It All Falls Down for West

By: Luke Cruz, Staff Writer

Kanye West, a 22-time Grammy winner and who many people think is one of the most influential musicians of all time, has recently been shunned by the media for his controversial remarks both on Twitter and in several interviews.

    West has been dropped by several companies that he’s partnered with, including Adidas, Balenciaga, GAP, and even his talent agency, which he owns, for both racist and antisemitic comments he recently made.

    On October 6, West had an interview with Tucker Carlson, host of his own talk show on FOX News. The interview was in response to West wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week, which was held from September 28 to October 6, 2022.

    In the interview, West made a series of offensive remarks towards both black people and the Jewish population. According to ADL, he made several claims about how Jewish people were actually a part of the black population, and also claimed that Planned Parenthood was created by both the Ku Klux Klan and Margaret Sanger, in order “to control the Jew population.” He also made the remark that he actually could not be antisemitic, because by being a black person, he is also Jewish.

    The next day, West went to Twitter to make another controversial statement about both groups of people which has since been deleted.

    West tweeted, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also […]”

    In light of this, a debate has emerged- whether to separate the art from the artist. Undoubtedly, West is a successful artist and a juggernaut in the music industry. His music has supplied many generations of artists and has encouraged them to follow in his footsteps.

    Senior Fernando Queiroz, an avid Kanye fan, believes it is vital to separate the art from the artist.

    “I think it’s important to separate the art from the artist in cases like this. He has created great music that is impactful to many people’s lives and I think it should still be appreciated despite his actions,” Queiroz says.

    Mr. Zachary Phelan, history teacher as well as Kanye listener, believes it is not that simple.

    “I think as I’ve aged and received a better understanding of the world around me I’ve become less and less likely to agree with [separating the art from the artist]. It’s incredibly difficult to separate the two and becomes increasingly more difficult as Kanye continues to speak,” Phelan states.

    In fact, according to School Resource Officer, Ms. Kayleigh Kish, what West stated would likely be charged as hate speech in Connecticut.

    Kish explains, “CGS 53-37 Ridicule on Account of Race, Creed, or Color is a $50 fine or up to 30 days in prison if a person ridicules one on the account of their creed, denomination, religion, color, or race. This would likely be the statue that would fit best as it is geared toward hate speech.”

    Any long-time fan of West knows that he is no stranger to controversy and he has been an infamous figure in the media for more than a decade now. The recent comments that West has made seem to be the worst event yet, as ties are being severed with the famed artist. The music that West has made has always been successful, but in terms of his personal and social life, it seems questionable as to what his future will hold.