- Marco Selvaggio
- BBC Music Correspondent
9 hours ago
The controversy started after West wore the “White Lives Matter” T-shirt at Paris Fashion Week
Twitter and Instagram banned Kanye West from accessing his accounts on the two sites after posting anti-Semitic messages.
The star’s Instagram account was suspended over the weekend after accusing rapper Diddy of being “controlled by Jews”.
The letter played a role in an extended anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.
West responded to the suspension of his account by returning to Twitter, saying he would go “the third death knell for Jews” – a reference to the defensive readiness of the US military – earning a second takedown.
Both platforms removed West’s posts and claimed that the star had “violated hate speech policies”.
Controversy on fashion shows
The incident comes after West was criticized for wearing a T-shirt that read “White Lives Matter” during Paris Fashion Week.
The logo also appeared during its YZY show, when it was shown by Sella Marley, daughter of Lauren Hill and granddaughter of Bob Marley.
The Anti-Defamation League called the phrase “hate speech” and attributed it to white supremacists who started using it in 2015 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Among them was Didi, who posted a video on Instagram saying he was not “shaken” by the slogan.
“All lives matter – but the Black Lives Matter motto, don’t play with it. Don’t wear the shirt. Don’t buy the shirt. Don’t play with the shirt. It’s no joke.”
West then posted what appeared to be a message exchange with Diddy on his Instagram account, in which he told the rapper: “I didn’t like our conversation. I’m selling these shirts. Nobody can get between me and my money. . “
When Didi asked him to stop again, West replied: “I’ll use you as an example to show the Jews who asked you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me.”
The post appears to refer to the anti-Semitic theory that “a secret gang of Jews plots to control the world’s media, governments and banks”.
photo released, Getty Images
West was in Paris for a show where she changed the name of her fashion line
After deactivating his Instagram account, West took to Twitter, posting a photo of himself with Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg.
“Look at this, Mark. How did you kick me off Instagram?” She said.
He continued with a message: “I’m a little sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’ll go to the third level of death for Jews. The funny thing is, I can’t actually be an anti-Semite because actually blacks are Jews too.”
He added: “You guys played with me and tried to ostracize anyone who opposed your agenda.”
The tweet has since been removed and West’s account has been closed.
West, who changed his name to (Ye), was diagnosed with bipolar disorder several years ago and has spoken publicly about his mental health problems.
Kanye has a long history of erratic behavior and controversial statements, but his recent outbursts threaten to harm his business interests.
Adidas said it was reviewing its partnership with the star following his appearance at Paris Fashion Week and after an interview in which he expressed dissatisfaction with the way some of the latest Adidas shoes have been produced.
“After repeated efforts to resolve the issue in secret, we have made the decision to get the partnership under control,” the apparel company said in a statement.
“We will continue to be involved in the management of the current product during this period,” he added.
The shirt was “funny”
Last week, West gave a lengthy interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, covering everything from his religion and relationship with late fashion designer Virgil Abloh, to his stance against abortion and political aspirations.
When asked about the White Lives Matter shirt, he told Carlson it was “fun” and “the obvious thing to do”.
“The answer to why I write White Lives Matter on a shirt is that it really is,” he said.
When Carlson asked why the shirt triggered such a backlash, West said it was because it wasn’t behaving in a way that the media would approve.
“Because the same people who stripped us of our identity and classified us by color told us what it means to be black,” West said.
