Kanye West: Rapper Outcast

FOR YEARS NOW, rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has behaved like a social media troll. He interrupted award shows, dissed everyone from his former wife Kim Kardashian to music industry figures, called slavery “a choice”, and ran for president. He is always appearing to be in search of the next outrageous thing to do so he can have the spotlight fixed on him. And yet he crossed a line he had long been pushing when he started making anti-Semitic rants a few years ago. He even issued an apol­ogy at one point, only to retract it and double down on his comments, declaring himself a Nazi, releasing a song that glorified Hitler and selling t-shirts adorned with swastikas.

Ye is now back in the news after a row broke out when it was learned that he was going to headline the Wireless festival in London. Anti-Semitism is a growing problem in the UK, espe­cially after the war in Gaza led to an uptick in attacks on Jews. Sponsors pulled out, the government barred Ye’s entry into the country, leading to a rupture in Britain’s discourse around free speech, and the festival was cancelled.

The Wireless festival was part of Ye’s attempt at rehabilita­tion. He took out an ad regretting his comments earlier this year, and has lately been performing again. He had his first live show in five years in the US last week, and there are some more lined up, including one in India.

Ye may be expressing remorse and he could very well be suffering from bipolar disorder, which he has attributed his comments to. But given his past, few are willing to take him at his word.