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Academic article detailing how West has evolved into a 'celebrity politician', an evolved form of celebrity with a large public persuasion in politics, as a result of his outspoken nature.

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An academic article detailing the impact of West's socially conscious lyricism in his early career.

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West was a pioneer of the 'chipmunk soul' sub-genre that dominated hip-hop throughout the 2000s.

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25 Greatest Chipmunk Soul Beats from the Roc-A-Fella Dynasty

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In the early 2000s, Kanye West, Just Blaze, and the Heatmakerz defined an era with their sped-up soul samples.

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Kanye West: if you see yourself at war with Jewish people, then you are, by definition, Antisemitic.   

Shame on you and your enablers like Tucker Carlson.

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Kanye West: if you see yourself at war with Jewish people, then you are, by definition, Antisemitic.   

Shame on you and your enablers like Tucker Carlson.

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Kanye West: if you see yourself at war with Jewish people, then you are, by definition, Antisemitic.

Shame on you and your enablers like Tucker Carlson.
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) October 9, 2022

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Kanye West: if you see yourself at war with Jewish people, then you are, by definition, Antisemitic.   

Shame on you and your enablers like Tucker Carlson.

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Kanye West: if you see yourself at war with Jewish people, then you are, by definition, Antisemitic.   

Shame on you and your enablers like Tucker Carlson.

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Kanye West: if you see yourself at war with Jewish people, then you are, by definition, Antisemitic.   

Shame on you and your enablers like Tucker Carlson.

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Topline

Ye, also known as Kanye West, wore a shirt with "WHITE LIVES MATTER" written on it at his Yeezy SZN 9 fashion show in Paris on Monday, in yet another controversial move from the outspoken fashion designer and rapper.

Kanye West arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 9, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
2020 Invision

Key Facts

West and at least one other model wore the shirts, which featured a photo of Pope John Paul II's face on it, according to Page Six and the New York Times.

Conservative commentator Candace Owens was pictured at the show and seen wearing a version of the shirt while standing with West, according to images shared online.

Model Naomi Campbell walked in the show, though she did not wear one of the shirts.

Key Background

West, who recently ended his business relationship with Gap and vowed to end his long-standing partnership with Adidas, has previously made several questionable comments about race and the Black community. In 2018, he told TMZ that slavery in the U.S. "sounds like a choice," though he attempted to walk back the statement. While running for president in 2020, West said that Harriet Tubman "never actually freed the slaves" and "just had the slaves go work for other white people." West visited former President Donald Trump at the White House during his presidency, and wore one of Trump's Make America Great Again hats. He faced criticism for doing so, and said "one of my favorite of many things about what the Trump hat represents to me is that people can't tell me what to do because I'm Black." Earlier this year, West was temporarily banned from Instagram for calling Trevor Noah a racial slur. Owens has previously defended West online.

Further Reading

Kanye West Leaving Adidas And Gap Partnerships Once Contracts Expire, He Says (Forbes)

What's Eating Kanye West? Leaving Adidas Would Drop The Volatile Superstar From Billionaire Status (Forbes)

Ye: Light, Liberation, Fire And Freedom (Forbes)

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Kanye West Wears 'White Lives Matter' Shirt At Yeezy Fashion Show

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Ye, also known as Kanye West, wore a shirt with "WHITE LIVES MATTER" written on it at his Yeezy SZN 9 fashion show in Paris on Monday, in yet another controversial move from the outspoken fashion designer and rapper.

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The superstar rapper no longer has a place on the Forbes Billionaires' list now that his lucrative deal with Adidas is over.

Just days ago, the rapper-cum-fashion entrepreneur Kanye West challenged Adidas to drop him following a weeks-long barrage of antisemitic remarks made on social media and in national media appearances.

"I can say antisemitic s-- and Adidas cannot drop me," said the rapper, who legally now goes by the name "Ye," on the Drink Champs podcast earlier this month. Ye, who had worked with Adidas since 2013 on his Yeezy line of super-expensive, super-popular sneakers, thought he was untouchable. After all, Adidas gets an estimated 4% to 8% of its sales from Yeezy products, according to investment bank Cowen. For Ye, it was an even bigger deal, accounting for $1.5 billion of his net worth.

But Ye's words put the German athletic wear company, with its own Nazi ties dating back to its founders, in the hot seat. What followed was even more escalating pressure on Adidas to sever ties with Ye, as his string of antisemitic remarks drew condemnation from the top tiers of Hollywood. For weeks, Adidas stayed silent, except to say on October 6 that their partnership with Ye was "under review."

The pressure ratcheted up on Adidas after an image was released over the weekend of a banner draped over a Los Angeles highway overpass reading "Kanye was right about the Jews" accompanied by a group of white supremacists giving the Nazi salute to the drivers below. The white supremacists were apparently referring to Ye's "death con 3 on Jewish people" tweet that got his Twitter account locked; other antisemitic remarks got him blocked on Instagram, and thousands upon thousands upon thousands of social media users chorused for Adidas to also drop Ye.

Today-Tuesday, October 25-Adidas finally broke its silence and ended the relationship. That move will cost them big, but Ye even more, immediately knocking him out of the billionaire ranks.

"Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye's recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company's values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness," the company declared in a press release. "After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect."

With that gone, Ye is no longer a billionaire.

It caps a stunning, self-induced downfall for one of the brashest and most volatile personalities to have graced Forbes' pages (and a magazine cover). Ye did not respond to request for comment.

The $1.5 billion value of the Adidas deal was calculated off of a multiple of annual earnings. Based on interviews with industry experts, Forbes had viewed the royalties Ye received from Adidas to be similar to royalties from music catalogs or film residuals. The Adidas income stream could be sold off, those experts said, just like dozens of musicians (including the likes of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen) have sold off their life's work over the past two years.

Without Adidas, Ye is worth $400 million. The remainder of Ye's fortune, Forbes estimates, comes from real estate, cash, his music catalog and a 5% stake in ex-wife Kim Kardashian's shapewear firm, Skims. (A source close to Skims told Forbes Ye hasn't been involved with the brand since its 2019 launch.)

Removing Ye from the Billionaires' list caps off a years-long saga between the rapper and Forbes. Ye always felt his net worth was undervalued. When he first made the list in 2020, with an estimated $1 billion fortune, Ye wasn't happy. "It's not a billion," he texted us at the time. "It's $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count."

This pattern continued every year, with Ye continuing to complain about our low numbers. For this year's valuation, Ye sent documents claiming his Adidas partnership alone was worth $4.3 billion. When Ye learned he would clock in at $2 billion overall, his unhappiness with Forbes leaked to the tabloids.

Losing Adidas was the final nail in Ye's net-worth coffin. Gap terminated its Yeezy partnership in September. Earlier this month, JPMorgan reportedly unbanked Ye. French fashion house Balenciaga nixed their relationship with Ye on October 21, just weeks after he walked their runway at Paris Fashion Week.

Adidas' stock price has plunged precipitously since Ye's antisemitic tirades began.
Ycharts

Just yesterday production company MRC said it would not air a completed documentary on Ye and talent agency CAA, where Ye was signed, dumped him.

The two had been in partnership since 2013, when news of their Yeezy collaboration was announced. In the decade since, Ye's ridden wave after wave of conflict-with Taylor Swift, with his former recording home Universal Music Group, and more recently on social media against Kardashian and her boyfriend at the time, SNL alum Pete Davidson.

Now the road has ended. (There's always the chance Ye could relaunch Yeezy on his own.) Five days ago Ye made his first post to Parler, the right-wing social media site he agreed to acquire for an undisclosed amount after getting locked out of Twitter and Instagram. He quoted Romans 8:31.

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Additional reporting by Lauren Debter.
MORE FROM FORBES

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Billionaire No More: Kanye West's Antisemitism Obliterates His Net Worth As Adidas Cuts Ties

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Just days ago, the rapper-cum-fashion entrepreneur Kanye West challenged Adidas to drop him following a weeks-long barrage of antisemitic remarks made on social media and in national media appearances. "I can say antisemitic s-- and Adidas cannot drop me," said the rapper, who legally now goes by the name "Ye," on the Drink Champs podcast earlier this month.

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Twitter locked rapper Kanye West's Twitter account over an antisemitic tweet posted on the account on Saturday.

In the since-removed tweet, West said he was "going death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE," and also that, "You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda," without specifying what group he was addressing, according to Internet Archive's Wayback Machine records pulled by CNN.

A spokesperson from Twitter confirmed to CNN that the account was locked for violating Twitter's policies. The tweet has been replaced on the account by a message from the company saying, "This tweet violated the Twitter Rules."

The spokesperson did not say which policy was violated but instead sent a link to Twitter's rules, which include guidelines against hateful conduct.

Twitter would not say how long the account would be locked or when the user would be able to tweet again.

On Friday, West's Instagram account was restricted for violating the company's policies, a Meta spokesperson told CNN.

In a tweet, the Anti-Defamation League said, "Power. Disloyalty. Greed. Deicide. Blood. Denial. Anti-Zionism. All of these are antisemitic tropes that we break down in our #AntisemitismUncovered Guide at antisemitism.adl.org. Many of these myths have influenced @KanyeWest's comments recently, and it's dangerous."

CNN has been unable to reach a representative for West for comment.

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Kanye West's Twitter account locked for antisemitic tweet | CNN

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Twitter locked rapper Kanye West's Twitter account over an antisemitic tweet posted on the account on Saturday. In the since-removed tweet, West said he was "going death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE," and also that, "You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda," without specifying what group he was addressing, according to Internet Archive's Wayback Machine records pulled by CNN.

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/ MoneyWatch

Hollywood talent powerhouse Creative Artists Agency has cut ties with Kanye West, now legally known as Ye, following a series of antisemitic remarks by the artist.

The agency has officially dropped the rapper as a client, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS MoneyWatch.

On Monday, film and television studio MRC Entertainment also said it would scrap a completed documentary about the rapper.

"Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3000 years - the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain," MRC said in a statement on its website.

Companies and fashion brands have faced mounting pressure to stop doing business with West, despite his legions of fans and the lucrative nature of the commercial partnerships. The calls for companies to distance themselves from Ye come on the heels of his social media posts about Jews, including a tweet saying he wanted to go "death con 3" on Jewish people. Twitter and Instagram suspended Ye from the platform following the posts.

After the incident, Ye announced he would buy right-leaning social network Parler.

"In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves," he said in a statement.

Adidas taking heat

French fashion house Balenciaga recently ended its partnership with Ye, while Adidas is taking heat for not severing its ties with the rapper. Ari Emmanuel, CEO of talent firm Endeavor, last week penned an op-ed in the Financial Times urging all enterprises to stop working with Ye over his antisemitism.

JPMorgan Chase has also ended its business relationship with Ye, but did not say the breakup was a result of Ye's recent hateful outbursts.

Gap also no longer has a relationship with Ye, after he terminated the lucrative partnership early.

"Ye had diligently tried to work through these issues with Gap both directly and through counsel (but) he has gotten nowhere," his lawyer, Nicholas Gravante Jr. told CBS MoneyWatch last month. "Gap left him no choice but to terminate their agreement."

Here is a list of businesses no longer working with Ye:

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Talent agency CAA drops Ye after antisemitic posts

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MoneyWatch Hollywood talent powerhouse Creative Artists Agency has cut ties with Kanye West, now legally known as Ye, following a series of antisemitic remarks by the artist. The agency has officially dropped the rapper as a client, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS MoneyWatch.

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Oct 25 (Reuters) - Apparel chain Gap Inc (GPS.N) said on Tuesday it was taking immediate steps to remove products from its Yeezy Gap line created in partnership with Kanye West and has shut down YeezyGap.com following the rapper's antisemitic comments.

Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Gap to remove Yeezy Gap products from stores

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Oct 25 (Reuters) - Apparel chain Gap Inc (GPS.N) said on Tuesday it was taking immediate steps to remove products from its Yeezy Gap line created in partnership with Kanye West and has shut down YeezyGap.com following the rapper's antisemitic comments. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Adidas said on Tuesday that it is cutting ties with Ye, the artist and fashion designer formerly known as Kanye West, following a series of antisemitic comments made in recent weeks.

Ye's nearly decade-long partnership with the German sportswear giant helped make the rap superstar a billionaire and vaulted his Yeezy branded sneakers to a global audience.

Following growing pressure on Adidas to drop Ye, the company announced that it does not tolerate antisemitism or other types of hate speech.

"Ye's recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company's values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness," the company said in a statement.

Adidas will no longer produce Yeezy products and stop payments to Ye and his companies, according to Adidas, which estimated that the decision is expected to hit its net income by nearly $250 million in 2022.

The company is amongthe latest to isolate Ye in the wake of a string of incendiary remarks, including that slavery was a choice and a leaked interview between Ye and Fox News host Tucker Carlson, in which he said, "I'd prefer my kids knew Chanukah than Kwanzaa, at least it would come with some financial engineering."

