reference to US military readiness.

    Paris fashion house Balenciaga and US clothing retailer Gap have also ended ties with West, who appeared at a Paris fashion show wearing a shirt with the slogan “White Lives Matter,” a rebuke to the Black Lives Matter racial equality movement.

     Fuentes

    West appeared on the Jones program with Nick Fuentes, the same white supremacist with whom West had dinner last week with Donald Trump at the former president’s Florida estate, in a meeting that provoked outrage.

    Thursday’s livestream sparked immediate condemnation from the Republican Jewish Coalition, which dubbed the three men “a disgusting triumvirate of conspiracy theorists, Holocaust deniers, and anti-Semites.”

    “Given his praise of Hitler, it can’t be overstated that Kanye West is a vile, repellent bigot who has targeted the Jewish community with threats and Nazi-style defamation,” a statement from the group said.

    “Conservatives who have mistakenly indulged Kanye West must make it clear that he is a pariah. Enough is enough.”

  • Kanye West has eyes set for 2024 elections, wants Trump as ‘running mate’

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Rapper-producer Kanye, is back in the presidential race. In a surprise announcement, Rapper Kanye West stated that he will run for US president in the 2024 elections.

    As per a report by Billboard Magazine, the ‘Dark Fantasy’ rapper confirmed his upcoming campaign over the weekend.

    In a video posted to Twitter by @RedPillGangTV, the ‘Heartless’ singer was asked by paparazzi whether he will run for Presidency again.

    “Yes… It’s simple… It’s just we’re moving toward the future,” he replied.

    The video also featured far-right political figure Milo Yiannopoulos. “This is Milo right here, working on the campaign,” the rapper said, pointing to him.

    Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene formerly had Milo as an intern, as per a report by Billboard Magazine.

    The rapper also took to Twitter to announce that he proposed former US President, Donald Trump, to be his ‘running mate’.

    “Can’t believe I kept President Trump waiting,” he wrote. “What you guys think his response was when I asked him to be my running mate in 2024?” he asked his fans in the same tweet.

    Kanye had earlier attempted to run for US Presidency in 2020, for which he launched a campaign under the ‘Birthday Party’ banner.

    Unfortunately for the ‘Gold Digger’ rapper, the campaign didn’t result in a win.

    As per a report by Billboard Magazine, Kanye had registered his party late.

    He made a single major appearance throughout his campaign, accompanied by just two video advertisements at the last moment.

    Ultimately, he only got on the ballot in 12 states out of 50, with a mere turnout of 70,000 votes.

    This year has been quite a rocky time for Kanye, who made headlines for his anti-Semitic remarks.

    Meanwhile, Trump recently announced that he would seek the Republican Party nomination to contest in the 2024 elections after losing to current President Joe Biden in 2020.

    WASHINGTON: Rapper-producer Kanye, is back in the presidential race. In a surprise announcement, Rapper Kanye West stated that he will run for US president in the 2024 elections.

    As per a report by Billboard Magazine, the ‘Dark Fantasy’ rapper confirmed his upcoming campaign over the weekend.

    In a video posted to Twitter by @RedPillGangTV, the ‘Heartless’ singer was asked by paparazzi whether he will run for Presidency again.

    “Yes… It’s simple… It’s just we’re moving toward the future,” he replied.

    The video also featured far-right political figure Milo Yiannopoulos. “This is Milo right here, working on the campaign,” the rapper said, pointing to him.

    Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene formerly had Milo as an intern, as per a report by Billboard Magazine.

    The rapper also took to Twitter to announce that he proposed former US President, Donald Trump, to be his ‘running mate’.

    “Can’t believe I kept President Trump waiting,” he wrote. “What you guys think his response was when I asked him to be my running mate in 2024?” he asked his fans in the same tweet.

    Kanye had earlier attempted to run for US Presidency in 2020, for which he launched a campaign under the ‘Birthday Party’ banner.

    Unfortunately for the ‘Gold Digger’ rapper, the campaign didn’t result in a win.

    As per a report by Billboard Magazine, Kanye had registered his party late.

