Top artists, antisemitic lyrics
"At a time of rising antisemitism worldwide, it's disgusting to see Kanye once again use his platform to spew Jew hatred," says the Anti-Defamation League.
(JTA) At the end of 2022, Kanye West, the billionaire rapper who now goes by Ye, seemed to be persona non grata in the entertainment industry. After months of antisemitic rants on social media and in unhinged interviews, he was dropped from a lucrative business partnership with Adidas and booted from his longtime record label.
But two Sundays ago, he hosted a swanky album release party in Miami for Vultures, which was written in partnership with longtime collaborator Ty Dolla Sign. Its track listing features a who’s who of rap industry names – from Lil Baby and Nicki Minaj to producers like Timbaland, who has worked with the likes of Beyonce and Justin Timberlake.
On the album’s eponymous lead single, released last month, West raps: “How I’m antisemitic? I just f***ed a Jewish bitch/I just f***ed Scooter’s bitch,” referencing Jewish music mogul Scooter Braun.
“At a time of rising antisemitism worldwide, it’s disgusting to see Kanye once again use his platform to spew Jew hatred,” the Anti-Defamation League responded.
Even though the single did not make any Billboard music charts, West’s album seems headed for a large audience on most major streaming platforms – despite the performer having spent months in the spotlight over antisemitic comments.
In October 2022, he threatened to “go death con 3” on Jewish people, a phrase that was widely interpreted to connote violence. He tweeted images of swastikas, picked fights with Jewish figures and praised Hitler in a sprawling interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. He bragged that he could “say antisemitic s**t” while maintaining business ties with Adidas, and several reports came out about his longtime fascination with Nazism.
West, also a clothing designer in recent years, made headlines for his fashion choice at Sunday’s event: a black pointed hood that resembled part of the Ku Klux Klan’s uniform. He previously used the black hood imagery in the music video for his 2013 song Black Skinhead.
Also featured on the album is Kodak Black, a rapper who reportedly became interested in Judaism while in prison in 2019 and donated $1000 to an Orthodox synagogue.
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