Gap on Tuesday said it would pull all Yeezy brand clothing from its website and stores, accelerating the end of its partnership with Ye. The company and the artist announced their split in September, but Gap had planned to sell off products that had already been made. In recent months, Ye had disparaged both Gap and Adidas online, accusing them of design theft and failed promises.

Adidas, for its part, began "reviewing" its partnership with Ye earlier this month, after the artistwore a "White Lives Matter" shirt at Paris Fashion Week. The Anti-Defamation League considers the slogan, which has been embraced by white supremacists, a symbol of hate speech.

As the company examined its ties to Ye last week, the ADL asked in a letter, "what more do you need to review?" Jonathan Greenblatt, who leads the ADL, said in a statement on Tuesday that Adidas cutting ties with Ye "sends a powerful message that antisemitism and bigotry have no place in society."

The controversy brings attention to Adidas founder's Nazi ties

The attention also renewed scrutiny on the history of Adidas.

Brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler had been members of the Nazi party and toward the end ofWorld War II, their shoefactory was converted into a munitions plant for the war effort.

The two had started manufacturing footwear, including spiked shoes, in Bavaria during the 1920sand were propelled to international fame after the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where legendary Black U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens won four gold medals wearing a pair of track spikes from the Dassler brothers.

An acrimonious rift between them led to the two splitting off: Adolf Dassler, known as Adi, founded Adidas in 1949. And his brother, who went by Rudi, started rival shoemaker Puma across the river from Adidas' operation.

Under German law, inciting hatred against people of a certain race or religion, including denying the Holocaust and spreading Nazi propaganda, is criminalized and can be punishable with prison time.

Publicly displaying a Swastika in the country is also outlawed and can result in prosecution.

As Ye continues to be squeezed, he eyes his own 'Yecosystem'

Twitter and Instagram suspended Ye earlier this month after making antisemitic posts, including a post on Twitter threating to go "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."

In response to the social media companies locking down his accounts, Ye announced that he was purchasing the conservative-friendly Twitter knock-off company Parler, in a move that puzzled tech observers. Details of the transaction have yet to be made public.

Adidas moving away from Ye is his latest fallout in the business world since he began unleashing his inflammatory comments. The Balenciaga fashion house has ended its relationship with him and Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency also dumped him.

Production studio MRC said on Monday that it is shelving a finished documentary on Ye upon reviewing his recent antisemitic remarks,

"We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform," company executives said in a statement.

Ye has not responded to the Adidas breakup.

The rapper has said he intends to build his own "Yecosystem," which would include his own factories and retail stores as a way of fully separating himself from the corporate world.
NPR's Alina Selyukh contributed to this report.

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Adidas cuts ties with Ye over antisemitic remarks that caused an uproar

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Adidas said on Tuesday that it is cutting ties with Ye, the artist and fashion designer formerly known as Kanye West, following a series of antisemitic comments made in recent weeks. Ye's nearly decade-long partnership with the German sportswear giant helped make the rap superstar a billionaire and vaulted his Yeezy branded sneakers to a global audience.

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Loss of Sponsorships, Endorsements, and Platforms

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Loss of Sponsorships, Endorsements, and Platforms

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Kanye West's weeks-long spate of antisemitic comments drew a well-known hate group to Los Angeles this weekend for a demonstration of support on a 405 Freeway overpass, raising alarms from local officials and residents that the rapper's rhetoric was inspiring more public bigotry.

West, also known as Ye, has attracted widespread criticism and was locked out of his Instagram and Twitter accounts in recent weeks for comments online and in TV interviews espousing antisemitic conspiracy theories that have spurred hate and violence against Jewish people in the past - including that they have outsized power and influence in the media.

In addition to freezing his social media accounts, West's comments have drawn public demands that he lose lucrative endorsements and further threatened his waning celebrity cachet.

On Saturday, demonstrators gave Nazi salutes as they stood behind a large overpass banner that read, "Kanye is right about the Jews," according to images collected by antidiscrimination organizations and Jewish residents appalled by the group's message.

"It's not just words," said Sam Yebri, a lawyer and former Anti-Defamation League board member who lives in Westwood and took to Twitter to denounce the event. "There is clearly a connection to white supremacy and neo-Nazi movements."

Responding to the overpass demonstration, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón said on Twitter on Sunday that antisemitism cannot be tolerated and that he stands with the Jewish community.

"We cannot tolerate the #AntiSemitism that was on full display ... on an LA Fwy," Gascón wrote. "#WhiteSupremacy is a societal cancer that must be excised. This message is dangerous & cannot be normalized."

Yebri said the demonstration was just one of many antisemitic incidents in the city in recent days and weeks. Residents also have found fliers at their homes and on their cars spewing racist and otherwise bigoted stereotypes and conspiracy theories about Jewish and LGBTQ people, he said.

Yebri said he recently found a flier at his home casting the COVID-19 pandemic and response as part of a Jewish "agenda." He said fliers found across the city have espoused the well-worn antisemitic idea that Jewish people somehow exert outsized influence over the media.

Friends flagged other fliers found in L.A. neighborhoods that alleged both the Biden administration and the LGBTQ rights movement are controlled by Jewish people, he said.

"This is an issue that we need more attention and more action on," said Yebri, who is running for the L.A. City Council seat of outgoing 5th District Councilmember Paul Koretz. "People are terrified and feel abandoned by our leaders, who are neither speaking up nor doing anything about this increase in antisemitism."

The Los Angeles and Beverly Hills police departments said Sunday that they were investigating the recent distribution of antisemitic fliers.

In Beverly Hills, police said they were investigating the overnight distribution of about 25 fliers blaming gun control measures on Jewish people.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the department's major crimes division was "aggressively investigating a series of flier drops" that appeared to be connected to those in Beverly Hills.

Investigators have located video of a vehicle they believe was involved, he said, and "will continue to pursue every avenue to identify and prosecute individuals whenever possible involved in these antisemitic attacks."

West has been widely criticized for his antisemitic remarks, including one in which he said he was going to "Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."

He made further antisemitic remarks in an interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News.

West, who is Black, had faced criticism as well for wearing a "White Lives Matter" shirt to his YZY runway show during Paris Fashion Week. The controversy around him gained additional momentum when it was reported that he was buying the right-wing social media company Parler.

Yebri said neither antisemitism nor the ideas espoused in the fliers found around L.A. are new, but he nonetheless drew a connection between the recent proliferation and West's rhetoric.

"Kanye's remarks give added air and momentum to the hate that previously was limited to the dark corners of the internet," Yebri said. "Now it's popping up in neighborhoods, at people's homes and throughout Los Angeles."

Several of the fliers Yebri and his friends and neighbors have collected, reviewed by The Times, make reference to the group Goyim Defense League, which has been identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Anti-Defamation League and the organization StopAntisemitism.

Both the Anti-Defamation League and StopAntisemitism attributed the overpass demonstration to the Goyim Defense League, which has roots in California and has repeatedly staged antisemitic demonstrations in L.A. and neighboring cities such as Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.

They accused one of the group's leaders, Jon Minadeo II of the Northern California city of Petaluma, of leading the demonstration and at one point yelling at a California Highway Patrol officer who had responded to the scene.

Minadeo could not be reached for comment Sunday.

The CHP did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its response to the demonstration, including whether any arrests were made.

StopAntisemitism said the demonstration represented a "merging" of West's "horrific antisemitic outbursts" and the Goyim Defense League's track record of distributing antisemitic materials in the region.

"White supremacists capitalizing on Ye's ongoing antisemitic tantrums is another example of how extremists find a commonality in the hatred of Jews," said Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism. "While the atrocious and bigoted behavior of the GDL may be protected by the 1st Amendment, this is clearly a targeted harassment campaign against the Jewish people."

Rez called on elected officials and law enforcement to "find a way to put an end to these antics before someone gets hurt."

Oren Segal, vice president of the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism, said the overpass demonstration was "the latest example of how extremists across the ideological spectrum have embraced" West's rhetoric.

He said the Goyim Defense League had recently taken to the messaging platform Telegram to discuss capitalizing on West's comments with yet more fliers - this time blaming Jewish people for the slave trade.

Segal said West's most recent rhetoric "has helped advance the spread of long-standing hateful and false narratives shared by extremist groups."

West responded to the "death con" tweet, which has since been deleted, telling interviewer Piers Morgan that he apologized to those people hurt by the comment but that he didn't regret making it.

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More antisemitic hate seen in L.A. after Kanye West's hateful rants

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Kanye West's weeks-long spate of antisemitic comments drew a well-known hate group to Los Angeles this weekend for a demonstration of support on a 405 Freeway overpass, raising alarms from local officials and residents that the rapper's rhetoric was inspiring more public bigotry.

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Several people who were once close to the artist formerly known as Kanye West told CNN that he has long been fascinated by Adolf Hitler - and once wanted to name an album after the Nazi leader.

A business executive who worked for West, who now goes by Ye, told CNN that the artist created a hostile work environment, in part through his "obsession" with Hitler.

"He would praise Hitler by saying how incredible it was that he was able to accumulate so much power and would talk about all the great things he and the Nazi Party achieved for the German people," the individual told CNN.

The executive left his position and reached a settlement with West and some of his companies over workplace complaints, including harassment, which CNN has reviewed. The former executive asked not to be named due to a confidentiality agreement and fear of retribution by West. According to the agreement, West denied the executive's allegations.

The executive told CNN that West spoke openly about reading "Mein Kampf," Hitler's 1925 autobiographical manifesto and expressed his "admiration" for the Nazis and Hitler for their use of propaganda.

This individual stated that people in West's inner circle were "fully aware" of his interest in Hitler. Four sources told CNN that West had originally suggested the title "Hitler" for his 2018 album that eventually released as "Ye." They did not want to be named, citing concern for professional retribution.

CNN has reached out to West for comment.

A spokesperson for Universal Music Group, which owns West's former music label Def Jam, declined to comment.

The sources CNN spoke with did not have information about why the album was ultimately called "Ye."

Van Lathan Jr., a former TMZ employee, who confronted West during his 2018 interview at their offices in which West said slavery "sounds like a choice," recently claimed on a podcast that West also made antisemitic comments during their conversation that the outlet did not release publicly. That's why Lathan said his current comments didn't surprise him.

"I already heard him say that stuff before at TMZ," Lathan said during an episode of the "Higher Learning" podcast earlier this month. "I mean, I was taken aback because that type of antisemitic talk is disgusting. It's like, I'm taken aback any time anyone does that, right? But as far as [West], I knew that that was in him because when he came to TMZ, he said that stuff and they took it out of the interview. ... He said something like, 'I love Hitler, I love Nazis.' Something to that effect when he was there. And they took it out of the interview for whatever reason. It wasn't my decision."

One of the sources who spoke to CNN and was at the TMZ interview said West had favorably referenced Hitler.

CNN has reached out to TMZ for comment.

The revelation of West's alleged history of admiring Hitler comes amid a wave of inflammatory actions by West that began earlier this month. He wore a "White Lives Matter" shirt during his Yeezy fashion show in Paris on Oct. 3 and dressed several Black models in clothing with the phrase, deemed a hate slogan by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). He then posted a private text conversation on Instagram between himself and Sean "Diddy" Combs in which he claimed Combs was "controlled by Jewish people." He followed that with a tweet in which he said he would go "death con 3 on Jewish people," resulting in Twitter locking his account.

West's offensive rhetoric in the last few weeks has resulted in a professional fallout for the rapper and designer. Tuesday, Adidas ended its seven-year partnership with West, calling his recent actions "unacceptable, hateful and dangerous."

In a statement, the sportswear maker said it "does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech" and said that West's recent comments violated the company's "values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness."

Balenciaga also cut ties with West, as has talent agency CAA. Production company MRC stated they were shelving a documentary on West, and GAP announced the company would remove Yeezy Gap merchandise from its stores and shut down the YeezyGap.com website.

In an Instagram post on Thursday captioned "LOVE SPEECH," West appeared to reference the severed business relationships, writing, in part, "I LOST 2 BILLION DOLLARS IN ONE DAY AND I'M STILL ALIVE."

West was referenced in banners raised by antisemitic demonstrators in Los Angeles last weekend. His comments have been condemned by the American Jewish Committee and the ADL, as well as numerous political leaders and celebrities, including his former wife, Kim Kardashian.

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Kanye West has a disturbing history of admiring Hitler, sources tell CNN | CNN

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Several people who were once close to the artist formerly known as Kanye West told CNN that he has long been fascinated by Adolf Hitler - and once wanted to name an album after the Nazi leader.

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West has been accused of holding an admiration of Adolf Hitler on multiple occasions.

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Kanye West says he’ll go ‘death con 3’ on Jews in now-removed tweet

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The rapper’s Twitter account has been locked, the company says. His Instagram account is also restricted following a post deemed antisemitic

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Pete Davidson’s friend, Dave Sirus, shares text conversation between between Pete and Kanye West.

