Last weekend, the rapper known as Kanye West posted a series of offensive comments on X, the most widely offensive being anti-Semitic claims such as distinguishing his respect for Hitler and even claiming to be a Nazi himself. Former fans wonder what inspired him to say such hateful things and how this will impact his career going forward.
What is believed to be the catalyst for West’s meltdown was the backlash he received after showcasing his wife Bianca Censori in a see-through dress at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.
West arrived with his wife earlier in the day and at the time, she wore a black fur coat. The pair traveled through the paparazzi, eventually making their way to the red carpet where Censori removed her coat seemingly at the request of her husband.
As observed by the many cameras on the couple at the time, West shared a private conversation with Bianca in which she shook her head, confused, before eventually taking off her robe. This display resulted in West receiving a fair amount of backlash on X and from external news companies.
This isn’t the first time that West has faced backlash over his irrational and uncalled-for media stunts. In the past, fans have seen West openly admit to his admiration for Hitler and Nazi Germany, most famously in an interview with Alex Jones in 2022. The difference in that case, however, was that West publicly apologized for his actions afterward.
This instance, it seems, was different. West instead reinforced the public’s criticism when he admitted, “I have dominion over my wife. This ain’t no woke a** feminist s***.” This was among the first of West’s offensive X posts, lasting from noon on Saturday to his account’s removal on Monday.
West’s X rampage was unrelenting and unbiased when being racist to any one specific people group. In addition to being anti-Semitic, the rapper also targeted women and made several comments that made readers uncomfortable, such as expressing support and sympathy for P. Diddy and defaming his deceased friend, Virgil, who helped to shape West’s career.
Additionally, the rapper paid for a Super Bowl ad that aired that Sunday. In it, viewers were directed to a site selling white t-shirts branded with a large black swastika. The site has since been taken down.
Hours after his rant ended, West posted that the entire rant had been a “social experiment” to see how much he could say without his account being removed. He thanked all of the communities that he insulted and thanked Elon Musk for allowing him to vent to the public. The following morning, West’s X account was deactivated.
Fans wonder whether or not the controversial rapper’s escapades were truly a social experiment, or if posting that message was simply an attempt to grasp at straws for what little reputation he had left. It can be expected that some believed him, but most didn’t, including his long-time fans.
Long-time enjoyer of Kanye West, senior Lucas Haas, expressed his disdain for the rapper following this outburst, “I’ve always been a fan of Kanye’s work. His music has helped me through some tough times and I honestly can’t say I’d be the same person without him. However, I think he’s gone too far this time. I’ve decided that I can’t continue to support and defend him anymore after the awful things he said.”
The consensus seems to be that this is the last straw for West. The recent outburst was the point where he irredeemably shot his reputation into the pit and no one can continue to support him henceforth. However, some claim otherwise.
Senior Rajan Vaidya comments on Kanye West’s controversial personality, “I don’t know why people are so shocked when Kanye claims that he’s a Nazi. We’ve known this for a while now ever since he publicly admitted his support two years ago.”
The statement stands that West has always done things that others claim to be controversial. Whether it’s parading his wife in unbefitting clothing on the red carpet, or other vulgar or otherwise offensive acts, this isn’t something new for West.
His career going forward may suffer a few blows, such as the several civil lawsuits the rapper now faces. When he last claimed to be a Nazi, he lost several of his contracted sponsorships and partnerships, and he’s already been dropped from 33&West, a talent agency he was previously affiliated with. West’s wife has also filed for divorce without a prenuptial agreement arranged, meaning that Kanye will lose a great deal of money.
On February 7th, 2025, West released a new single featuring Ty Dolla $ign aptly named, “Wheels Fall Off.” While some would argue that its name reflects West’s life situation, many claim it to be one of his better songs in recent years. This sudden surge of success serves as a test for the rapper’s community. Those previously committed to swearing off the rapper are now tempted by the song’s release.
Vaidya adds to his previous query, claiming, “I don’t think this outburst will have an outstanding impact on his career. People will forget how they forget he claimed to be a Nazi and continue to rave when his next album drops. It’s sad, but also the way that the media works these days.”
While many would like to see Kanye West finally take responsibility for his words, it’s growing increasingly evident that the media will forget like they have in the past. Kanye himself claimed that people will still support him regardless of what he says and that he’ll continue to make billions. Time will tell whether he’s finally gone too far or if he will be proven right.
