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Artisan News Service, 2009. TAYLOR SWIFT VMA AWARD MOMENT RUINED BY KANYE WEST. [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z8gCZ7zpsQ&feature=emb_err_watch_on_yt>.

Biography.com Authors, 2019. Kanye West Biography. [online] Biography.com. Available at: <https://www.biography.com/musician/kanye-west>.

Brick, C., 2019. Calling out Kanye: reflections on post-racial celebrity and the (neo)liberal media. Celebrity Studies,.

Karimi, F., 2016. Kanye West Peeves Taylor Swift's Fans -- Again - CNN. [online] CNN. Available at: <https://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/11/entertainment/taylor-swift-kanye-west-new-song/index.html>.

McCaulley, E., 2019. ‘Jesus Is King’ And Kanye West Is A Tax Collector. [online] The Washington Post. Available at: <https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/10/25/jesus-is-king-kanye-west-is-tax-collector/>.

Perpetua, M., 2011. Kanye West Compares Himself To Hitler At British Festival. [online] Rolling Stone. Available at: <https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kanye-west-compares-himself-to-hitler-at-british-festival-182991/>.

Shingler, M., 2012. Star Studies: A Critical Guide. London: BFI Publishing, p.127.

Wallis, A., 2019. Kanye West Backs Donald Trump, Says ‘Republican Party Freed The Slaves’ At Sunday Service. [online] Global News. Available at: <https://globalnews.ca/news/5999641/kanye-west-donald-trump-sunday-service/>.

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Kanye West, born 8th of June 1977 is an American rapper and fashion designer. He is currently married to Kim Kardashian West, and has 4 children named North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. Kanye has earned a total of 21 Grammys for his music and has a very large following for his fashion brand, Yeezy, and often releases sell-out shoes and clothing. Kanye West is often surrounded by controversy, due to his outlandish comments and opinions on certain subjects, such as politics, race, the music industry and many more.
https://www.biography.com/musician/kanye-west

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Barry King (Cited in Shingler, 2012, p. 127) states that the drama that stars and celebrities find themselves in gets circulated throughout the media, effectively making them 'characters in the drama of their own biographies', something that Kanye West and his family know all too well. With the Kardashians/Jenners being some of the most talked about celebrities in the news, and Kanye's regular outbursts of controversy, it is usually often that you see something about Kanye in the news, whether that be new music, people reacting to his fashion line, Yeezy or even just something controversial.

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Construction from audience perception and interpretation:

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Construction from audience perception and interpretation:

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Construction from audience perception and interpretation:
Mixed response from different audiences. Hardcore fans, 'Stans' appreciate everything Kanye West does. Facebook page dedicated to him with over 89000 members and growing. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/kanyeposting/)
Kanye West is often ridiculed online for his opinions, fashion choices, including the clothes he makes, and especially for his political views
He is also hated by the Taylor Swift fanbase, like it was mentioned  in the VMAs section of this portfolio.  In march 2020, the hashtag '#KanyeIsOverParty trended on twitter after a full conversation between Kanye and Taylor Swift leaked online. The conversation was originally uploaded by Kim Kardashian in 2016 and was previously used to paint Swift in a bad light over the 'famous' lyric controversy. However, it was revealed that the line, 'I made that b***h famous', the line that Taylor Swift fans were most upset about was never brought up in discussion

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Currently very limited social media activity. Often deletes social media pages. Instagram page still deleted. Twitter page consists of promotion of new music/fashion, as well as a couple of glimpses into his life, more conservative since his devotion to god and Christianity, used to be more controversial and opinionated.

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Interviews: Outlandish comments on controversial topics. Prides himself on the things he says. Classes himself as a 'genius' due to the opinions and thoughts he has

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Pre 2019: Hip Hop artist/rapper with lavish lifestyle. Money, drugs, Jewellery and women. Controversial lyrics that outline his ego to the listener
Post 2019: Man of god, born again christian. Fashion designer (although he has been doing fashion for many years now), family man.