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Pete Davidson’s friend, Dave Sirus, shares text conversation between between Pete and Kanye West. https://t.co/lxAf4xhyd0

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Pete Davidson’s friend, Dave Sirus, shares text conversation between between Pete and Kanye West. pic.twitter.com/lxAf4xhyd0
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 13, 2022

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Pete Davidson’s friend, Dave Sirus, shares text conversation between between Pete and Kanye West. https://t.co/lxAf4xhyd0

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Pete Davidson’s friend, Dave Sirus, shares text conversation between between Pete and Kanye West. https://t.co/lxAf4xhyd0

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Pete Davidson’s friend, Dave Sirus, shares text conversation between between Pete and Kanye West.

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Kanye West shares text message from Kim Kardashian, where she asks him to stop creating a dangerous environment for Pete Davidson. 

“UPON MY WIFE'S REQUEST PLEASE NOBODY DO ANYTHING PHYSICAL TO SKETE IM GOING TO HANDLE THE SITUATION MYSELF”

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Kanye West shares text message from Kim Kardashian, where she asks him to stop creating a dangerous environment for Pete Davidson. 

“UPON MY WIFE'S REQUEST PLEASE NOBODY DO ANYTHING PHYSICAL TO SKETE IM GOING TO HANDLE THE SITUATION MYSELF” https://t.co/fyFHAICAiP

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Kanye West shares text message from Kim Kardashian, where she asks him to stop creating a dangerous environment for Pete Davidson.

“UPON MY WIFE'S REQUEST PLEASE NOBODY DO ANYTHING PHYSICAL TO SKETE IM GOING TO HANDLE THE SITUATION MYSELF” pic.twitter.com/fyFHAICAiP
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 14, 2022

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Kanye West shares text message from Kim Kardashian, where she asks him to stop creating a dangerous environment for Pete Davidson. 

“UPON MY WIFE'S REQUEST PLEASE NOBODY DO ANYTHING PHYSICAL TO SKETE IM GOING TO HANDLE THE SITUATION MYSELF” https://t.co/fyFHAICAiP

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Kanye West shares text message from Kim Kardashian, where she asks him to stop creating a dangerous environment for Pete Davidson. 

“UPON MY WIFE'S REQUEST PLEASE NOBODY DO ANYTHING PHYSICAL TO SKETE IM GOING TO HANDLE THE SITUATION MYSELF” https://t.co/fyFHAICAiP

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Kanye West shares text message from Kim Kardashian, where she asks him to stop creating a dangerous environment for Pete Davidson. 

“UPON MY WIFE'S REQUEST PLEASE NOBODY DO ANYTHING PHYSICAL TO SKETE IM GOING TO HANDLE THE SITUATION MYSELF”

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Kanye West shares edited ‘Captain America: Civil War’ poster on Instagram featuring:

• Drake
• Julia Fox 
• Travis Scott
• Future
• Pete Davidson
• Kim Kardashian
• Kid Cudi
• Billie Eilish
• Taylor Swift

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Kanye West shares edited ‘Captain America: Civil War’ poster on Instagram featuring:

• Drake
• Julia Fox 
• Travis Scott
• Future
• Pete Davidson
• Kim Kardashian
• Kid Cudi
• Billie Eilish
• Taylor Swift https://t.co/1KERuYiYfA

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Kanye West shares edited ‘Captain America: Civil War’ poster on Instagram featuring:

• Drake
• Julia Fox
• Travis Scott
• Future
• Pete Davidson
• Kim Kardashian
• Kid Cudi
• Billie Eilish
• Taylor Swift pic.twitter.com/1KERuYiYfA
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 13, 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Kanye West shares edited ‘Captain America: Civil War’ poster on Instagram featuring:

• Drake
• Julia Fox 
• Travis Scott
• Future
• Pete Davidson
• Kim Kardashian
• Kid Cudi
• Billie Eilish
• Taylor Swift https://t.co/1KERuYiYfA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Kanye West shares edited ‘Captain America: Civil War’ poster on Instagram featuring:

• Drake
• Julia Fox 
• Travis Scott
• Future
• Pete Davidson
• Kim Kardashian
• Kid Cudi
• Billie Eilish
• Taylor Swift https://t.co/1KERuYiYfA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Kanye West shares edited ‘Captain America: Civil War’ poster on Instagram featuring:

• Drake
• Julia Fox 
• Travis Scott
• Future
• Pete Davidson
• Kim Kardashian
• Kid Cudi
• Billie Eilish
• Taylor Swift

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During a live performance of 'Runaway', West openly admits his intentions of reconciling with his ex-wife (5:18).

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Kanye West - Runaway | Live @LosAngelesMemorialColiseum 12/9

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Kanye West and Julia Fox have confirmed they are dating -- with a steamy photo spread and a first-person magazine piece.

The Uncut Gems actress, 31, and West, 44, shared their budding romance with the world on Thursday with PDA-heavy photos published in .

In addition to some photos of the couple intimately embracing and kissing on the floor of a dressing room, Fox provided a recap of their whirlwind romance.

"I met Ye in Miami on New Year's Eve and it was an instant connection," she wrote for the publication.

"His energy is so fun to be around. He had me and my friends laughing, dancing, and smiling all night."

For more on Kanye West and Julia Fox confirming their romance, listen below to our daily podcast on PEOPLE Every Day.

"We decided to keep the energy going and fly back to New York City to see Slave Play," she wrote while sharing she was impressed with "Ye's" punctuality, before documenting their lavish second date.

A source previously told PEOPLE that Fox " was very happy to be there," adding: "He was excited she was there, and they were fully going out after."

After watching the play, the pair headed to dinner at Carbone, Fox said, adding "which is one of my favorite restaurants. Obviously."

Not content with just having a quiet post-Broadway meal at the restaurant, West directed " an entire photo shoot" starring Fox at the eatery.

"The whole restaurant loved it and cheered us on while it was happening," the actress said in Interview.

For the impromptu shoot, the actress wore Miaou's thong pants with a tight Balenciaga turtleneck and coat, also by the West-favored label.

West then had a "surprise" planned.

"I'm still in shock. Ye had an entire hotel suite full of clothes. It was every girl's dream come true. It felt like a real Cinderella moment. I don't know how he did it, or how he got all of it there in time. But I was so surprised," she added. "Like, who does things like this on a second date? Or any date!"

In the images, the actress can be seen being dressed by a stylist from racks of clothing including numerous pieces from Diesel's Spring/Summer 22 runway collection from new creative director, Glenn Martens.

West, wine in hand, watches on, seemingly approving looks. And he clearly approved as in other photos Fox, clad in her new look, straddles the rapper on the floor.

Never miss a story - sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The actress explained their chemistry with hopes for their future in the piece.

"Everything with us has been so organic. I don't know where things are headed but if this is any indication of the future I'm loving the ride," Fox wrote.

West previously said fashion was "a language of love" for himself and his estranged wife Kim Kardashian, who filed for divorce in Jan. 2020.

"That's how I bagged her in the first place," he said in November on an episode of Drink Champs. "I pulled up, I had the Balmains and the jackets and stuff, I pull the jackets and the shoes."

The Donda artist dedicated his song "Runaway" to Kardashian, 41, last month at the Free Larry Hoover concert. "I need you to run right back to me, baby," he sang, before adding: "More specifically, Kimberly."

A source has previously told PEOPLE that although she filed to be declared legally single, West was still hoping there was a chance they'll reconcile.

"He's not giving up without a fight. Kim is the mother of his children and he's not going to just let that go," the source said. "No matter if they're husband and wife, they'll always support each other. Her recent filing or any filing for that matter doesn't mean he's going to stop fighting to win her back."

West married Kardashian in Florence, Italy in May 2014, and they share daughters North, 8, Chicago, 3, and sons Saint, 6, and 2-year-old Psalm.

Kardashian has been romantically linked to Pete Davidson since October. She and the Saturday Night Live star, 28, marked the start of 2022 with a romantic getaway to the Bahamas.

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Kanye West and Julia Fox Confirm Their Romance and Share Intimate Photos of Lavish Second Date

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Kanye West and Julia Fox have confirmed they are dating -- with a steamy photo spread and a first-person magazine piece. The Uncut Gems actress, 31, and West, 44, shared their budding romance with the world on Thursday with PDA-heavy photos published in .

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The bets are off - it looks like Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian have finally made their relationship official.

In a virtual interview with People on Feb. 7, Pete referred to Kim as his girlfriend for the very first time since they were first romantically linked in October last year.

Speaking live from his bedroom, the Saturday Night Live star got real about navigating life in the spotlight and gave fans some very rare insight into his relationship with one of the most famous women in the world.

In case you need reminding, the unlikely pair first sent the internet into overdrive when they were photographed holding hands on a roller coaster on Oct. 29, just a matter of days after they shared a kiss during an SNL sketch.

Since then, the pair have been spotted together at various locations across the country, notably teaming up for some uncharacteristically low-key date nights, taking fans' intrigue to a whole other level.

As speculation about their relationship reached a fever pitch over the holidays, the duo jetted off to the Bahamas for a New Year's getaway with some of Kim's closest friends. But, despite having all eyes on his love life, Pete revealed on Sunday that the fanfare has had very little impact on his lifestyle.

And in case we needed any more confirmation that Pete is completely unaffected by his high-profile relationship, it turns out that he - like many die-hard Kardashian fans - keeps up to date with the latest Kim K merchandise.

In the midst of their messy divorce proceedings, Kanye West - legally known as Ye - has made it very clear that he is not a fan of his ex's new beau, most recently by threatening Pete on a new track.

In the new single released in January, Ye made his disapproval more obvious than ever, rapping: "God saved me from that crash / Just so I can beat Pete Davidson's ass" - which listeners presumed to be a reference to a 2002 car accident that left Ye severely injured.

Despite fans' obvious shock, it was reported days later that Pete found the lyrics "hilarious." And if his latest interview is anything to go by, it seems like he and Kim are minding their business and going from strength to strength.

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Pete Referred To Kim As His "Girlfriend" For The First Time After Being Exposed For Having A Candle With Her Face On It In His Bedroom

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The bets are off - it looks like Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian have finally made their relationship official. In a virtual interview with People on Feb. 7, Pete referred to Kim as his girlfriend for the very first time since they were first romantically linked in October last year.

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Kim Kardashian files for divorce from Kanye West

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The pop culture super couple have four kids from their seven-year-long marriage.

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Online Harassment of Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson 

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Online Harassment of Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson 

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West brings out controversial musicians Marilyn Manson and DaBaby at listening party for Donda.

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Two weeks ago, Kanye West stood alone at the center of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. He was dressed head-to-toe in bright red wearing a shiny crimson version of his Yeezy Gap Round Jacket and his now-signature nude face covering. He stood out on the stark white stage, which appeared to be the size of a football field, as he wandered casually around its perimeter, occasionally dropping to his knees or raising a fist in the air, as a version of his 10th studio album, Donda, named after his late mother who passed away in 2007, blared through the stadium.

The official release of the album was supposed to happen two weeks ago following the first listening, but as we know, it didn't. With more work to be done, Kanye did Kanye type things and moved into the stadium to finish the project. No resort in Hawaii this time. He was (and still may be) living in a small room with white brick walls tucked away in the tunnels of the Atlanta Falcons' home field, and pieced together the final portions of Donda with friends. Over the past two weeks, random photos of the room surfaced on the internet, and then on Aug. 5 Apple Music posted an audio free live stream of Kanye in the bedroom. He did pushups, slept, and invited friends like Chance the Rapper and The LOX over.

The stream gave fans a glimpse into the album making process that we usually get from secondhand stories told years later. Now, it was being shown to whoever wanted to see it. And as pedestrian as certain activities were, they still felt important. They were engaging. Pulling an all-nighter fueled by sets of push ups just to fall asleep in the morning was almost like his own performance art. As bizarre as it was, it has defined the newest era of Kanye, something that seemed like it would be more challenging considering the turbulence of his past few years stained by his pro-Trump antics that have still left a sour taste in plenty of people's mouths. Some have stuck to their guns and continued to stay away from Kanye and his music since. If the turn out in Atlanta is any indication though, there are also plenty of people ready to appreciate the art for what it is and move past it all.

Which brings us to his second listening this past Thursday night. Although this was technically our second time hearing the album, the city was buzzing with anticipation, again. The atmosphere surrounding Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thursday night is what I'd imagine a Sunday afternoon Falcons game feels like. The main difference, fans are dressed in Kanye West merch and expensive Adidas Yeezy sneakers instead of Matt Ryan and Calvin Ridley jerseys. Bootleg T-shirt vendors manned their corners. Cars sat bumper to bumper on every street that funnels into the massive stadium. Hundreds more fans, young and old, populated the sidewalks. Each has likely been impacted by Kanye differently. The older gentlemen in a white polo likely has an affinity for "old Kanye" from the College Dropout era. The group of high schoolers decked out in bleached T-shirts and distressed denim may call Yeezus his masterpiece. The wide scope is a testament to how long he has had this type of influence.