    He made a single major appearance throughout his campaign, accompanied by just two video advertisements at the last moment.

    Ultimately, he only got on the ballot in 12 states out of 50, with a mere turnout of 70,000 votes.

    This year has been quite a rocky time for Kanye, who made headlines for his anti-Semitic remarks.

    Meanwhile, Trump recently announced that he would seek the Republican Party nomination to contest in the 2024 elections after losing to current President Joe Biden in 2020.

  • American rapper Kanye West could lose full custody of his children

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES:  American rapper Kanye West is being warned that he could lose full custody of his four children with Kim Kardashian, legal experts have said.

    A judge could rule against the rapper having access to the kids he shares with his ex-wife after he chose not to turn up to his scheduled deposition on November 16, reports Female First UK.

    Court documents seen by The U.S. Sun show the 45-year-old has one last chance to be questioned by Kim’s legal team on November 29.

    But the outlet said that if he again does not show, it could have dire implications for his chances of custody of the children he shares with Kim – North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm.

    According to Female First UK, New Jersey-based family law attorney Lexie Rigden from Rigden Law LLC, said: “If Kanye refuses to show up to his deposition, the judge could sanction him monetarily, make him pay counsel fees, and if it is an egregious enough discovery violation, the judge may be able to bar him from putting on a case at trial.”

    Rachel Fiset, managing partner of Zweiback, Fiset Zalduendo LLP, added: “Avoiding a deposition in litigation is treated seriously by the judge, particularly when it is a repeated offence…overall, this can hurt his case. In the most severe instance, the judge can rule against him and he could get a lesser custody award and a less favourable monetary disposition.”

    It has been reported that Kim, 42, is happy to give Kanye 50/50 custody, but he has since claimed on social media she has them 80 per cent of the time.

    LOS ANGELES:  American rapper Kanye West is being warned that he could lose full custody of his four children with Kim Kardashian, legal experts have said.

    A judge could rule against the rapper having access to the kids he shares with his ex-wife after he chose not to turn up to his scheduled deposition on November 16, reports Female First UK.

    Court documents seen by The U.S. Sun show the 45-year-old has one last chance to be questioned by Kim’s legal team on November 29.

    But the outlet said that if he again does not show, it could have dire implications for his chances of custody of the children he shares with Kim – North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm.

    According to Female First UK, New Jersey-based family law attorney Lexie Rigden from Rigden Law LLC, said: “If Kanye refuses to show up to his deposition, the judge could sanction him monetarily, make him pay counsel fees, and if it is an egregious enough discovery violation, the judge may be able to bar him from putting on a case at trial.”

    Rachel Fiset, managing partner of Zweiback, Fiset Zalduendo LLP, added: “Avoiding a deposition in litigation is treated seriously by the judge, particularly when it is a repeated offence…overall, this can hurt his case. In the most severe instance, the judge can rule against him and he could get a lesser custody award and a less favourable monetary disposition.”

    It has been reported that Kim, 42, is happy to give Kanye 50/50 custody, but he has since claimed on social media she has them 80 per cent of the time.

  • Kanye says he was beaten to pulp after outrage over his anti-Semitic rants

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: American rapper Kanye West, who now goes by the name ‘Ye’, is having a hard time after posting anti-Semitic remarks on social media.

    He has now claimed to have been beaten to a pulp in recent weeks, reports Female First UK. The 45-year-old rap star lost lucrative contracts with the likes of Balenciaga, Adidas and Gap after he posted an anti-Semitic message on social media.

    According to Female First UK, he recently took to Instagram to bemoan his situation and the perceived lack of transparency in the business world. The outspoken rapper said on the photo-sharing platform: “While I’m still allowed on Mark Zuckerburg platform. I’m going to say this again.”

    ALSO READ | Kanye says lost USD two billion over anti-Semitic rants

    He further mentioned: “Let’s see the contracts. The film contracts, the sports contracts, the music contracts. The mortgages. Let’s see the contracts. So we can or better yet will do better business. I’ve been beat to a pulp and there’s still no accountability (sic).”