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‘Jesus Is King’ and Kanye West is a tax collector

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‘Jesus Is King’ and Kanye West is a tax collector

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Many people believe that Kanye's recent declaration to Christianity is just a ploy in order to recover from his endorsement of Donald Trump. This article suggests that it is known that the Church will forgive almost anyone, which is why Kanye West has decided to devote his life and career to the cause after 'alienating his fanbase'

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Kanye West performs during his "Jesus Is King" album and film experience at the Forum on Wednesday in Inglewood, Calif. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Aba)

Kanye West is expected to release his highly anticipated album today called " Jesus Is King," an explicitly Christian record that comes about a year since he began hosting events called Sunday Services. Kim Kardashian West has called his gatherings a "musical ministry" that combines traditional black gospel music with Christianized remixes of secular songs and sometimes includes a message from a pastor. They began as private affairs before expanding into a kind of traveling worship event.

How did we end up here?

West has sworn off secular art and says he will perform only gospel music going forward. His wife told the women of "The View" last month that he " has had an amazing evolution of being born again and being saved by Christ. "

We've seen something like this before. At the height of the Bad Boy Records era, Mase left hip-hop to begin life as a pastor. Snoop Dogg released a gospel album. Tupac Shakur declared that only God could judge him. DMX and Chance the Rapper have been vocal about their faith in Jesus. Kendrick Lamar's two most recent albums have wrestled with issues of faith. And there are other hip-hop artists with strong Christian bases, including Lecrae and Sho Baraka, who have been vocal about their faith throughout their careers.

But West's bold declaration that he is leaving secular music for a more explicitly Christian approach has been the subject of much conversation and has left many Christians asking questions.

Many are excited and suggest that Sunday Services and "Jesus Is King" have the ability to draw in young people suspicious of Christianity. Others are skeptical about the sincerity of West's conversion. Even others are suspicious that West turned to Christianity only when his public embrace of President Trump alienated his base audience. They suggest that he is taking advantage of the fact that the church will forgive almost anyone. They claim that West is a part of a long line of people who use the black church for their benefit and leave when it no longer suits them.

As an African American Christian trying to make sense of West's decisions, I have repeatedly reflected on the stories of Jesus eating with tax collectors that upset many of his contemporaries.

Business was booming in the first century. Rome had territory to conquer and an empire to maintain. It funded the empire by taxing conquered groups of people, including Jews in the first century.

Rather than collect the money themselves, the Romans engaged in something called tax farming. That meant that they would sell the collecting contract to the highest bidder, who would then collect the taxes. Tax collectors profited from the economic exploitation of their people. They had money, but it was dirty and despised, and for that reason they were shunned by their own.

For some black people, West's comment that " slavery was a choice" when linked to his support of the current administration makes him something of a modern-day tax collector, belonging to a group of people who we should instinctively reject. Therefore, any embrace of West involves joining arms with an administration associated with harm to many groups of people. Others are afraid that after West is welcomed into a church fold, he will say something controversial that brings shame on Christians or that he will grow weary of us and abandon us. We will look like pawns.

It has become a part of our societal playbook to bring in a willing pastor to pray with and for a public figure when they are in trouble. But is there a difference between getting pastors to baptize problematic behavior and the possibility of real change? Can we tell the difference in advance? We cannot always tell, and that is fine.

A central teaching of Christianity is that we were all "tax collectors" in the sense that we are all complicit in the harm done to ourselves and others. For that reason, the grace afforded to us is available to others, even before they have fully explained themselves to our satisfaction. We don't require accountability before extending a welcome.

I'm not worried about the church's reputation more than Jesus was worried about his. Every week, Christians gather to worship a God who was unjustly stripped, beaten, tortured and crucified by the state. Nonetheless, we believe God was at work in the midst of that profound evil and humiliation. Christians follow a God for whom reputation protection never trumps love. There is a reason that the Apostle Paul referred to his message as the foolishness of the cross.

Some might be tempted to portray Kanye West as a kind of prodigal son, someone who has finally "come home" to the Christian faith. But Christians in particular should view him in the same way that we view ourselves. West is a "tax collector," and Jesus is king.

We shouldn't expect someone new to this level of devotion to spark a sudden revival. We should not expect him to lead. We should instead give him space to learn, grow and be held accountable in a community of faith that will ground him and prepare him for a lifetime of service.