Kanye worked with Demna Gvasalia, Balenciaga's creative director, for the second show. Kanye and Demna are close friends. They have recently been linked more frequently. Kanye attended Balenciaga's Fall 2021 couture show in early July, where we saw the first glimpse of the all-black attire that came to define the second Donda event. And back in April, he tapped Gvasalia to make the DMX tribute T-shirts for the late rapper's memorial service. But their friendship is nothing new. Kanye helped catapult Vetements into the mainstream by rocking its expensive, oversized hoodies back in 2016. That same year, Gvasalia was in attendance at Yeezy Season 3 to show support. Kanye is such a fan of the designer that he has even tweeted that he was "going to steal Demna from Balenciaga" five years ago. While he hasn't contractually done so (yet anyway), the duo's recent collaborative work shows that Kanye has finally found a way to formally work with the creative mind he admires so much.

Over the years during his tenures with both Vetements and now Balenciaga, the 40-year old designer has become known for his bizarre, envelope-pushing runway presentations. For Balenciaga's Fall/Winter 2020 presentation in Paris, models strutted down a catwalk that was submerged in water. Back in 2017, he presented the Vetements Fall 2017 collection on a series of escalators instead of a runway.

Both Gvasalia and Kanye appreciate theater, spectacle, and humor, and they both approach design in an everyman way. For example, Gvasalia takes basic things we likely consider the opposite of stylish (whether that's Crocs or a DHL uniform) and translates them into something creative, or at the very least, clever. Kanye does something similar, turning a plain rubber slide into a coveted status symbol or baggy and tattered "homeless people clothes" into a uniform for thousands.

We saw glimpses of this approach on social media a few days ago when West was spotted in the stadium's locker room doing his finest Bowser impression, wearing a black jacket covered in spikes from Balenciaga's Fall/Winter 2020 collection. The barebones bedroom that any broke creative could relate to, became something else completely different, and funny, with Kanye inside of it. For the brief period he occupied it, Kanye turned the extra room in the back of a professional football stadium into a must-see location. It's a big contrast from his work with Vanessa Beecroft, the artist who has handled visuals for many of his fashion shows and Sunday Service events. She makes his presentations feel like paintings and focuses on bodies and color palette.

While the massive groups that would eventually surround Kanye during his Donda presentation made everything feel much more extravagant, the set itself was anything but. Before things kicked off, a circular area surrounded by barriers and spotlights sat at the center of an otherwise calm Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was a re-creation of that backstage bedroom that fans saw on the livestream hours earlier. The meager setup featured a bed, set of dumbbells, miniature side table housing a candle and water bottle, black slippers, sneakers, and the aforementioned spiked jacket. Overhead was an LED ring as wide as the stadium's open roof. Throughout the night, it rotated between images of heaven-like blue skies, dreary clouds, and flames. When West first came out to start the show, the lights were low and smoke billowed from his new temporary domain. His black outfit was highlighted by a "Donda" vest and black mask. "Donda" featuring Pusha T played as he stood idle, almost as if he was taking in the initial moment before springing into the rest of the performance. He rotated through a few different all-black ensembles as the night progressed, including that spiked leather jacket, as the Donda tracklist blasted from Mercedes-Benz Stadium's sound system.

It wasn't simply a shift in color palette from red to black, some new merch, and a new creative mind on board for West's latest album preview though. The second Donda presentation came across much more complete all around, making the first showing feel like a test run. In attendance, you couldn't help but nod your head along with the group on the floor as bass-heavy tracks like "Junya" and "Off the Grid" rang off. Tracks like "Losing My Family" felt more emotional when accompanied by the somber behavior of his stagemates. The rollercoaster of visuals was powerful. Each evoked a different feeling. And there were plenty of them.

First and foremost, there was the man himself. Stationed at the center of the chaos in his makeshift bedroom. Once again, he spoke no words. We couldn't even see his face. Instead, his movements told the story. One moment he stood motionless. The next he was doing sets of push ups. At one point he threw a large black blanket over his head and began maneuvering around the stage area like a ghost. During songs that clearly channel his faith and grief from the loss of his mother, he would drop to his knees in weakness, look to the sky, or sit at the edge of the bed in contemplative thought. Arguably his most animated motions come during a Pop Smoke interlude. He jumps around his circle in excitement before collapsing to the ground as the beat cut off. Something this simple added a whole new dimension that was missing from the first showing. It felt more like a cohesive vision and body of work as opposed to him taking over the AUX to give us a peek at unfinished songs. There was an actual show to watch unfold this time. It demanded full attention. Pace was at times frantic. Blink and you might miss something. Phone lights constantly dotted the stands as fans captured their favorite moments on their cell phones. Loud cheers were frequent. Every fan I saw was bobbing to the music enthusiastically the whole time. There's no questioning that they were enamored with the experience.

Kanye wasn't alone performing this time though. Surrounding him for a majority of the performance were hundreds of people dressed in all-black, most wearing Donda vests. They emerged from tunnels at each corner of the stadium to an initial roar from the crowd early into the set. They immediately surrounded West and his circular domain in cult-like fashion. During the more eccentric tracks off the album that featured the likes of Travis Scott, Baby Keem, and Playboi Carti, they went into motion. Some ran. Others banged their heads aggressively to the beat. Others broke out in dance. At one point during Carti's "Junya" verse, an unwelcome guest in a bright orange ensemble rushed the field in an attempt to join the crowd of druids before he was swiftly tackled by security. It appeared others made the attempt as well with a successful outcome thanks to their more appropriate all-black attire. That was the type of energy in the stadium though. People were there to get rowdy when the time called for it.

Later in the show, more people emerged from the tunnels. This time, they were dressed in all-brown outfits with the Cross/Star of David logo stamped on the back. They dropped to their knees and crawled towards the other group as "Losing My Family" played. They appeared to be begging for acceptance, pleading with God for answers. It made for one of the strongest visuals of the night. Each new wave of characters captured the crowd's attention with its sluggish motions, almost as if they were hypnotized by West's presence at center stage. Camera phones pivoted their way to see what they would do each time.

The energy in the arena throughout the night felt like a mix of past Kanye performances. The massive amount of people, stadium status, and new music soundtracking, it all felt reminiscent of 2016's Yeezy Season 3 show in Madison Square Garden. All it was missing was a new collection of clothing. While this could have been an opportune time to showcase the long-awaited Yeezy Gap collection, nothing of the sort happened aside from a new Round Jacket release online as the night concluded. The energy brought by the large group during tracks like "Praise God" and "Off the Grid" reminded me of the "Saint Pablo" tour, which saw West performing his set on a stage situated above a constantly moshing group of his most loyal supporters. The fans in the stands at Mercedes-Benz stadium were just as amped up. The brief pauses between songs were filled with cheers, one of the most audible being a, "Let's go Ye! I love you Ye," from a closeby fan overhead. Select moments, like the appearance of Kid Cudi's signature hums for instance, elicited the same type of rumbling from the crowd.

But the lasting image that tops all the rest came towards the end of the performance. As Vory's vocals from early standout "No Child Left Behind" rang out from the speakers and the tracks's bass line vibrated throughout the arena, West ascended into the sky attached to cables almost as if to symbolize he is being raised up closer to his mother Donda in heaven. He remained floating for the duration of the song, body limp, surrounded by beams of light that shot up miles into the sky out of the opened roof of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium before he was lowered back down to earth. Many fans quickly compared it to an image that was used on various promo material for the Yeezus tour. Upon touching down he was met with a loud roar from the crowd as the lights went dark. Some fans even began to chant, "Donda! Donda! Donda!" and "Yeezus! Yeezus! Yeezus!"

"My boy Ye did his thing, like he always do. The music sounds crazy. The mixing sounds crazy. He levitated tonight. It's magic," Quavo tells Complex following the conclusion of the event. "And he's speaking the word of God, so it makes perfect sense."

Quavo was one of the many rappers in attendance to witness Kanye's latest presentation firsthand. He and Chance the Rapper occupied the same VIP suite on the floor of the arena. Chance seemed particularly enthused when "Hurricane" played, a track featuring Lil Baby complete with a newly-added verse from The Weeknd. He could be seen in the section bobbing his head to the beat enthusiastically as soon as it cut on. Fellow Migos member Offset was one of the many others in their section enjoying the presentation too. Perhaps inspired by the man of the hour, he donned a camouflage face covering for the duration of the evening.

"It was a beautiful way to channel the fans and reach the fans with art," says Offset. "It was a great show."

Other artists in, like singer Jeremih, shared similar feelings about the visual spectacle they had just witnessed. "This was my first time checking it out. I actually missed the first one, so I didn't know what to expect. It was definitely an unforgettable experience. He really topped it off when he flew to the ceiling at the end."

Visuals aside, the music was improved upon as well. Verses from the likes of Lil Yachty, Jay Electronica, Kid Cudi, and others have been added to the mix. The LOX (Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch), who captured the attention of the hip-hop world earlier this week thanks to their legendary Verzuz showing, were given their own moment to shine. Standouts from the first playthrough are still there too, just more polished. The crowd stirred as Travis Scott and Playboi Carti's features played. The Jay-Z verse on "Jail" was once again a crowd pleaser even though we all knew it was coming this time. A fan above my section had already memorized his verse and passionately shouted the lyrics with his arms raised in praise as they played. Many more roared in enthusiasm as Hov rapped, "this might be the return of The Throne."

Glowing red lights that covered the entire arena during the song (and others like "I Know God Breathed on This") further added to the energy of certain records. The interludes from the likes of Donda West and Larry Hoover Jr. that filled the spaces between were just as powerful. Everything that happened had a purpose this time. None of it seemed like filler, something you may expect from what is supposedly a 24-track album.

Despite the impressive sound and visuals, Donda once again failed to release on streaming platforms following the show. A tentative date is currently set for Aug. 13, according to the Apple pre-order. Kanye didn't leave his fans completely empty handed though. Minutes after the lights turned on in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the latest Yeezy Gap Round Jacket was released online for pre-order. This time, it's the same red colorway worn by Kanye during round one of his Donda experience in Atlanta, a style that will forever be synonymous with the album because of that moment from here on out.

In a way, the jacket releasing instead of an album is symbolic of where Kanye is in his career. As much as we want the music immediately, that isn't where things start and stop with him anymore. Quite frankly, it hasn't been for quite some time. He has lucrative footwear and apparel deals with Adidas and Gap, respectively. He tapped one of the most popular designers to oversee his album presentation. He created a new uniform to match the Donda era, as unconventional as a face covering and spiked jacket may be. He shouts out Japanese designer Junya Watanabe in the chorus of one of the new album's standout records. He's a master marketer who can make even the most ordinary feel grandiose. It's why he has been able to fully evolve and cultivate a new world with each and every one of his 10 albums and have his fans buy into the moment and the artistic vision each and every time. It's why he is able to pack a football stadium for a single night for what isn't even a fully fleshed out album yet and have people tune into a soundless livestream to promote new music. And it's why fans flocked to merch stands to pay $300 for a bulletproof vest.

Kanye West is far bigger than the music. The spectacle he gave to the world on Aug. 5 in Atlanta just further proves it.

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Kanye West's Revamped 'Donda' Live Performance Was the Spectacle It Needed to Be

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Two weeks ago, Kanye West stood alone at the center of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. He was dressed head-to-toe in bright red wearing a shiny crimson version of his Yeezy Gap Round Jacket and his now-signature nude face covering.

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The eye-catching designs once again allowed fans to represent their devotion to the rapper.

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West's Yeezy brand entered a partnership with clothing retailer Gap.

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A week before Kanye West announced that he was running for the highest seat in the White House, he revealed plans to rebuild another famed American institution. Gap recently inked a 10-year deal with Kanye West for a Yeezy Gap apparel line. The co-branded apparel line for men, women, and children is set to arrive at Gap stores in 2021. Gap made $4.6 billion in annual sales last year and anticipates that the Yeezy Gap line will bring in an additional $1 billion in annual sales. For comparison, Adidas' footwear deal with West reportedly pooled in $1.3 billion in sales for the brand last year.

West's deal with Adidas is novel in itself because of the royalties he receives. Royalties are legally-binding payments given to designers for their originally-created works-in West's case this is the Yeezy trademark. At Adidas, West receives 15 percent in royalties on wholesale on top of a marketing fee. That is a significant royalty deal in comparison to an athlete like Micheal Jordan, who only gets around 5 percent royalties from his deal with Nike-although the Jordan Brand product assortment is much larger than Yeezy for Adidas.

West's deal is very different from Telfar Clemens' canceled collaboration with the Gap. Clemens was offered royalties, a $100,000 design fee, and an option to renew the deal after two seasons. West on the other hand will receive royalties, have the option to renew the deal after the first five years, and most importantly, acquire up to 8.5 million shares of common stock from Gap-as far as we know, West doesn't hold any Adidas stock or equity. For clarity, common stock are shares of ownership of a company. So along with royalties, West also has the chance to gain equity or a piece of Gap if his line meets certain sales targets.