    Kanye also captioned the post: “The ‘unknown powers’ are trying to destroy my life off of a tweet So does this prove that my so called suspicion was true? Leading with love. This is #lovespeech.”

    Female First UK added that Kanye made the comments shortly after his Twitter account was restored to the platform. The ‘Stronger’ hitmaker was recently suspended from the platform after he posted an anti-Semitic tweet – but new Twitter owner Elon Musk confirmed that Kanye’s account has been restored.

    LOS ANGELES: American rapper Kanye West, who now goes by the name ‘Ye’, is having a hard time after posting anti-Semitic remarks on social media.

    He has now claimed to have been beaten to a pulp in recent weeks, reports Female First UK. The 45-year-old rap star lost lucrative contracts with the likes of Balenciaga, Adidas and Gap after he posted an anti-Semitic message on social media.

    According to Female First UK, he recently took to Instagram to bemoan his situation and the perceived lack of transparency in the business world. The outspoken rapper said on the photo-sharing platform: “While I’m still allowed on Mark Zuckerburg platform. I’m going to say this again.”

    ALSO READ | Kanye says lost USD two billion over anti-Semitic rants

    He further mentioned: “Let’s see the contracts. The film contracts, the sports contracts, the music contracts. The mortgages. Let’s see the contracts. So we can or better yet will do better business. I’ve been beat to a pulp and there’s still no accountability (sic).”

    Kanye also captioned the post: “The ‘unknown powers’ are trying to destroy my life off of a tweet So does this prove that my so called suspicion was true? Leading with love. This is #lovespeech.”

    Female First UK added that Kanye made the comments shortly after his Twitter account was restored to the platform. The ‘Stronger’ hitmaker was recently suspended from the platform after he posted an anti-Semitic tweet – but new Twitter owner Elon Musk confirmed that Kanye’s account has been restored.

  • Kanye says lost USD two billion over anti-Semitic rants

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: Kanye West lost $2 billion in a single day, he said Thursday, as business partners rushed to dump the rapper in the wake of a series of anti-Semitic outbursts.

    The music and fashion mogul has seen lucrative commercial tie-ups shelved as companies including Adidas and Gap took fright at comments dubbed hate speech by activists.

    “I lost 2 billion dollars in one day. And I’m still alive. This is love speech,” West, who is also known as Ye, wrote on Instagram in a post that had been liked over a million times.

    “I still love you. God still loves you. Money is not who I am. The people is who I am,” the post said, naming Emanuel Ari, the CEO of entertainment company Endeavor, who had urged companies to sever ties with the rapper.

    German sportswear giant Adidas said Tuesday it was ending its partnership with West after his “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous” comments.

    Adidas also said it would end production of the highly successful “Yeezy” line designed together with West and “stop all payments to Ye and his companies”.

    The move is expected to lop around a quarter of a billion dollars off Adidas’s bottom line this year alone.

    ALSO READ | Kanye West allegedly kicked out of Skechers’ headquarters in California

    West, who is open about his struggles with bipolar disorder, has long been outspoken, having half-heartedly run for US president in 2020 and then thrown his weight behind Donald Trump.

    His willingness to go beyond the pale is a double-edged sword for business partners, who have benefited from his high profile and his frequent media appearances, but who risk being tarnished by association.

    While they weathered previous comments, including when West called slavery a “choice”, things began to unravel this month with his appearance at a Paris fashion show wearing a shirt emblazoned “White Lives Matter”, a slogan created as a backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement.

    Days later he was temporarily locked out of Twitter and Instagram for threatening to “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE”, using a misspelled reference to US military readiness.

    That sparked alarm, including apparently from his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, who wrote on social media “Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” in posts that did not name West.

    Last weekend a banner was hoisted over a busy Los Angeles freeway that read “Kanye is right about the Jews” and “Honk if you know.” Several people were photographed making “Heil Hitler” salutes.

     Escorted outAdidas’s announcement was followed hours later by US company Gap, which said it was taking “immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap product from our stores” in addition to shutting down YeezyGap.com.

