It seemed for a while that Ye, the artist known for most of his career as Kanye West, might be a permanent industry pariah. In 2022, several months after he tweeted, \u201cDeath con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE<\/a>,\u201d he appeared on InfoWars with noted antisemite and right-wing provocateur Nick Fuentes<\/a>, telling host Alex Jones, \u201cI like Hitler. I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis<\/a>.\u201d In February 2025, he reiterated his love of Hitler and Nazis<\/a> by purchasing local ad time during the Super Bowl<\/a> to direct people to his website, where he was selling T-shirts featuring a swastika<\/a>. A few months after that, Ye released the song \u201cHeil Hitler.\u201d<\/a> But last week, his album \u201cBully\u201d debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts, and celebrity guests Travis Scott, CeeLo Green and Lauryn Hill appeared with him during two sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. In what were his first shows in the United States since 2021, Ye was able to make a reported $33 million<\/a>.<\/p>\n It seemed for a while that Ye might be a permanent pariah.<\/p>\n Though his statements cost him a number of business partnerships<\/a> and reportedly cost him his billionaire status<\/a>, Ye has continued to be one of the most popular rappers<\/a> across streaming platforms<\/a>, and as the SoFi Stadium concerts showed, he remains an in-demand performer. He was scheduled to perform at a festival in London this summer, but the backlash reached such a pitch that the United Kingdom\u2019s Home Office announced on Tuesday that it would block him from traveling to the country. A spokesperson for the Home Office said in a statement, \u201cHis presence in the U.K. would not be conducive to the public good<\/a>,\u201d and the festival itself was canceled.<\/p>\n But if he is still able to make tens of millions of dollars for a couple shows, will that matter? The Los Angeles concerts proved people, including his industry peers, are still willing to show up for and stand with Ye.<\/p>\n It\u2019s reminiscent of how many artists were still eager to work with R. Kelly<\/a>, even after the allegations of abuse of girls surfaced in 2002 (indeed, even before then, when he secretly married teenager Aaliyah<\/a>). Their morality has been tainted by their pursuit of popularity and profits, and with no social or financial pressure to stop them. Even someone like Hill, known for her social consciousness, has not dropped her association with Ye. In past cases, \u00a0some Black people defending Black male celebrities have twisted themselves into the belief they are rehabilitating the image of a Black man who has been unfairly tried in the court of public opinion, no matter who that Black man has harmed or how publicly they\u2019ve committed that harm. ( One would hope they would find it in themselves and their own sense of what is right to demand more of their peers, but thus far, few have taken up the cause.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPlay<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t In January, Ye took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal<\/a> to blame his behavior on untreated bipolar I disorder and brain damage he linked to his infamous car accident when he was on the precipice of fame almost 24 years ago<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.\u201d<\/p>\n These words could be a good start, if there were any reason to believe Ye was being sincere. But his issuing an apology in the run up to new music and a tour makes it feel like it was coming from someone more concerned with ticket sales than contrition. Even if his apology were sincere, let\u2019s acknowledge that there\u2019s a big difference between the questions, \u201cShould a person who has caused harm with their words or actions be given the opportunity to apologize, make amends, and redeem themselves?\u201d and, \u201cShould a person who has caused harm with their words or actions be given the opportunity to make millions of dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n Ye has been here before, after saying and doing things that hurt and antagonized the very people he claims to make music for.<\/p>\n Ye has been here before, after saying and doing things that hurt and antagonized the very people he claims to make music for.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you hear about slavery for 400 years \u2026 For 400 years? That sounds like a choice<\/a>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/1670098114850_n_vossoughian_angelocarusone_221203_1920x1080-lt419z.jpg?w=860&h=484&crop=1\")
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