According to an SEC Filing, West can receive a third of those 8.5 million shares of Gap if his apparel line makes $250 million in net sales in one fiscal year-to clarify, a fiscal year is an one-year period defined by the company for financial purposes. And if the line makes $700 million in net sales during a fiscal year, he can receive all 8.5 million shares. According to Susan Scafidi, the founder of Fordham's Fashion Law Institute, it's an unprecedented deal between a brand and a celebrity.

"I don't think I have seen a deal this smart, perhaps, since Tom Ford and Gucci. We're going back 20 years when Tom Ford was at Gucci," says Scafidi. "He [Tom Ford] took a brand that had been historically very relevant that had fallen on hard times, made it extremely buzzy again, and didn't just take a salary, much like Kanye isn't just taking royalties, he took stock."

For context, eight years after Tom Ford became the creative director of Gucci, he not only became the Vice Chairman of the luxury house, but also held 1.6 million shares of Gucci stock in 2002-at that point Ford held more shares than any other manager within the company. By 2003, Ford made $138 million within three years by simply cashing out just some of his stock. Around this time, Ford owned 1.2 percent of all outstanding shares of Gucci. Although Gucci stock was worth double than what Gap's all-time high was in 2000, West is presented with a similar opportunity to own 2.3 percent of Gap's outstanding shares. Speculatively, if West can restore Gap to its former glory-and raise the value of its shares to as much as $50- he could make well over $275 million off those stocks alone. That's nearly double the amount he's made off royalties from his Yeezy Adidas deal last year, which was estimated to be around $140 million

Read our interview with Scafidi to better understand the business behind West's monumental deal with Gap.

When you saw this Yeezy Gap news, what struck you about it that was interesting to you?
My first thought was, "Brilliant." Because what Kanye, via Yeezy, has done, is not just a deal with Gap. It's a way to elevate the Gap brand, which has been struggling a bit in recent years, and to get a piece of it if he succeeds. So of course, Kanye is not known for lack of self-regard, let's put it that way. And he knows that if he puts Yeezy products in some form at Gap, it's going to be good for Gap overall. And this way, he doesn't just capture royalties for his own sales. He has the potential to capture that reputation halo that he has now cast over what was a storied American brand.

In other words, Kanye is not only going to try to make Gap great again, he's going to try to own a piece of it. And that is just a really smart deal. I don't think I have seen a deal this smart, perhaps, since Tom Ford and Gucci. We're going back 20 years when Tom Ford was at Gucci. He took a brand that had been historically very relevant that had fallen on hard times, made it extremely buzzy again, and didn't just take a salary, much like Kanye is just taking royalties, he took stock.

And so, when there was a battle for the ownership of Gucci, he [Tom Ford] did very well. So Kanye is really doing something very forward looking, but at the other end of the price spectrum. And of course, Kanye has said for years that he wanted Yeezy to be accessible to everyone in terms of price point. And this is a way for him to do that, and make a mark on the fashion industry at the same time.

In 2002, Tom Ford held 1.6 million shares of Gucci stock. West has the potential to acquire 8.5 million shares of Gap. Are these brands comparable in terms of stock? Does Gucci being a luxury brand change anything?
The most direct comparison would be the percentage of each company represented by the shares, rather than the number of shares. Currently, Gap has approximately 373.5 million shares outstanding, and the agreement between Gap and Yeezy limits Kanye's total acquisition (by exercising the warrants or otherwise buying stock) to 2.99 percent of the company - a greater percentage than Tom Ford's Gucci options back in the early 2000s.

Love is love and money is money, whether it comes from luxury or the mass market. The most significant difference between the Gucci and Gap stock price stories is that after Tom Ford revitalized Gucci, there was a battle royale between the world's largest luxury conglomerates for ownership of the company, which of course made the stock more valuable. Nobody is battling for ownership of Gap right now, but who knows what might happen if Kanye makes it cool again?

Do you think the length of the deal being 10 years long makes sense for the Gap and Kanye?
Ten years is a very long collab, especially in fashion time, which is in keeping with Kanye seeking equity in Gap as part of the deal. He's not just in this for a single season and a quick buck; he plans to put Gap back on its American cultural pedestal, this time carved in his own image. That kind of transformation of an iconic brand takes time, especially since the entire global fashion industry is in rebuilding mode as we all emerge from pandemic lockdowns wondering whether we'll ever wear anything but sweats again. So yes, the lengthy term is a significant commitment, but it also increases the likelihood of success and of sales rising high enough in any given year for Kanye to exercise the warrants and buy a piece of Gap.

The average stock price for Gap is currently $14.52 a share. Gap at one point was $50 a share. When was that?
That was around 2000. But there have been other periods of time when it has traded at $35 a share. So significantly above $25. Not in the past few years, but going back a little further. In fact, I think it's high for the past year, the past 52 weeks, was a little over $19. So again, what he's looking at is a brand that is a little distressed right now, but that he's betting is undervalued, or at least without Yeezy products in it's stores, is undervalued.

Let's say Kanye brings Gap stock back up to $50 a share. How much money can he possibly make?
Kanye doesn't just receive shares by hitting sales targets; he has the option to buy shares at a set price. If Gap stock skyrockets to $50 and Kanye hits sales targets, he could buy half of the 8.5 million shares for $25 rather than $50 and the other half of the shares at a price defined in the deal, which could be either $10.16 (the closing price on the date of the agreement) or an undisclosed average price. I'm no mathematician, but in other words, Kanye could have an option to buy 8.5 million shares valued at $425 million for $149.43 million. Who doesn't love a 65 percent discount?

Do you think that hitting $250 million in net sales would be possible for the Yeezy Gap line within a fiscal year, or do you expect it to take a little more time?
It depends on the product. It depends on the product mix. It depends on how much product they put in stores. Because one of Yeezy's strategies has always been the Hermès Birkin strategy, right? Limited quantity, limited drops, never allowing supply to exceed demand. Gap is different. Gap is not about scarcity. And so, this is going to be a different strategy for Yeezy. But I think that with the right marketing, with the right product mix, yes, they could hit $250 million the first year, easy.

In part because America has already been in a long term trend towards more casual clothing. And now that we're all spending so much more time at home, we're all wearing much more casual clothing. If it can be inexpensive, accessible, and cool with an edge of familiarity, all at the same time, that strikes me as a recipe for marketing gold.

Did they mention what the royalties were?
They did not, and I looked. Typically, that's treated as confidential for competitive reasons. You don't want your competitors to know exactly what royalties you're getting. Gap certainly doesn't want any of its other collaborators to know what Kanye is getting.

Compared to another celebrity deals such as Rihanna and LVMH, how do you think these deals compare to one another?
This is a much less traditional deal. LVMH is helping Rihanna create a house, which is extraordinary. Kanye is doing a collab with Gap, and certainly mass-market brands have done lots of collabs. But it is highly unusual for a collab to involve equity, especially in such a storied company as Gap.

Is there any other collab like this with equity that you have in mind other than Tom Ford and Gucci, or was that the only one?
That was the one that came to mind. And there may be others out there, but it's very unusual. And again, the Gucci-Tom Ford collab, which was actually architected by a guy named Domenico De Sole, who is Tom Ford's close business partner and managed the company while Tom Ford was there, was really a landmark. It made Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole very wealthy guys. This is again the same kind of very audacious deal where Kanye knows what he's worth, as does Gap, and is creatively cutting himself a piece of the American fashion pie. Gap is so iconic and this is a great moment to invest in Gap. They dismissed their C.E.O. late last year and are in a period of transition. It is exactly the right time for someone to come in with a plan and restore it to its former glory. And if anyone can do it, if anyone can make Gap the great American brand 2.0, it's Kanye.

And so, at a moment when we are all a little bit pessimistic about the future of the economy in general, and the fashion industry in particular, this is an extreme expression of optimism. And for that reason alone, it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's going to get a lot of attention, and it's going to make people look twice at Gap. And the idea that Gap could lead American fashion out of a recession and into recovery with Kanye at the forefront of that would be an amazing American success story. In the fashion industry, but in business more generally. It says a lot about the power of personality in fashion.

I mean, think about it. When's the last time you were excited about shopping at Gap? It's less of a risk for Yeezy than opening a lot of its own stores. Gap has stores. It's closed a number of them as the retail footprint in general shrinks and we think a lot more about online. But from what I understand from the deal, Yeezy wants a hand, and Kanye wants a hand in merchandising at Gap in the presentation, in stores and online.

So Kanye really wants to completely recreate Gap in his own image. Yes, Yeezy could have done it on its own, but injecting the Yeezy DNA into the shell of Gap is going to create something completely new. And they will start already halfway to success, rather than having to build from scratch. It's just really a mind-boggling deal, as we say, in these troubled times.

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Kanye West's Deal with Gap is Unprecedented. Here's Why.

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A week before Kanye West announced that he was running for the highest seat in the White House, he revealed plans to rebuild another famed American institution. Gap recently inked a 10-year deal with Kanye West for a Yeezy Gap apparel line.

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West's recent relationship with fashion house Balenciaga has led to his personal style becoming more alternative.

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Yeezy designs become more extravagant and unique.

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Breakdown of his Marriage to Kim Kardashian

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Breakdown of his Marriage to Kim Kardashian

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This album's release perfectly personifies the innovative nature of the rapper. It was available exclusively on West's own 'Stem Player', a device sold by the artist to allow him to bypass the profits taken by streaming services on his releases. However, it released to mixed reviews as it was mostly unfinished, with the rest of the album intended to be released in future 'updates'.

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Kanye West performs in Houston jail with his Sunday Service choir

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Internet memes mocking the relationship between West and Trump.

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Kanye wears "Make America Great Again" cap in support of then President Donald Trump.

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Thank you Kanye, very cool! https://t.co/vRIC87M21X

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Thank you Kanye, very cool! https://t.co/vRIC87M21X

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You don't have to agree with trump but the mob can't make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don't agree with everything anyone does. That's what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought.

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Thank you Kanye, very cool! https://t.co/vRIC87M21X
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2018

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Thank you Kanye, very cool! https://t.co/vRIC87M21X

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You don't have to agree with trump but the mob can't make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don't agree with everything anyone does. That's what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought.

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Thank you Kanye, very cool! https://t.co/vRIC87M21X

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Thank you Kanye, very cool! https://t.co/vRIC87M21X

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You don't have to agree with trump but the mob can't make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don't agree with everything anyone does. That's what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought.

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Candace Owens has proven to be anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and fact-hating.
(Honestly, there are so many more descriptors.)

For Kanye to align himself with her is messy and dangerous.

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Candace Owens has proven to be anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and fact-hating.
(Honestly, there are so many more descriptors.)

For Kanye to align himself with her is messy and dangerous.

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And I don’t think blaming the Kardashians for his behavior makes sense. I actually think blaming Kim for Kanye’s infatuation with white supremacy, capitalism and conservatism is misogynistic. He is a grown ass man who needs to be held fully accountable for what he does and says.

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Candace Owens has proven to be anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and fact-hating.
(Honestly, there are so many more descriptors.)

For Kanye to align himself with her is messy and dangerous.
— Raquel Willis (she/her) (@RaquelWillis_) April 21, 2018

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Candace Owens has proven to be anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and fact-hating.
(Honestly, there are so many more descriptors.)

For Kanye to align himself with her is messy and dangerous.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.includes.tweets[].text
And I don’t think blaming the Kardashians for his behavior makes sense. I actually think blaming Kim for Kanye’s infatuation with white supremacy, capitalism and conservatism is misogynistic. He is a grown ass man who needs to be held fully accountable for what he does and says.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Candace Owens has proven to be anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and fact-hating.
(Honestly, there are so many more descriptors.)

For Kanye to align himself with her is messy and dangerous.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Candace Owens has proven to be anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and fact-hating.
(Honestly, there are so many more descriptors.)

For Kanye to align himself with her is messy and dangerous.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.referenced_tweets[].text
And I don’t think blaming the Kardashians for his behavior makes sense. I actually think blaming Kim for Kanye’s infatuation with white supremacy, capitalism and conservatism is misogynistic. He is a grown ass man who needs to be held fully accountable for what he does and says.

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Bruh. This is so disturbing. This says more about you than her. 

For those that don’t know Candace Owens thinks Donald Trump is a savior. https://t.co/QH1L1gj4Wi

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Bruh. This is so disturbing. This says more about you than her. 

For those that don’t know Candace Owens thinks Donald Trump is a savior. https://t.co/QH1L1gj4Wi

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Bruh. This is so disturbing. This says more about you than her.

For those that don’t know Candace Owens thinks Donald Trump is a savior. https://t.co/QH1L1gj4Wi
— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) April 21, 2018

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Bruh. This is so disturbing. This says more about you than her. 

For those that don’t know Candace Owens thinks Donald Trump is a savior. https://t.co/QH1L1gj4Wi

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Bruh. This is so disturbing. This says more about you than her. 