    Paris-based fashion house Balenciaga also ended ties with the rapper last week, saying it “no longer (has) any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist”.

    One of Hollywood’s biggest talent agencies, CAA, said it was dropping West, while film and TV producer MRC said it was shelving an already-finished documentary about the artist.

    On Wednesday, West was escorted out of the corporate offices of shoe company Skechers in Los Angeles after showing up uninvited with a film crew, the firm said.

    LOS ANGELES: Kanye West lost $2 billion in a single day, he said Thursday, as business partners rushed to dump the rapper in the wake of a series of anti-Semitic outbursts.

    The music and fashion mogul has seen lucrative commercial tie-ups shelved as companies including Adidas and Gap took fright at comments dubbed hate speech by activists.

    “I lost 2 billion dollars in one day. And I’m still alive. This is love speech,” West, who is also known as Ye, wrote on Instagram in a post that had been liked over a million times.

    “I still love you. God still loves you. Money is not who I am. The people is who I am,” the post said, naming Emanuel Ari, the CEO of entertainment company Endeavor, who had urged companies to sever ties with the rapper.

    German sportswear giant Adidas said Tuesday it was ending its partnership with West after his “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous” comments.

    Adidas also said it would end production of the highly successful “Yeezy” line designed together with West and “stop all payments to Ye and his companies”.

    The move is expected to lop around a quarter of a billion dollars off Adidas’s bottom line this year alone.

    ALSO READ | Kanye West allegedly kicked out of Skechers’ headquarters in California

    West, who is open about his struggles with bipolar disorder, has long been outspoken, having half-heartedly run for US president in 2020 and then thrown his weight behind Donald Trump.

    His willingness to go beyond the pale is a double-edged sword for business partners, who have benefited from his high profile and his frequent media appearances, but who risk being tarnished by association.

    While they weathered previous comments, including when West called slavery a “choice”, things began to unravel this month with his appearance at a Paris fashion show wearing a shirt emblazoned “White Lives Matter”, a slogan created as a backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement.

    Days later he was temporarily locked out of Twitter and Instagram for threatening to “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE”, using a misspelled reference to US military readiness.

    That sparked alarm, including apparently from his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, who wrote on social media “Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” in posts that did not name West.

    Last weekend a banner was hoisted over a busy Los Angeles freeway that read “Kanye is right about the Jews” and “Honk if you know.” Several people were photographed making “Heil Hitler” salutes.

     Escorted out
    Adidas’s announcement was followed hours later by US company Gap, which said it was taking “immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap product from our stores” in addition to shutting down YeezyGap.com.

    Paris-based fashion house Balenciaga also ended ties with the rapper last week, saying it “no longer (has) any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist”.

    One of Hollywood’s biggest talent agencies, CAA, said it was dropping West, while film and TV producer MRC said it was shelving an already-finished documentary about the artist.

    On Wednesday, West was escorted out of the corporate offices of shoe company Skechers in Los Angeles after showing up uninvited with a film crew, the firm said.

  • Kanye West allegedly kicked out of Skechers’ headquarters in California

    By Associated Press

    MANHATTAN BEACH: The rapper formerly known as Kanye West was escorted out of the California-based headquarters of athletic shoemaker Skechers after he showed up unannounced Wednesday, a day after Adidas ended its partnership with the artist following his antisemitic remarks.

    The Grammy winner, who legally changed his name to Ye, “arrived unannounced and without invitation” at Skechers corporate headquarters in Manhattan Beach, southwest of Los Angeles, the company said.

    “Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation,” according to a company statement.

    “Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West,” the company said. “We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech.”

    The rapper’s Instagram account — which had been suspended over antisemitic comments — resumed posting Tuesday night. A new message showing a screen grab of a text message that appeared to be from a contact at a high-profile law firm spelled out when Ye could resume making apparel and new shoe designs.Details of the message could not be verified; email messages sent to representatives for Ye weren’t immediately returned.

