Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, might be a talented musician but he is a dangerous threat to society. His social media accounts have been a constant source of bigoted hate. Ye has embraced antisemitic and white supremacist rhetoric that is both threatening and harmful.

Since the start of October Ye has made several public appearances where he has had antisemitic outbursts. On October 9, Ye wrote in a now-deleted tweet, “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.”

According to a CNN report, Ye’s antisemitic remarks are directly related to his long-term obsession and praise of Adolf Hitler. In fact, members of Ye’s team have reported to CNN that Ye wanted to call his last album “Hitler”.  An anonymous executive told CNN, “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.” 

 That same source called out Ye’s workplace as a toxic environment, saying that Ye would frequently talk about Hilter’s autobiography, Mein Kampf, in a positive way.  That  executive told CNN that Ye expressed  “admiration” for Hitler’s use of propaganda.

 In 2018 a former TMZ reporter, Van Lathan Jr, heard Ye’s antisemitic remarks firsthand. Lathan said he said something along the lines of, “I love Hitler, I love Nazis.” However, this was taken out of the interview. Ye has continued to spread harmful stereotypes and so-called false claims about the Jewish people. He has maintained the belief that Jews are actually Black people. He said, “the 12 lost tribes of Judah, the blood of Christ, who the people known as the race Black really are [sic]. ” He also claimed  that Planned Parenthood was a collaboration between the KKK and Margaret Sanger “to control the Jew [i.e. Black] population.” On November 29th Ye was interviewed by Alex Jones. In response to Jones Ye said, “I like Hitler. .. I’m not trying to be shocking, I like Hitler. The Holocaust is not what happened, let’s look at the facts of that and Hitler has a lot of redeeming qualities.” He added, “He had a really cool outfit and he was a really good architect … and he didn’t kill 6 million Jews that’s just like factually incorrect.” Ye continued by saying, “Every human being has something of value that they bring to the table, especially Hitler.”  Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, said that he is “sickened by the conversation that Alex Jones had with avowed antisemites Kanye West and Nick Fuentes… They engaged in hateful incitement, which could lead to violence and the death of Jews in horrifying incidents. Free speech does not extend to incitement of violence and demonization of the Jewish community, which faces the highest levels of religious-based violence in the United States.” President Joe Biden also responded in a tweet by saying, “The Holocaust happened. Hitler was a demonic figure. Instead of giving it a platform, our political leaders should be calling out and rejecting antisemitism wherever it hides. Silence is complicity,” After Ye’s Twitter account was reinstated Ye tweeded “Shalom.” Since then his account has been suspended again. 

As a cultural icon, Ye has had a huge impact in inspiring hate for Jewish people. Ye has been the source of inspiration for anti-semites across the US. In October, a group hung banners over a freeway in Los Angeles CA with antisemitic messages including “Kanye is right about the Jews.” While standing over the freeway the group used the Nazi salute “Heil Hitler”. This has instilled fear among many Jewish people. 

“Kanye West’s remarks are incredibly concerning. An artist as influential as Kanye having these opinions and being so forward about them is truly horrifying,” senior Maddie Marlowe, Co-Chair of Masters Jewish Culture club, said. According to ALC, antisemitism has reached an all-time high in the US. 

Ye has battled with bipolar disorder since 2016. Many have used his diagnosis to justify his actions. Though I acknowledge his health issues, I don’t believe they excuse him from criticism for spreading antisemitic rhetoric. There are many other celebrities and individuals who also suffer from bipolar disorder, but they do not promote and use hate speech. Ye has constantly refused treatment for his bipolar disorder. Recently he said in a video that his health issues were misdiagnosed by a Jewish doctor. “If I was on medication right now, then one pill could’ve been swapped out, and it would be Michael Jackson and Prince all over again,” said Ye. Health issues and hate speech are two separate problems.  “I keep hearing how he’s refusing help. So at that point, how can you support someone who doesn’t want to get help? And who wants to kill all the Jews?” Marlowe said.

Marlowe acknowledges his musical talent but states, “Every time I listen to him all I can think about is the things he said.”