For those that don’t know Candace Owens thinks Donald Trump is a savior. https://t.co/QH1L1gj4Wi

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Bruh. This is so disturbing. This says more about you than her. 

For those that don’t know Candace Owens thinks Donald Trump is a savior. https://t.co/QH1L1gj4Wi

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Kanye West voiced his liking of conservative YouTube personality Candace Owens on Saturday, upsetting many of his fans.

Owens - a frequent guest on Fox News and InfoWars - launched a website and YouTube channel in 2017 called Red Pill Black, which promotes black conservatism. She has hailed President Trump as not "just the leader of the free world, but the savior of it as well," and has been known to blast Black Lives Matter.

West tweeted Saturday: "I like how Candace Owen thinks."

I love the way Candace Owens thinks

- ye (@kanyewest) April 21, 2018

Also Read: Kanye West Would Have Voted for Donald Trump: 'His Approach Was Absolutely Genius' (Video)

Upon seeing West's endorsement, Owens quickly responded: "I'm freaking out. @kanyewest ....please take a meeting with me. I tell every single person that everything that I have been inspired to do, was written in your music. I am my own biggest fan, because you made it okay. I need you to help wake up the black community."

West giving his nod of approval to Owens didn't sit well with many of his 11 million followers.

Aside from being an insane alt right race pimp Candace Owens thinks Donald Trump is literally the messiah not you @kanyewest so you might want to reconsider https://t.co/dKVnbi3Ila

- Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) April 21, 2018

Candace Owens has proven to be anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and fact-hating.
(Honestly, there are so many more descriptors.)

For Kanye to align himself with her is messy and dangerous.

- Raquel Willis (@RaquelWillis_) April 21, 2018

Also Read: Donald Trump, Kanye West Meeting Shocks Media

Bruh. This is so disturbing. This says more about you than her.

For those that don't know Candace Owens thinks Donald Trump is a savior. https://t.co/QH1L1gj4Wi

- Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) April 21, 2018

As I've said many times before, if I had no dignity I would be a very rich man by now. Candace Owens is making money off of denigrating black folks for her mostly white audience. Same as that Noir guy, same as Stacey Dash, same as Allen West etc. https://t.co/ljA5kgvcS1

- Herb Lawrence (@Ecnerwal23) April 21, 2018

https://twitter.com/Toure/status/987784755235180546

Also Read: Donald Trump 'Used' Kanye West as 'a Publicity Stunt,' John Legend Says (Video)

The easiest way for a black person to achieve success is by attacking the majority of other black people. It's a lazy approach to commentary that requires no serious thought or understanding of the impact of 400 years of systemic social, cultural and political oppression. https://t.co/PsEKxoIzus

- Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 21, 2018

But Owens held her ground and clarified her perspective.

Far right? Allow me to clarify: I believe the black community can do it without hand-outs. I believe the Democrats have strapped us to our past to prevent us from our futures. And I won't stop fighting until all black Americans see that.
I'm not far right-I'm free. pic.twitter.com/wtqCuYPtM2

- Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) April 21, 2018

Also Read: Kanye West Pulls His Support of Donald Trump, Deletes Pro-POTUS Tweets

West met in December 2016 with then President-elect Donald Trump. TMZ reported at the time that West requested a 15-minute meeting with Trump, who later told reporters, "We discussed life." Two months later, West deleted all of his tweets supportive of the new president.

Donald Trump or Kanye West: Who Said It? (Photos)

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Kanye West Applauds Black Lives Matter Critic; Many Fans Revolt: 'This Is So Disturbing'

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Kanye West voiced his liking of conservative YouTube personality Candace Owens on Saturday, upsetting many of his fans. Owens - a frequent guest on Fox News and InfoWars - launched a website and YouTube channel in 2017 called Red Pill Black, which promotes black conservatism.

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Kanye West, controversial rapper and husband of Kim Kardashian, sat down this week with radio host and former bodyguard Big Boy to discuss a new turn in the rapper's career.

The "Gold Digger" star, who has previously tweeted provocatively on the subject of abortion, now appears to have changed his tune. This week, he dropped his album Jesus is King, a far different focus from the rest of his previous work. The star's views haven't just changed on religion and music, however. During the interview, the star discussed his newfound worldview, and on issues that affect the Black community.

"Democrats had us voting Democrat for food stamps for years, bro. What you talking about? Guns in the 80s, taking the fathers out of the home, Plan B, lowering our votes, making us abort our children. Thou shall not kill... I can't tell y'all how to feel. But what I can tell you honestly is how I feel."

Kanye isn't alone in feeling like this. Black Americans are an increasingly significant part of the pro-life movement, with prominent leaders like Dr. Alveda King, Roland Warren, DJ Carter, and Christina Bennett. President of the Radiance Foundation, Ryan Bomberger, has called out Planned Parenthood for its eugenic philosophies, both past and present.

The largest abortion provider in the country, Planned Parenthood, has a eugenicist past that has targeted African Americans. In 1939, founder Margaret Sanger notoriously wrote, "We do not want word to get out that we want to exterminate the Negro population and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members." And her legacy tragically continues today. Abortion still disproportionately targets Black Americans and minorities. Planned Parenthood has been caught on video accepting donations for racist and eugenicist abortions.

Kanye identified how different this is for him, and how his fans might not care for his new direction. "People said this is going to be horrible for your career," he said to Big Boy.

"Did you worry about that?" asked Big Boy.

"Man, I fear and love God. When you remove the fear and love of God, you create the fear and love of everything else."
"Like" Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!

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Kanye West rails against abortion in 'Jesus Is King' interview

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Kanye West, controversial rapper and husband of Kim Kardashian, sat down this week with radio host and former bodyguard Big Boy to discuss a new turn in the rapper's career. The "Gold Digger" star, who has previously tweeted provocatively on the subject of abortion, now appears to have changed his tune.

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Kanye West on slavery: 'For 400 years? That sounds like a choice'

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Kanye West has said that 400 years of slavery is "a choice" in a TMZ interview that resulted in a confrontation. Surgeon who operated on Kanye West's mother before her death asks to be to removed from album artwork The rapper, who has been tweeting out support for Donald Trump in recent weeks, was talking about the president, free thinking and labels before he moved onto slavery.

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Story highlights

With just one tweet, Kanye West succeeded in creating yet another Twitter storm.

The rapper caused an uproar on Twitter Tuesday, when he tweeted: "BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!!!!!!!" West gave no explanation as to how he got to such a conclusion or any context as to why he made such a controversial comment. In fact, he moved on and posted about another hot topic - NBA star Lebron James ' new NIKE sneakers.

West's declaration of innocence for Cosby - who is charged in a sexual assault case in Pennsylvania and has been publicly accused of assault by more than 50 women - did not sit well with many people, including celebrities like actress and comedian Sarah Silverman.

"Kanye!! You can't be for real. FIFTY WOMEN. With nothing to gain thank to a statue of limitations ON RAPE. Oy," Silverman wrote.

Kanye!! You can't be for real. FIFTY WOMEN. With nothing to gain thanks to a statute of limitations ON RAPE. Oy. https://t.co/3ekYD43uMs
- Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) February 9, 2016

Host of TruTV's "Billy On The Street" also weighed on the controversial tweet.

Are we sure Kanye isn't just a character from Zoolander?
- billy eichner (@billyeichner) February 10, 2016

"Are we sure Kanye isn't just a character from Zoolander?" Billy Eichner wrote.

Many more people took to Twitter to vent their displeasure with the artist.

"Awh man. This isn't good. Don't... man... You're putting me in a weird position here," one user wrote to the artist.

"You're really upsetting me and all women pls stop," another person wrote.

@kanyewest awh man. This isn't good. Don't... man... You're putting me in a weird position here.
- SWALSH (@dishwalsher97) February 10, 2016

In the Pennsylvania case, Cosby is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in his home in 2004.

Bill Cosby case: Judge says prosecution can go forward

Some wonder if all of this is a stunt so that the spotlight can be on West's next allbum, "T.L.O.P," set to be released Thursday?

There are easier ways to trend, Kanye.
- Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) February 10, 2016

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Kanye West's 'Bill Cosby Innocent' tweet sparks outrage | CNN

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With just one tweet, Kanye West succeeded in creating yet another Twitter storm. The rapper caused an uproar on Twitter Tuesday, when he tweeted: "BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!!!!!!!" West gave no explanation as to how he got to such a conclusion or any context as to why he made such a controversial comment.

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A modern form of merchandising, fans of the rapper are able to wear Yeezy clothing to demonstrate their liking for West and his music.

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Wearing his own brand of shoe allows West to stand out from his peers as a prime example of what it means to be a star rather than just a celebrity.

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"Yeezy Yeezy Yeezy I feel so accomplished" Kanye West raps on "Facts," the sneaker-centered track he dropped this past New Years Eve. The song, which includes numerous attacks on his onetime collaborators at Nike, is one big boast track for the success of his Adidas-backed Yeezy Boost line of shoes. And while it's got all the bombast for which West is known, as it turns out, the rapper's claims have merit. Because no one can deny that in 2016, his sneakers are the gold standard for hyped-up, gone-in-a-flash footwear. They're not yet the mass market utilitarian shoe West wishes they were, but he's right when he claims the Yeezy Boost is special. Actually, it's the most influential shoe of the year in terms of style and design.

From celebs in the Kardashian-West circle to artists like Justin Bieber, celebrity royalty like Brooklyn Beckham, and even foreign soccer superstars like Real Madrid's Karim Benzema have made the Yeezy Boost sneaker one of the most covetable items in the world and a tell tale sign of ones cool-guy (or gal) status. For some who prefer more low-key style swerves, Yeezys have actually become a scarlet letter of trend-chasing, but for most, they're a grail-level piece that lives up to its hype thanks to its insanely cozy proprietary Primeknit upper, proprietary Boost sole, heel tab, and of course, association to Yeezus himself. Hell, even the infant versions of the sneakers sold out on Adidas's site in mere seconds this past weekend. (There are about to be a lot of lil' hypebeasts around the world.)

Because Yeezys are so difficult to get, other labels have seemingly utilized the shoe's popular aesthetic for a mass audience. And while knockoffs will always be an issue for covetable kicks much like handbags, what's new are the legitimate businesses that have taken design cues from the 350. Smaller independent brands like Allbirds seem to have loosely based their runner style on the Yeezy and sold it for $95, creating a shoe with a knit upper, hiking-inspired round laces, and the overall shape of the limited West-designed style. Most conspicuously of these "Yeezy inspired" kicks is Steve Madden's "Baldwin" sneaker, which we think you only have to look at once to note its obvious inspirations. (Steve Madden declined to comment about the specific shoe.)

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Facts: Yeezys Are the Most Influential Sneakers of 2016

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"Yeezy Yeezy Yeezy I feel so accomplished" Kanye West raps on "Facts," the sneaker-centered track he dropped this past New Years Eve. The song, which includes numerous attacks on his onetime collaborators at Nike, is one big boast track for the success of his Adidas-backed Yeezy Boost line of shoes.

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The Yeezy 350 quickly became the trademark of the Yeezy brand.

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Reactions to the 'Famous' music video on YouTube.

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An online feud ensued between Taylor Swift and West's wife Kim Kardashian.

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Kim Kardashian West gave a bombshell interview last month claiming Taylor Swift approved of Kanye West 's "Famous" lyrics about her, and the reality star took to Snapchat Sunday night to provide the proof.

After Sunday night's episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians (in which Swift's feud with Kardashian West and West took center stage) aired, Kardashian West shared a series of videos on her Snapchat account of a phone call between West and Swift discussing the rapper's lyrics about the singer.

"It's like a compliment," Swift is heard saying in the video after West reads the lyrics - "For all my Southside n-- that know me best / I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex" - to her.

"What I give a f- is you as a person, and as a friend, I want things that make you feel good," says West, who also thanks Swift "for being like, so cool about it" after she tells him she appreciates the "heads up" on the lyrics.

WATCH: Taylor Swift-Kim Kardashian Feud: Internet Sides with Kim on #KimExposedTaylorParty

"I never would've expected you to like tell me about a line in your song," says the singer. "I mean, I don't think anybody would listen to that and be like, 'Oh, that's a real diss.' You gotta tell the story that way that it happened to you and the way you experienced it."

After the song was released in February, Swift's rep told PEOPLE the singer "declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message. Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyrics, 'I made that bitch famous.'"

In her GQ cover interview last month, Kardashian West claimed video of Swift and West's phone call existed in which the singer had told her husband she would "laugh" and tell media she was "in on it the whole time."

"If people ask me about it, look, I think it would be great for me to be like, 'He called me and told me before it came out . . . Joke's on you, guys. We're fine,'" Swift is heard saying in the footage Kardashian West posted on Snapchat.

After Kardashian West released the phone call on Snapchat, Swift took to Instagram to defend herself.