Esau McCaulley is an assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. He is a co-founder of Call and Response Ministries and the director of Next Generation Leadership for the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).

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Perspective | 'Jesus Is King' and Kanye West is a tax collector

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Kanye West is expected to release his highly anticipated album today called " Jesus Is King," an explicitly Christian record that comes about a year since he began hosting events called Sunday Services. Kim Kardashian West has called his gatherings a "musical ministry" that combines traditional black gospel music with Christianized remixes of secular songs and sometimes includes a message from a pastor.

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Kanye West backs Donald Trump, says ‘Republican Party freed the slaves’ at Sunday Service

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Kanye West backs Donald Trump, says ‘Republican Party freed the slaves’ at Sunday Service

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Since Kanye's conversion to Christianity, he has been performing at his 'Sunday service' tour, a nationwide church service, mixing black gospel with popular songs. During one of his services, Kanye West declared his support once again for Donald Trump, comparing him to Abraham Lincoln, ' “Abraham Lincoln was the Whig Party,” said West. “That’s the Republican Party that freed the slaves.” ' this was to the dismay of his large African American fanbase, due to the treatment that they recieve under Trump's America, as well as the President's opinions on black issues such as the BlackLivesMatter movement, as well as the Central Park 5 case, which happened many years before his presidency, in which Trump suggested the death sentence for the 5 young black teenagers accused and charged of rape, all of which had no physical evidence linking them to the crime

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As many fans patiently await the release of his upcoming album, Jesus is King, Kanye West 's much-beloved Sunday Service tour is still ongoing.

Last Saturday, the unique invite-only show stopped in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the 42-year-old rapper spoke in front of thousands of people about his journey to Christianity, with a backing choir accompanying him.

West, however, performed only one song at the Gateway - the massively crowded open-air venue - after launching into a heated political rant.

While reminding fans that he's an avid supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Stronger rapper tried to justify exactly why to those who disagree with him.

Because of their shared political party, West compared Trump, 73, to former president Abraham Lincoln, adding that the 19th-century Republican leader "freed the slaves."
READ MORE: Comedian Rip Taylor dies at 84
"Abraham Lincoln was the Whig Party," said West. "That's the Republican Party that freed the slaves."

He proceeded to tell the audience that he would not oppose Trump simply because he was African American.

West continued: "I ain't never make a decision based only on my colour, that's a form of slavery - mental slavery. I ain't drinking from the white person fountain. I ain't playing with them. All these mind controllers, the media, all of these mind controllers."

Kanye West At Sunday Service Salt Lake City talked about the Republican Party of Lincoln freeing the slaves and how he supports Trump: "I ain't never made a decision only based on my color. That's a form of slavery, mental slavery." pic.twitter.com/0Cwom01ipF

- Hunter Schwarz (@hunterschwarz) October 5, 2019

The musician's words were met with an abundance of mixed reactions. Cheers, applause and many shouting "boo" echoed throughout the complex.
READ MORE: Post Malone releases new album, 'Hollywood's Bleeding'
West later claimed that his belief in God gives his mind clarity, before speaking about the woes and non-progressive nature of social media.

He said, "I find that wherever Christ is, is where I've got my mind at. We find that the love of Christ is where I've got my mind back."

West's social media rant, however, won back the majority of the crowd. "Do not read comments on the internet," he said. "These people don't know you like that."

West touched on criminal justice reform. He talked about how people argue about music and sports then said, "there's one in three African-Americans in jail in this country." pic.twitter.com/9jefKUf4U5

- Hunter Schwarz (@hunterschwarz) October 5, 2019

"Social media is designed to make you think slower," he continued. "They want to slow you down and control you."

Adding to that, West addressed the current state of criminal justice reform, claiming that with the power and reach of social media, a large amount of people are still focusing on the wrong, and often trivial, issues.

"Right now, there's 1 in 3 African Americans locked up in this country," he yelled. "This is not a museum."
READ MORE: Kanye West says he's done with secular music, only making gospel from now on: report
The show concluded with a high-energy performance of Jesus Walks - which comes from West's critically-acclaimed 2004 album The College Dropout.

Saturday's concert was held right before the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its twice-yearly conference.