    ALSO READ | Kanye West dropped by talent agency, documentary on him scrapped

    For weeks, Ye has made antisemitic comments in interviews and social media, including a Twitter post earlier this month that he would soon go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” an apparent reference to the U.S. defense readiness condition scale known as DEFCON. His posts led to his suspension from both Twitter and Instagram.

    He apologized for the tweet on Monday. On Tuesday, sportswear manufacturer Adidas announced that it was ending a partnership with Ye that helped make him a billionaire, saying it doesn’t tolerate antisemitism and hate speech.

    The German sneaker giant said it expected that the decision to immediately stop production of its Yeezy products would cause a hit to its net income of up to 250 million euros ($246 million).The company had stuck with Ye through other controversies after he suggested slavery was a choice and called the COVID-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast.”

    Other companies also have announced they were cutting ties with Ye, including Foot Locker, Gap, TJ Maxx, JPMorgan Chase bank and Vogue magazine. An MRC documentary about him was also scrapped.

    MANHATTAN BEACH: The rapper formerly known as Kanye West was escorted out of the California-based headquarters of athletic shoemaker Skechers after he showed up unannounced Wednesday, a day after Adidas ended its partnership with the artist following his antisemitic remarks.

    The Grammy winner, who legally changed his name to Ye, “arrived unannounced and without invitation” at Skechers corporate headquarters in Manhattan Beach, southwest of Los Angeles, the company said.

    “Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation,” according to a company statement.

    “Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West,” the company said. “We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech.”

    The rapper’s Instagram account — which had been suspended over antisemitic comments — resumed posting Tuesday night. A new message showing a screen grab of a text message that appeared to be from a contact at a high-profile law firm spelled out when Ye could resume making apparel and new shoe designs.
    Details of the message could not be verified; email messages sent to representatives for Ye weren’t immediately returned.

    ALSO READ | Kanye West dropped by talent agency, documentary on him scrapped

    For weeks, Ye has made antisemitic comments in interviews and social media, including a Twitter post earlier this month that he would soon go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” an apparent reference to the U.S. defense readiness condition scale known as DEFCON. His posts led to his suspension from both Twitter and Instagram.

    He apologized for the tweet on Monday. On Tuesday, sportswear manufacturer Adidas announced that it was ending a partnership with Ye that helped make him a billionaire, saying it doesn’t tolerate antisemitism and hate speech.

    The German sneaker giant said it expected that the decision to immediately stop production of its Yeezy products would cause a hit to its net income of up to 250 million euros ($246 million).
    The company had stuck with Ye through other controversies after he suggested slavery was a choice and called the COVID-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast.”

    Other companies also have announced they were cutting ties with Ye, including Foot Locker, Gap, TJ Maxx, JPMorgan Chase bank and Vogue magazine. An MRC documentary about him was also scrapped.

  • Kanye West dropped by talent agency, documentary on him scrapped

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: A completed documentary about the rapper formerly known as Kanye West has been shelved amid his recent slew of antisemitic remarks.

    MRC studio executives Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu and Scott Tenley announced in a memo Monday: “We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform.”

    Ye was recently restricted from posting on Twitter and Instagram over antisemitic posts that the social networks said violated their policies. He has also suggested slavery was a choice and called the COVID-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast.” Earlier this month, Ye was criticized for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to the showing of his latest collection at Paris Fashion Week.

    Wiczyk and Satchu are co-founders and co-CEOs of MRC Entertainment. Tenley is the chief business officer. Shelving the documentary comes just days after the French fashion house Balenciaga cut ties with Ye, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

    In their lengthy memo, Wiczyk, Satchu and Tenley reach deep into the history of antisemitism.

    “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. 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,” they wrote.

    Ye’s talent agency, CAA, has dropped him as well. That news Monday and the scrapped documentary comes after UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer condemned Ye in a companywide memo denouncing antisemitism. Ye was briefly a client but returned to CAA after a year.

    Others in Hollywood, including Ye’s estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, and other members of her family, have also condemned antisemitism. Demonstrators on a Los Angeles overpass Saturday unfurled a banner praising Ye.

    NEW YORK: A completed documentary about the rapper formerly known as Kanye West has been shelved amid his recent slew of antisemitic remarks.

