The 47-year-old disgraced rapper has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons a lot of late, and his deranged behaviour appears to be getting more erratic
Kanye West is one of the most unpredictable and headline-grabbing figures in the entertainment world. Whether it’s a bizarre outburst, a shocking comment, or an outrageous fashion choice, Kanye always manages to stir up drama.
From crashing Taylor Swift’s moment in the spotlight at the MTV VMAs to his infamous antisemitic rants, the rapper-turned-designer has made more than a few enemies and left fans and critics alike scratching their heads.
Kanye’s name has been splashed across the papers more for his controversies than for his chart-topping hits, especially recently. His controversial stances have earned him a reputation as an unpredictable and toxic brand – and it doesn’t look like he’s backing down anytime soon.
Here’s a rundown of the five most jaw-dropping Kanye West moments:
Taylor Swift’s VMA
The infamous moment that turned Kanye West into the villain of the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards is still remembered by fans and haters alike.
As Taylor Swift took the stage to accept her Best Female Video award, Kanye rushed up, snatched the microphone, and boldly declared: “I’mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!”
Swift was left speechless, Beyonce was mortified, and the entire world was left in shock.
Kanye’s stunt was a total PR disaster, but it’s one that the internet still remembers and talks about to this day.
‘Slavery was a choice’
Kanye truly outdid himself with this one. In a jaw-dropping interview with TMZ in 2018, Kanye casually remarked, “Slavery for 400 years… that sounds like a choice.”
Fans, critics, and even fellow celebrities were absolutely floored by the statement, accusing Kanye of being dangerously ignorant and deeply insensitive.
The backlash was swift and brutal, and the shockwaves of his words spread across the globe. Kanye tried to walk it back later, but there was no chance of putting the cat back in the bag on this one.
Defcon 4
In a 2022 Twitter rant that had the world’s jaw on the floor, Kanye declared that he was going to go “DEFCON 3 on Jewish people.”
The hateful antisemitic comment sparked a firestorm of outrage and caused major brands like Adidas and Balenciaga to cut ties with him in an instant.
The backlash was so intense, it felt like the end of Kanye’s empire. But as we’ve learned, this is Kanye – no stranger to controversy, and seemingly immune to the fallout from his words.
‘George Bush doesn’t care about black people’
Kanye’s history of public outbursts started early in his career. During a live 2005 broadcast of a telethon for Hurricane Katrina victims, Kanye went rogue and said, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”
The entire room went silent as viewers around the world witnessed Kanye speak out about the slow government response to the disaster.
While some praised Kanye for his boldness, others thought he was out of line, and the moment went down in history as one of the most shocking moments in live TV.
Swastika t-shirt
In his most recent social media rampage, he targeted Jewish people yet again with another series of anti-Semitic posts before his account was deactivated.
Kanye’s Yeezy website was shut down after he sold T-shirts with swastikas on them for $20 (£16.15). As a result of the outrageous move, the rapper’s talent agency removed him from their roster.
Daniel McCartney of 33&West, who represented Kanye, confirmed that he and the agency would no longer be working with him “effective immediately… due to his harmful and hateful remarks that myself nor 33&West can stand for.”
Kanye had deemed the hateful swastika T-shirts his “greatest performance art”. Shopify, the ecommerce platform that was hosting Kanye’s site, said they had removed the rapper as he had “violated” their rules.
In part of his anti-Semitic tirade, Kanye said: “Be clear you Jewish n***** don’t run me no more. This is a free country and this is my free opinion. You abort black children for stem cells. Abortion is murder and it’s pushed onto the black and latino communities.”
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