As of this writing, it's unclear when Jesus Is King will be released to the public. It was initially set for a Sept. 27 release, according to Kim Kardashian.

The Jesus Is King film will premiere exclusively in select IMAX cinemas on Friday, Oct. 25, as reported by Pitchfork.
- With files from The Associated Press

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Kanye West backs Donald Trump, says 'Republican Party freed the slaves' at Sunday Service

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As many fans patiently await the release of his upcoming album, Jesus is King, Kanye West 's much-beloved Sunday Service tour is still ongoing. Last Saturday, the unique invite-only show stopped in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the 42-year-old rapper spoke in front of thousands of people about his journey to Christianity, with a backing choir accompanying him.

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Calling out Kanye: reflections on post-racialcelebrity and the (neo)liberal media

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Calling out Kanye: reflections on post-racialcelebrity and the (neo)liberal media

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Carlton Brick
This article discusses how the medias construction of Kanye West and his support for Trump and the Republican party 'Negates the rapper as both political subject and black spectacle' (Brick, 2019, p. 2), suggesting that this type of hatred towards him, and expecting him to align with a certain political party just because of the colour of his skin is in itself prejudice towards him. This topic is something that Kanye West has spoken about in recent history, comparing the hatred he receives due to it is 'mental slavery'
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19392397.2019.1691754?instName=University+of+Liverpool

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Kanye West 'Famous' lyric controversy (2016)

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Kanye West 'Famous' lyric controversy (2016)

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kanye west peeves taylor swift's fans -- again  - cnn

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Kanye West peeves Taylor Swift's fans -- again - CNN

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It's the Kanye West and Taylor Swift drama -- the sequel. This time, it involves song lyrics from West's new album, "The Life of Pablo."

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Kanye West Compares Himself to Hitler at British Festival

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Kanye West Compares Himself to Hitler at British Festival

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Kanye West is known for making outlandish statements throughout the years, from comparing himself to got to saying that slavery was a choice. However, one early instance had him stating that he is more hated than Adolf Hitler, the Austrian Dictator who lead the National Socialist (Nazi) Party in Germany during and before World War Two, and was responsible for the deaths of 6 Million Jewish citizens. At the Big Chill Film Festival, he said "I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street and people look at me like I’m fucking insane, like I’m Hitler"

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Kanye West declared that he was more hated than Adolf Hitler midway through a concert at the Big Chill Festival in England on Saturday. "I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street and people look at me like I'm fucking insane, like I'm Hitler," the rapper said during a lengthy mid-set rant. "One day the light will shine through and one day people will understand everything I ever did." One can only hope that West's Hitler analogy did not extend to the "one day people will understand" bit.

Given West's huge yet very fragile ego, it's not exactly a surprise that he would reach such a depth of self-pity that he would compare himself to one of history's most widely despised villains. Even still, it's amusing to see someone turn Godwin's Law on themselves. The adage, which was coined by internet pioneer Mike Godwin in 1990, states that "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 100 percent." It seems as though West's internal dialogue regarding his own greatness has finally become hysterical enough to reach the "Hitler analogy" stage.

Photos: Kanye West's Career Highs - and Lows
West closed the festival show with a tribute to Amy Winehouse that emphasized his martyr complex. After playing snippets from her hits "Tears Dry on Their Own" and "Back to Black," the rapper suggested that her death at the age of 27 last month was a result of the pressures of fame. "For all media, can you lighten up on all your artists that are still here," he said, perhaps anticipating a wave of criticism for invoking the Führer.

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Kanye West Compares Himself to Hitler at British Festival

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Kanye West declared that he was more hated than Adolf Hitler midway through a concert at the Big Chill Festival in England on Saturday. "I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street and people look at me like I'm fucking insane, like I'm Hitler," the rapper said during a lengthy mid-set rant.

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Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift acceptance for best video (VMAs 2009)

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Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift acceptance for best video (VMAs 2009)

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during the 2009 VMAs, Kanye West came onto the stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance for her award for best female video for her song, 'you belong to me'. This started a long feud between the two musicians and caused both of their fans to turn on each other in a rivalry that is still ongoing to this day.

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TAYLOR SWIFT VMA AWARD MOMENT RUINED BY KANYE WEST