Kanye West is no stranger to controversy.
His most notable rise to shame occurred in 2009 when the rapper/entrepreneur infamously interrupted Taylor Swift while she was accepting her MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video. Her video for the song “You Belong With Me” beat out Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and despite Queen B seemingly accepting her defeat with grace, West was not having it. In an epic moment I have not forgotten (remember, the VMAs used to play on a forever loop), Kanye jumped onstage as the young Swift was giving her acceptance speech and took over: “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you and I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!”
What could Beyoncé do at that moment? All our jaws dropped and T. Swift seemed horrified. Bey just mouthed “Oh Kanye. Oh God.” Was she flattered or was she embarrassed? Most of the audience stuck by Taylor’s side, ensuring West knew he was no longer wanted or needed on the stage. This moment would go down in VMA history, but this would be just the tip of the iceberg of the Kanye West Kan-troversies we would go on to experience, reaching new and absurd heights in spring 2018.
Now married to Kim Kardashian, worth an estimated $175 million as of September 2017, anything that Kanye does can dramatically affect the Kardashian brand. Recently, Kanye tweeted about the history of slavery and ultimately said this to TMZ: “When you hear about slavery for 400 years . . . for 400 years? That sounds like a choice.” He then had to clarify his harsh and uneducated comments on Twitter: “To make myself clear. Of course I know that slaves did not get shackled and put on a boat by free will. My point is for us to have stayed in that position even though the numbers were on our side means that we were mentally enslaved.” But, it did not end there. “The reason why I brought up the 400 years point is because we can’t be mentally imprisoned for another 400 years. We need free thought now. Even the statement was an example of free thought. It was just an idea. Once again I am being attacked for presenting new ideas.”
Apologies via Twitter cannot completely undo the web Kanye has woven for himself and it is reminiscent of someone else he chose to align himself with: our current president. At the same time the slavery debacle was in full swing, West engaged in tweets with Trump, with the commander in chief thanking the rapper. West also proudly wore his signed Make America Great hat, but reiterated he does not agree with everything everyone does but that he and Trump are “brothers.” Kanye even brought up Kim as a reference point, as an attempt to reiterate that he does not have to agree with everyone’s beliefs to support or stand behind them. But, has he taken it too far? Has Kanye gone over the edge?
Slavery is no joke, so to make any sort of slip or inappropriate comment can and will damage the empire both Kanye and Kim have built. It is a ripple effect. Fans see Kim standing by her seemingly ignorant and racist husband and suddenly the idea of buying her overpriced makeup products feels like making a deal with the devil. Abandoning our beliefs for beauty is a compromise not everyone is willing to make and this could seriously hinder what Kim has and is continuing to build. Additionally, she still has Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E!, on which Kanye constantly appears, so will fans still want to tune in?
Yes, we are all allowed our own views and beliefs; that’s what has always made America great. But there is a fine line when it comes to issues of race, gender, and sexuality and when high-profile celebrities make ignorant statements respect is easily lost, and I firmly believe if Kanye keeps putting his foot in his mouth, he could do a lot of damage to both his Yeezy brand as well as the Kardashian brand, especially if Kim keeps standing by her man. She goes by Kim Kardashian on Instagram, so we do not know if that is a conscious choice. She did slay at the Met Gala, maybe as a way to separate herself from the Kanye scandal.
As for endorsement deals, Adidas is still rolling out Yeezys despite fans calling for a shutdown. Just too lucrative and it’s still too soon. One has to stop and think: Kanye’s mom, who was his rock, passed away in 2007 and just two years later he began this backslide, so does his behavior have something to do with her death? How do we get him back on track, or is he too far gone? What will be the final straw that makes Kanye realize he needs to think before he speaks?
Let us know!