Rapper and songwriter Kanye West provoked renewed controversy over his disparaging remarks about George Floyd and the Jewish people. In a first, West endorsed the conspiracy theory that Mr. Floydâs death was caused by drug overdose, while also repeatedly ranting about âThe Jewish mediaâ. The podcast appearance was later pulled off the internet, as the show host later issued a clarification and rebuttal regarding Westâs comments.
Kanye West, legally known as âYeâ since last year, is the richest African American in history, with a net worth surpassing $6 billion. In addition to his music career and spiritual guruhood, West has also drawn widespread public attention due to his outspoken political views, which lean strongly towards the reactionary far-right. West has repeatedly come out in support of the polarizing Republican leader Donald Trump, labelling the pair both âdragon energy brothersâ and being called a âgeniusâ in turn. Nonetheless, even Trump is now starting to distance himself from Westâs latest eccentric views, characterizing the artist as âcrazyâ and in need of âhelpâ.
Last weekend, West was featured in an interview with the Drink Champs hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN. The episode, which lasted only 45 minutes, had West break down into numerous rage sprees about a variety of subjects, mostly focused around conspiracy theories.
Most notably, Kanye West (or âYeâ) enthusiastically shared his experience of watching the latest pseudo-documentary subtitled âGeorge Floyd and the Rise of BLMâ by the Daily Wire-associated podcaster Candace Owens. West has been a long-term fan since the early days of Owenâs rise to popularity, infamously tweeting in 2018: âI love the way Candace Owens thinksâ.
In the film, Owens espouses the fringe conspiracy theory that the brutal death of George Floyd, which prompted the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, was somehow caused by the tiny amounts of fentanyl found in his body. West claimed, accepting the unfounded claims of the documentary, that âThe guyâs knee was not even on his neck like thatâ, referring to the policeman Derek Chauvin who killed Floyd through intentional and prolonged asphyxiation. The cause of death has been proved in court, with multiple experts testifying that the technique used would have killed even a âhealthy personâ.
At another point, West descended into a full-blown antisemitic meltdown, alleging that âThe Jewish mediaâ has taken control (of America?) and leads the narrative. He boldly proclaimed: âJewish people have owned the Black Voiceâ, while referring to âJewishâ managers, basketball teams, and entertainment companies. He clarified by giving an example, specifically calling Disney âA Jewish platformâ, while awkwardly trying to salvage his reputation out of suppressed guilt. At one point, West even claimed he was a Jew himself, being âThe blood of Christâ.
The interview was pulled off by the host podcast after only around twelve hours. Instead, a response video to Kanye West by N.O.R.E. was posted as an âextended clipâ, which was not originally a part of the interview.