"Where is the video of Kanye telling me he was going to call me 'that bitch' in his song? It doesn't exist because it never happened. You don't get to control someone's emotional response to being called 'that bitch' in front of the entire world," the singer wrote on her social media account. "He promised to play the song for me, but he never did. While I wanted to be supportive of Kanye on the phone call, you cannot 'approve' a song you haven't heard. Being falsely painted as a liar when I was never given the full story or played any part of the song is character assassination."

Swift's rep was quoted in the GQ article as saying that "much of what Kim is saying is incorrect. Taylor has never denied that conversation took place. It was on that phone call that Kanye West also asked her to release the song on her Twitter account, which she declined to do. Kanye West never told Taylor he was going to use the term 'that b--' in referring her. A song cannot be approved if it was never heard. Kanye West never played the song for Taylor Swift. Taylor heard it for the first time when everyone else did and was humiliated. Kim Kardashian's claim that Taylor and her team were aware of being recorded is not true, and Taylor cannot understand why Kanye West, and now Kim Kardashian, will not just leave her alone."

Swift and West have had a complicated relationship since 2009, when the rapper interrupted the singer's Best Female Video acceptance speech at the MTV VMAs. Last year, the duo appeared to have patched up their differences and were seen buddying up at the Grammy Awards before Swift presented an award to West at the MTV VMAs in September.

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Kim Kardashian Releases Phone Call Between Taylor Swift and Kanye West

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Kim Kardashian West gave a bombshell interview last month claiming Taylor Swift approved of Kanye West 's "Famous" lyrics about her, and the reality star took to Snapchat Sunday night to provide the proof.

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This music video reignited a feud between the rapper and Taylor Swift due to a wax model resembling the singer appearing naked in bed beside West. The lyrics to the song also negatively reference Swift.

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Twitter became a great platform for audiences to interact and give their opinions on the incident and the rapper's conduct.

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How the Taylor Swift-Kanye West VMAs scandal became a perfect American morality tale

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The fraught legacy of the 2009 VMAs, explained.

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president barack obama - kanye west - jackass (actual video) 2009.09.16

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FUCK U KANYE. IT'S LIKE U STEPPED 0N A KITTEN.

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FUCK U KANYE. IT'S LIKE U STEPPED 0N A KITTEN.

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FUCK U KANYE. IT'S LIKE U STEPPED 0N A KITTEN.
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) September 14, 2009

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FUCK U KANYE. IT'S LIKE U STEPPED 0N A KITTEN.

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FUCK U KANYE. IT'S LIKE U STEPPED 0N A KITTEN.

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FUCK U KANYE. IT'S LIKE U STEPPED 0N A KITTEN.

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HD Kanye West Interrupts Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards

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The most eagerly awaited addition to the Kardashian clan has arrived - and she was apparently early to the party!

Kim Kardashian, 32, gave birth to her first child - a daughter - with boyfriend Kanye West, 36, on Saturday morning, a source confirms to PEOPLE. Her due date was widely reported to be in July.

West was by Kardashian's side for the delivery, according to sources, despite a busy travel schedule leading up to the birth.

The youngest Kardashian will already have playmates her age. Kim's big sister, Kourtney has two children with boyfriend, Scott Disick: Mason, 3½, and Penelope, who turns one on July 8.

"I'm so excited we're having a girl," Kim said on a recent episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, when she learned the sex of her baby. "Who doesn't want a girl? I think they are the best. I know that's really what Kanye has always wanted - he wanted a little girl."

West publicly broke the news of his girlfriend's pregnancy mid-song at an Atlantic City concert the night before New Year's Eve. Kim later confirmed the news, posting on her website, "It's true!! Kanye and I are expecting a baby. We feel so blessed and lucky and wish that in addition to both of our families, his mom and my dad could be here to celebrate this special time with us."

Since announcing her pregnancy, Kim experienced some bumps in the road, including criticism for her expectant outfit choices and a seemingly never-ending divorce from Kris Humphries - that was eventually finalized just earlier this month.

More On Kim Kardashian:

* PHOTOS: Kim Kardashian: What to Expect When She's Expecting

* PHOTOS: Oh, Mama! Kim Kardashian's Super-Trendy Maternity Style

* PHOTOS: Kim and Kanye's Matchy-Matchy Couple Style

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Kim Kardashian, Kanye West Welcome Their Baby Girl

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The most eagerly awaited addition to the Kardashian clan has arrived - and she was apparently early to the party! Kim Kardashian, 32, gave birth to her first child - a daughter - with boyfriend Kanye West, 36, on Saturday morning, a source confirms to PEOPLE.

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Kim Kardashian & Kanye West Married, Celebrate Wedding in Florence

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The couple tied the knot Saturday in a private ceremony and celebration in Italy

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Kanye West - Runaway (Video Version) ft. Pusha T

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The abstract music video for West's 'Bound 2' became iconic for its depiction of the rapper's relationship to Kim Kardashian.

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Kanye West - All Of The Lights ft. Rihanna, Kid Cudi

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USATODAY.com - 50 Cent disagrees with Kanye West

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Rap feuds aren’t usually about differing opinions on President Bush. However, that appears to be the case between 50 Cent and Kanye West. 50 disagrees with West’s infamous statement that George Bush doesn’t care about black people, proclaimed during...

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Former President George W. Bush says that Kanye West's insinuation that he is a racist, made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, still stings today -- and that the episode was the "all-time low" point of his presidency.

Bush's long-delayed reaction to West's ad-libbed comment that "George Bush doesn't care about black people," made during a live TV benefit show for hurricane survivors, is from an interview the former president taped with Matt Lauer of NBC.

Here's the exchange, from an early transcript the network released, as quoted by Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly:

"He called me a racist," Bush tells Lauer. "And I didn't appreciate it then. I don't appreciate it now. It's one thing to say, 'I don't appreciate the way he's handled his business.' It's another thing to say, 'This man's a racist.' I resent it, it's not true."

Lauer quotes from Bush's new book: "Five years later I can barely write those words without feeling disgust." Lauer adds, "You go on: 'I faced a lot of criticism as president. I didn't like hearing people claim that I lied about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction or cut taxes to benefit the rich. But the suggestion that I was racist because of the response to Katrina represented an all-time low.'

President Bush responds: "Yeah. I still feel that way as you read those words. I felt 'em when I heard 'em, felt 'em when I wrote 'em, and I felt 'em when I'm listening to 'em.

Lauer: "You say you told Laura at the time it was the worst moment of your presidency?"

Bush: "Yes. My record was strong, I felt, when it came to race relations and giving people a chance. And it was a disgusting moment."

Lauer: "I wonder if some people are going to read that, now that you've written it, and they might give you some heat for that. And the reason is this - "

Bush [ interrupting]: "Don't care."

Lauer: "Well, here's the reason. You're not saying that the worst moment in your presidency was watching the misery in Louisiana. You're saying it was when someone insulted you because of that."

Bush: "No, and I also make it clear that the misery in Louisiana affected me deeply as well. There's a lot of tough moments in the book. And it was a disgusting moment, pure and simple."

Before we proceed, allow me to ask: What is it about a midterm election that makes former presidents start talking about rappers? First there's the Bill Clinton-Lil' Wayne story, and now this.

While it's not clear if Lil' Wayne has an opinion about Clinton's remark that the oft-incarcerated rapper is a smart guy who should try to stay out of trouble, Kanye West has -- believe it or not -- offered his opinion on Bush's comments to Lauer.

As reported by Rap Radar, West was speaking to Houston deejay Devi Dev of Houston's 97.9 The Box when he was asked what he thought about Bush's sharp words. Here's what he said:

"Well, I definitely can understand the way he feels, to be accused of being a racist in any way, because... the same thing happened to me, you know, where I got accused of being a racist," West said -- referring to his troubled TV appearance with Taylor Swift last fall.

"For both situations, it was basically a lack of compassion that America felt in that situation. You know, with him, it was a lack of compassion of him not rushing -- him not taking the time to rush down to New Orleans.

For me, it was a lack of compassion of, you know, cutting someone off in their moment. But nonetheless, you know, I think we're all quick to pull, like, a race card in America.

And now I'm more open. And the poetic justice that I feel, to have went through the same thing that he went [through]. And now I really more connect with him, on... just a humanitarian level. Because that next morning, when he felt that -- I felt that, too."

Back to the Katrina fallout: Reuters quotes another portion of the transcript, in which Bush discusses his words of praise for emergency response chief Michael Brown. When he said, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job,'' Bush explains, he was trying to keep up morale.

"I never imagined those words would become an infamous entry in the political lexicon,'' he said.

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Bush Says West's Attack Was Low Point Of His Presidency

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Former President George W. Bush says that Kanye West's insinuation that he is a racist, made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, still stings today -- and that the episode was the "all-time low" point of his presidency.

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"Hearing Kanye West say what he said in 2005 -- a lot of us young people felt empowered".

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In the moments before he took the stage at NBCUniversal's " A Concert for Hurricane Relief" on Sept. 2, 2005, Kanye West looked calm.

Up to that point, the charity telethon for Hurricane Katrina's victims had gone as well as could have been expected, considering that it had been slapped together in a matter of days. That it happened at all was a credit to executive producer Rick Kaplan's team. Kaplan and his crew had worked hard to make sure things would go smoothly on the set, and celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Harry Connick Jr. and Lindsay Lohan, had agreed to say whatever needed to be said and play whatever needed to be played.

"All the stars we contacted -- Aaron Neville, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill -- I mean, everyone came in and was willing to do whatever they could do," Kaplan remembers now. "Everyone was totally cooperative."

West was cooperating, too. The hip-hop sensation's second studio album, " Late Registration ," had come out that week. West, who was scheduled to appear on stage alongside comedian Mike Myers, went over his lines with the show's senior producer and music director, Frank Radice. Like the other celebrities on the telecast, West was slated to provide the audience with facts -- the amount of damage brought by Katrina, the amount of relief aid needed, and so on.

But by that point, the man whom Time magazine had just named " the smartest man in pop music" knew the words Radice expected him to say would never make the airwaves.

" Yo, I'm going to ad-lib a little bit ," West later recalled telling Myers just before they took the stage at 30 Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan. The duo stepped in front of the camera. Then Myers, hands behind his back, launched into the lines streaming down the teleprompter.

"With the breach of three levees protecting New Orleans, the landscape of the city has changed dramatically, tragically and perhaps irreversibly," Myers said. "There is now over 25 feet of water where there was once city streets and thriving neighborhoods."

Myers' opening lines completed, West took a moment and a breath. Hands in his pockets, he cleared his throat, licked his bottom lip, blinked his eyes and opened his mouth.

"I hate the way they portray us in the media," he said. "If you see a black family, it says, 'They're looting.' You see a white family, it says, 'They're looking for food.' And you know that it's been five days because most of the people are black. And even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite -- because I've tried to turn away from the TV because it's too hard to watch. I've even been shopping before, even giving a donation. So now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what's, what is the biggest amount I can give, and, and just to imagine if I was down there, and those are my people down there. So anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help with the set-up, the way America is set up to help the, the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible. I mean, this is -- Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way -- and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us."

At that moment, Radice noticed something odd. Until then, he had heard celebrities chattering in the background throughout the show. But now all the famous people had gone quiet. All eyes were fixed on West.

Mark Traub, a senior stage manager for the show, remembers exchanging an "Oh my God" glance with show host Matt Lauer.

Myers looked petrified. The comedian had glanced away from the camera no less than eight times during the minute-plus it took West to deliver his preliminary thoughts. Shaken but still on the air, Myers lifted his right index finger to his face, rubbed below his eye and started through his final lines, this time at a quickened pace.

"And subtle, but in many ways even more profoundly devastating, is the lasting damage to the survivors' will to rebuild and remain in the area," he said. "The destruction of the spirit of the people of southern Louisiana and Mississippi may end up being the most tragic loss of all."

There was barely a moment between Myers' final words and the moment the man in the White House would later call the low point of his presidency. It was a moment that would lead to songs and skits , academic debates and calls to change the way Americans think and talk about race.

"George Bush doesn't care about black people," West said. The camera had not cut away in time. Millions of Americans heard his words. A somewhat shaken West walked off stage, leaving actor Chris Tucker to try to follow that and Myers to come to terms with what had just happened.

"He just seemed not appalled but almost flabbergasted," Radice recalls of Myers. "I've always thought Mike might have felt that he got sandbagged," Radice added.

"Myers looked like he had been shot in the head," Kaplan said.

Several members of the production team remember Myers turning to whoever would listen off-stage and shouting, "Well, that went well!" (Myers declined to comment for this story.)

The producers were trying to figure out what to think, too. "Everybody kind of went, 'OK ...' like somebody had just dropped a stinking turd on the stage, and we all kind of backed off and let it sit there for a while and moved on to other things and hoped that nobody really noticed," Traub remembers now.

One producer, who requested anonymity, told HuffPost he had warned his colleagues before the telecast that West was known for "making everything about himself."