    MRC studio executives Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu and Scott Tenley announced in a memo Monday: “We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform.”

    Ye was recently restricted from posting on Twitter and Instagram over antisemitic posts that the social networks said violated their policies. He has also suggested slavery was a choice and called the COVID-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast.” Earlier this month, Ye was criticized for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to the showing of his latest collection at Paris Fashion Week.

    Wiczyk and Satchu are co-founders and co-CEOs of MRC Entertainment. Tenley is the chief business officer. Shelving the documentary comes just days after the French fashion house Balenciaga cut ties with Ye, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

    In their lengthy memo, Wiczyk, Satchu and Tenley reach deep into the history of antisemitism.

    “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. 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,” they wrote.

    Ye’s talent agency, CAA, has dropped him as well. That news Monday and the scrapped documentary comes after UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer condemned Ye in a companywide memo denouncing antisemitism. Ye was briefly a client but returned to CAA after a year.

    Others in Hollywood, including Ye’s estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, and other members of her family, have also condemned antisemitism. Demonstrators on a Los Angeles overpass Saturday unfurled a banner praising Ye.

  • Adidas under pressure over Kanye West after anti-Jewish outbursts

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: Sportswear giant Adidas was under growing pressure on Monday to sever ties with Kanye West after a series of anti-Semitic outbursts by the controversial rapper.

    Human rights campaigners called out the German firm for its continued silence over comments by West — known formally as Ye — that have made him more and more isolated from the businesses and brands that have made him fabulously wealthy.

    “Thousands of signatures, and still no word, @adidas ? Your silence is a danger to Jews,” tweeted Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “We can’t let Ye’s #antisemitism become normalized – we all need to demand Adidas #RunAwayFromHate by condemning his racist rhetoric & re-evaluating their partnership,” he added.

    Thousands of signatures, and still no word, @adidas? Your silence is a danger to Jews. We can’t let Ye’s #antisemitism become normalized – we all need to demand Adidas #RunAwayFromHate by condemning his racist rhetoric & re-evaluating their partnership: https://t.co/2kRkXRgck1 pic.twitter.com/k2zkbC3SjN
    — Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) October 24, 2022
    The company said this month it was reviewing its relationship with West after he appeared at a fashion show in Paris wearing a shirt with the slogan “White Lives Matter.”

    The phrase is a dog whistle to right-wing groups in the United States and a reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement.

    Days later he was locked out of Twitter and Instagram for threatening to “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” Over the weekend a banner was hoisted over a busy Los Angeles freeway that read “Kanye is right about the Jews” and “Honk if you know.”

    Several activists were photographed making “Heil Hitler” salutes. On Monday, one of Hollywood’s biggest talent agencies, CAA, said it was dropping West. Film and TV producer MRC said it was shelving an already-finished documentary about West.

    “We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform,” the company said, according to the Los Angeles Times. Other leading figures in entertainment, including Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, called on all companies to cut ties with West.

    ALSO READ | Kanye West facing potential USD 250 million lawsuit from George Floyd’s family

    “Those who continue to do business with West are giving his misguided hate an audience,” Emanuel wrote in the Financial Times. “There should be no tolerance anywhere for West’s anti-Semitism.”

    Last week Paris-based fashion house Balenciaga ended ties with West, saying it “no longer (has) any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist.”

    West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian appeared to be joining the pile-on, though her tweet did not mention the father of her children by name.

    “Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” she wrote on Twitter and Instagram on Monday.

    ALSO READ | US rapper Kanye West crosses line with ‘frequent’ bigoted remarks

    “I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”

    Illness

    The company, whose founders had ties to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, announced several weeks ago that it was reviewing its relationship with West after he reportedly became disgruntled with how the brand was marketing his products.

    “After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,” Adidas said in a statement in early October.

    West had accused Adidas of arranging marketing events and bringing back older styles without his approval.

    He also said the brand had hired staff to work under him and organized a “Yeezy Day” without his involvement.

