Kanye West, who was once hailed as an influential music icon, seems to have lost his touch in recent times. His inflammatory remarks about Blacks and Jews and his bizarre public appearances appear to have done little to secure his relevance.
The 46-year-old rapper, who split from the Kardashian clan, was last seen sporting oversized shoulder pads under his tee during an ice cream date with new spouse, Bianca Censori. However, even the exaggerated fashion statement couldn't elevate his diminishing public standing. West, now commonly viewed as a celebrity clinging to expired fame, appears to be struggling.
The singer-producer, who once rode the waves of success with his 2004 blockbuster album 'Late Registration' selling 3.3 million copies, followed by three more million-selling records, hasn't tasted similar triumph since 2010.
Although his album sales declined over the years, West maintained media attention through a series of erratic incidents. Starting from the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where he notoriously interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech, his antics have been headline fodder.
West kept the media buzzing with a prolonged feud with Swift, eventually dragging his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, into the drama. When that narrative began to fade, he made news in 2019 by declaring himself a born-again Christian.
However, the controversial rapper seems to have crossed the line with his audacious remarks suggesting Blacks "chose" to be slaves, wearing a provocative "White Lives Matter" T-shirt, and engaging in anti-Semitic rants.
His association with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, a Holocaust denier who accompanied West to a dinner hosted by Donald Trump, appears to have been the final straw for his business allies. Consequently, his estimated net worth plummeted from $2 billion to $400 million as both Adidas and Gap severed ties with him and his Yeezy brand.
In the backdrop of this controversy, court records from Adidas' legal dispute with West indicate that the company has frozen his $75 million bank account. Meanwhile, Gap is reportedly suing him for a botched $2 million retail real estate deal. In response, West claims he's being victimized.
This raises a crucial question: Is West genuinely propagating anti-Semitic and pro-white nationalist views?
Given the likely hostility he would face in a neo-Nazi gathering, it's questionable. As Rolling Stone's Jeff Ihaza articulates, "But as time went on, it became clearer Kanye’s driving concern is seldom anything other than power and attention.”
Whether or not West genuinely believes in the inflammatory statements he spews, the impact of his words remains harmful.
It all boils down to this: If he doesn't stand behind his own words, not only is he spreading hate, he's also being dishonest!