Afterward, some producers worried West had done just that. "P eople were not happy," Traub said. "We had worked our asses off on this," said Frank Fernandez, an associate producer for the show. "We didn't even talk about titles. In the credits, that's when we found out what the titles were."

"I can't speak for everyone, so I'm going to speak for myself: I wasn't going to let him take my moment of trying to help and do a great job," Fernandez added.

The Red Cross, a major recipient of the concert's donations, was particularly furious about West's comments and worried that donors would pull their money as a result, according to Kaplan. (The telecast eventually raised more than $50 million .)

"I was feeling kind of crestfallen when I walked out," Kaplan admits now. "We had worked so hard. The last 72 hours was like no sleep and all work."

Not everyone was feeling down, though. Before West could leave 30 Rock, Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was present at the telethon but did not appear on air, told West that he would have done the same thing, according to a producer with firsthand knowledge of the interaction. (Diddy declined to comment.)

Harry Connick Jr. went further. The singer and actor, a New Orleans native, had been instrumental in the show's success, gathering musicians together to figure out last-minute arrangements. After West's comments, Connick, along with country singers and couple Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, walked up to Kaplan and told him something the producer would never forget: that West's comments wouldn't ruin the show's legacy but would ensure it had one -- that West's comments were important and correct.

"The three of them took me aside privately and said, '[We] know you're probably upset by what Kanye said, but we've all been down there and we promise you that when the dust settles and what Kanye said is thought about and what people learn is learned about, [we] promise you're going to be proud that Kanye ended up saying that on the show,'" Kaplan remembers. "They said, 'We were down there, and [we're] telling you it's not good what the government's doing there. They're not being good. They're not acting properly.'"

"It floored me," he said. "In the end, Faith and Harry and Tim made my night."

NBC's head honchos did not share Kaplan's sense of relief. Without alerting the show's top producers, the network decided to cut West's remarks from a tape of the telethon set to air three hours later on the West Coast. In a tersely worded statement, the network distanced itself from West, stating that " his opinions in no way represent the views of the networks ."

But the news was out. Cable networks dissected and debated West's comments for days. Conservative talk show host Bill O'Reilly, predictably, called West's remarks " simply nutty ." Rapper 50 Cent disagreed with the comments as well. And as noted, then-President George W. Bush later deemed West's accusation of racism an " all-time low" of his presidency.

YouTube, which had launched earlier that year, allowed users, many of them young people, to upload, watch, share and discuss the video -- and draw their own conclusions. In a recent essay for The Nation, writer Mychal Denzel Smith described West's comments as the " for a generation of black men and women. first relatable expression of black rage on a national stage"

"'George Bush doesn't care about black people' was my first political memory," Julia Craven, now a 22-year-old staff reporter for The Huffington Post, wrote in an email. "I didn't really understand the nuances behind what Kanye meant by that, but I knew that historically white people didn't care about black people (mostly because I'm from the south). So it made sense. It was funny more than anything else, though. It never crossed my mind that that was the beginning of Kanye's politicizing or that we'd look back on Katrina and really understand how spot on that critique was. But I was 12."

C.J. Lawrence was a law student at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston when Katrina hit. He remembers not being able to contact his family back in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for days after the storm. "We were deeply concerned," he said.

At the time, Lawrence lived up the street from the Astrodome, where thousands of New Orleans evacuees would come to find shelter.

"I remember driving home one night and seeing a line of, I kid you not, about 10,000 people that were just getting off the buses from Katrina. ... You could smell all they had gone through for miles in the air. You could smell it," he said. "[Katrina victims] didn't have the dollars to wield to influence a Bush or to influence even their local politicians to move in the way that a Kanye West could get them to move."

"Hearing Kanye West say what he said in 2005 -- a lot of us as young people felt empowered," Lawrence said. "West in many ways became a champion for us by speaking out nationally in that way."

Just days after the telethon, a Houston-based hip-hop duo called The Legendary KO released a song titled "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People," which quickly racked up more than a half-million downloads. (Watch it below.) Damien Randle, one half of the duo, was 31 at the time. "I stood on my couch that evening because I knew that the world would finally hear how others had felt, and it was too late to censor it," he recalls.

GloriaBrowne-Marshall, an associate professor of constitutional law at John Jay College in New York City who teaches a class on race and the law, remembers her shock at hearing about the conditions in which New Orleans' black community lived even before Katrina.

"The [conditions] that black people were living in, especially in the Ninth Ward -- it was deplorable that this was taking place within this country, that they were living so poorly in the first place. And then [once Katrina hit], to see them stranded and being abandoned, treated [as] and called refugees in our own country ...," she trailed off. "I'm not saying Kanye was a hero because he said it. But because he was a celebrity and he had the floor and he said it in a moment where the nation was not really voicing that opinion, I thought it was very significant."

Some New Orleanians found truth in West's comments, too.

"Let me tell you something, the man told the truth," said Glen David Andrews, a prominent trombonist and a fixture in the New Orleans music scene. "We thought he said the right thing. I just wish he slapped the president, too. It's fucking true. It's fucking true, isn't it?"

When people think back to West's telethon moment, the first thing that comes to mind is his seven-word indictment of the sitting president, a stark memory of one of the world's most famous artists accusing its most powerful man of racism. Less remembered are the 200-or-so words that came before that -- words targeted not at Bush, but at the media: "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says, 'They're looting.' You see a white family, it says, 'They're looking for food.'"

In the days following Hurricane Katrina, an image widely circulated on the Internet contrasted two photos and their captions. In one, a white man and a white woman walked through the high waters left by Katrina. The accompanying AFP/Getty caption explained, "Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store ..."

In the other photo distributed by The Associated Press, a black youth could be seen in a similar situation. The caption, however, read, " A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store ..."

Different agencies wrote the captions. But to many Americans, the contrast between the two represented a larger truth: that the predominantly white media, try as they might to remain evenhanded, were subject to their own racial biases. (An AP spokesman said at the time that the boy fit the description of "looter" since the photographer saw him enter a store to obtain goods.)

Ask Americans now, and it's hard for them to recall West's media criticism; they tend to focus on his comments about Bush. In a HuffPost/YouGov poll conducted in August, just one-third of those with memory of the incident could recall West criticizing the media's Katrina coverage. Two-thirds of them only remembered West accusing Bush of not caring about black people.

"It wasn't just a tirade against George Bush," said Scott Heath, an English professor at Georgia State University who teaches a course on Kanye West. "He was discussing the way that our larger media outlets represent black people in these moments of crisis."

Ten years on and nearly two terms removed from Bush's presidency, it's the criticism of the media that hits home for black Americans. Half of black men and women in the August poll agreed that Bush didn't care about black people, but two-thirds agreed that the media portray black and white moments of crisis differently.

"It was important for Kanye West and others to highlight that the media has the ability to tell the same story in two very different ways," said Lawrence, the onetime law student. "Being underwater for a week, I'm sure you get hungry, so hungry that you will go into a place where you know there is food and get it -- because, one, what's somebody else going to do with the food, with this food at a flooded Walgreens? And two, it's either go in there and get the food that you need to get, or die."

Nearly 60 percent of white Americans believe that the media are racially unbiased or biased in favor of minorities, according to the HuffPost/YouGov poll. But evidence to the contrary isn't limited to anger-inducing anecdotes like the AP's "looting" photo. A study published in the aftermath of Katrina and based on multiple experiments found evidence that " crime news coverage contributes to racial stereotyping," lead researcher Travis Dixon said at the time.

Research conducted by Media Matters for America and published in March by the lobbying group ColorOfChange.org showed that local New York City TV stations were disproportionately depicting African-Americans as criminals as recently as this past December. The authors of a separate study published in the International Journal of Communication this year found that they could predict an American's level of bias against black people by the amount of local TV news he or she watched. Additional research has provided further evidence that TV can influence how viewers generally perceive African-Americans.

"The underlying sentiment that Kanye West expressed 10 years ago demonstrates the current reality of the way that the media covers people of color," said Charlton McIlwain, an associate professor of media, culture and communication at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. "There are years and mountains of evidence to suggest that over a long period of time -- extending to the present moment -- media tend to put a black face on crime, particularly violent crime."

West's comments, McIlwain said, were "by and large ... accurate and on point."

Today, it's not clear whether West himself would repeat what he said 10 years ago. After all, he is more careful now and even apologized to Bush in a 2010 interview on NBC's "Today" show, saying that he " didn't have the grounds to call him a racist."

"He has become more media savvy, very media conscious and deliberate in his appearances and in the things he chooses to express at certain points," Heath, the professor who teaches the course on West, said. "Ten years later, I wonder if even Kanye West would do the same thing, say the same thing. But I think he might."

Many of the people involved in the benefit concert now recall West's comments positively. Myers told GQ last year that he was " very proud to have been next to him." Radice called West's comments "a phenomenal moment in culture, in history." Traub, while still perturbed by West's decision to point the finger so strongly at Bush, agreed that "there was definitely a tremendous problem with the way that African-Americans were treated in that area."

Kaplan, who was so crestfallen moments after West's remarks, now looks back on his decision to stray from the script especially fondly.

"When you look at it in hindsight, boy am I glad he did that," Kaplan said. "['A Concert for Hurricane Relief'] became politically correct [as a result of West's comments]. And I don't mean political correctness. It just became accurate. It became an accurate program, not just a fundraiser."

It hasn't gotten much easier for pop stars to air controversial political views through the mainstream media, though. On Aug. 14 of this year, Janelle Monae took the stage on "Today" to sing an extended version of her hit single "Tightrope." Near the end of her song, Monae took a knee, closed her eyes and opened her mouth. (Watch above.)

"Yes, Lord, God bless America!" Monae said. "God bless all the lost lives to police brutality. We want white America to know that we stand tall today. We want black America to know we stand tall today. We will not be silenced."

At that moment, NBC cut away from Monae, in what the network says was a scheduled commercial break unrelated to Monae's comments.

But with the rise of Twitter and movements like Black Lives Matter, whether it really takes a famous voice like Monae or West to launch a national debate is now an open question.

"One of the things [we've learned] through the Black Lives Matter movement and the actions that take place under that banner is it doesn't really take celebrity," said McIlwain, the NYU professor. "Many of the loudest voices in that movement are people that we had never heard, people who were a year ago in school, in college or working as college administrators."

Lawrence, the former law student, is a partner now at Lumumba & Associates, a law firm in Jackson, Mississippi, near where he grew up. He works on criminal defense and human rights cases. Currently, he's looking into the matter of Jonathan Sanders, a 39-year-old black man who was allegedly choked to death by a white police officer this July.

Last August, in the wake of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, Lawrence noticed something that perturbed him. Media outlets were using a photo of Brown in a sleeveless red jersey making a pointed hand gesture -- rather than a more sympathetic image of the soon-to-be college student, like him posing in graduation garb.

Frustrated, Lawrence spliced together two vastly different photos of himself and tweeted them out with the hashtag #IfTheyGunnedMeDown. "I was thinking to myself, 'If I was shot down, how would my story be told?'" he said. "If they gunned me down, how would the media portray me?"

Like West's comments had in 2005, Lawrence's tweet struck a chord. The hashtag he created went viral. At one point, people used #IfTheyGunnedMeDown 100,000 times in 24 hours, according to the BBC.

In the first photo in Lawrence's tweet, taken on the day of his graduation from Tougaloo College, he's delivering a commencement speech as former President Bill Clinton laughs in the background. In the second picture -- the one he thinks the media would use if he were killed -- Lawrence is sporting sunglasses and a microphone, and holding a bottle of liquor. It was Halloween, and he'd gone as Kanye West.

Kanye West and George W. Bush did not respond to requests for comment.

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The Definitive History Of 'George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People'

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In the moments before he took the stage at NBCUniversal's " A Concert for Hurricane Relief" on Sept. 2, 2005, Kanye West looked calm. Up to that point, the charity telethon for Hurricane Katrina's victims had gone as well as could have been expected, considering that it had been slapped together in a matter of days.

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The rapper's appearance on the cover of Rolling Stone in 2006 was received with criticism.

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Controversy at the 2004 American Music Awards.

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'Ye has a long history of controversy at award shows, the moment it began was when he lost the 'Best New Artist' title at the 2003 AMA's to country singer Gretchen Wilson. Kanye walked out of the awards and was quoted as saying backstage "I was the best new artist this year."

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Kanye West - Flashing Lights (Live from Glow In The Dark Tour 2008)

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A 'preppy' style to tie in with the themes of 'The College Dropout'.

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The rapper's first sneaker collaboration.

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Kanye West: George Bush doesn't care about Black people

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'All Falls Down' features a sample of Lauryn Hill's 'Mystery of Iniquity'.

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Kanye West - All Falls Down ft. Syleena Johnson

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After a plethora of delays, controversies, and a series of extravagant live performances promoting its release, 'Donda' arrived in August of 2021. The enthralling 27 track album almost feels like a compilation of everything expected of the rapper to this point in his career. At this point, West has evolved from the brash, confident rapper into a star that knows no boundaries in both his artistry and his celebrity persona.