    ALSO READ | Adidas puts partnership with Kanye West ‘under review’

    The artist was associated with Nike for years but broke away in 2013, lending his name to Adidas as they launched their first Yeezy shoe together in 2015 — a partnership that went on to make him a billionaire.

    Along with Beyonce, Stella McCartney and Pharrell Williams, West’s has been one of the top names used by Adidas to boost sales, especially online.

    Announcing the review, Adidas did not mention recent tensions, but said its partnership with the rapper had been “one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history” and was “rooted in mutual respect and shared values.”

    West, who half-heartedly ran for president of the United States in 2020, has spoken openly about his struggles with mental illness, but his erratic behaviour has continued to raise concerns.

    LOS ANGELES: Sportswear giant Adidas was under growing pressure on Monday to sever ties with Kanye West after a series of anti-Semitic outbursts by the controversial rapper.

    Human rights campaigners called out the German firm for its continued silence over comments by West — known formally as Ye — that have made him more and more isolated from the businesses and brands that have made him fabulously wealthy.

    “Thousands of signatures, and still no word, @adidas ? Your silence is a danger to Jews,” tweeted Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “We can’t let Ye’s #antisemitism become normalized – we all need to demand Adidas #RunAwayFromHate by condemning his racist rhetoric & re-evaluating their partnership,” he added.

    Thousands of signatures, and still no word, @adidas? Your silence is a danger to Jews. We can’t let Ye’s #antisemitism become normalized – we all need to demand Adidas #RunAwayFromHate by condemning his racist rhetoric & re-evaluating their partnership: https://t.co/2kRkXRgck1 pic.twitter.com/k2zkbC3SjN
    — Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) October 24, 2022
    The company said this month it was reviewing its relationship with West after he appeared at a fashion show in Paris wearing a shirt with the slogan “White Lives Matter.”

    The phrase is a dog whistle to right-wing groups in the United States and a reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement.

    Days later he was locked out of Twitter and Instagram for threatening to “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” Over the weekend a banner was hoisted over a busy Los Angeles freeway that read “Kanye is right about the Jews” and “Honk if you know.”

    Several activists were photographed making “Heil Hitler” salutes. On Monday, one of Hollywood’s biggest talent agencies, CAA, said it was dropping West. Film and TV producer MRC said it was shelving an already-finished documentary about West.

    “We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform,” the company said, according to the Los Angeles Times. Other leading figures in entertainment, including Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, called on all companies to cut ties with West.

    ALSO READ | Kanye West facing potential USD 250 million lawsuit from George Floyd’s family

    “Those who continue to do business with West are giving his misguided hate an audience,” Emanuel wrote in the Financial Times. “There should be no tolerance anywhere for West’s anti-Semitism.”

    Last week Paris-based fashion house Balenciaga ended ties with West, saying it “no longer (has) any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist.”

    West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian appeared to be joining the pile-on, though her tweet did not mention the father of her children by name.

    “Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” she wrote on Twitter and Instagram on Monday.

    ALSO READ | US rapper Kanye West crosses line with ‘frequent’ bigoted remarks

    “I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”

    Illness

    The company, whose founders had ties to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, announced several weeks ago that it was reviewing its relationship with West after he reportedly became disgruntled with how the brand was marketing his products.

    “After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,” Adidas said in a statement in early October.

    West had accused Adidas of arranging marketing events and bringing back older styles without his approval.

    He also said the brand had hired staff to work under him and organized a “Yeezy Day” without his involvement.

    ALSO READ | Adidas puts partnership with Kanye West ‘under review’

    The artist was associated with Nike for years but broke away in 2013, lending his name to Adidas as they launched their first Yeezy shoe together in 2015 — a partnership that went on to make him a billionaire.

    Along with Beyonce, Stella McCartney and Pharrell Williams, West’s has been one of the top names used by Adidas to boost sales, especially online.

    Announcing the review, Adidas did not mention recent tensions, but said its partnership with the rapper had been “one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history” and was “rooted in mutual respect and shared values.”

    West, who half-heartedly ran for president of the United States in 2020, has spoken openly about his struggles with mental illness, but his erratic behaviour has continued to raise concerns.