Kanye West has once again ignited a firestorm of controversy by donning a chilling black Ku Klux Klan robe during an interview released on Rumble by influential internet DJ Akademiks. Throughout the hour-long discourse, the 47-year-old rapper made several inflammatory remarks about fellow music industry figures, all while adorned in the ominous leather attire with its infamous pointed hood.
The interview commenced with West wearing a t-shirt designed by disgraced rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, accompanied by a necklace featuring a swastika medallion—a piece he had previously showcased in a video alongside white supremacist Nick Fuentes. The rapper boasted that the outfit, along with an identical white version, had been tailored specifically for him. When queried about whether he had worn the controversial ensemble in public, West responded by saying he had contemplated donning it the previous day but feared that people might "institutionalize me over my attire."
Criticism of West's latest antics was swift and severe. One individual on Twitter exclaimed, "This guy just needs to disappear." Another remarked, "I would have terminated the interview on the spot. He's an absolute joke." Quoting one of West's own songs, a third commented, "That's quite enough, Mr. West. Please, no more today." The Independent has reached out to West's representatives for a statement.
In recent weeks, West has exhibited a fascination with swastikas and other Nazi symbolism. In a since-deleted post, he teased a new artwork for his Sunday service choir that bore a striking resemblance to the SS logo. Last month, during the Super Bowl, the rapper appeared in a 60-second commercial directing viewers to his website to purchase swastika-emblazoned T-shirts for $20, although the sales site—yeezy.com—later announced that it was "unavailable."
Earlier this month, West posted an Instagram image of an individual clad in a white Ku Klux Klan outfit, captioning it "outfit of the day." The post was swiftly removed for violating community guidelines. "WOW INSTAGRAM TOOK MY POST DOWN," he tweeted, along with screenshots of his empty Instagram profile and a message from Instagram informing him of the removal.
According to Instagram's policies, posts deemed to contain "credible threats of violence, hate speech, and targeting of private individuals" will be taken down, as "we do not tolerate attacks or abuse based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or disease."
West's latest controversy follows a string of incidents stemming from his antisemitic remarks. In 2022, he made a series of inflammatory statements, including a tweet declaring his intention to go "death con 3 on Jewish people," accusing them of manipulating him and attempting to blacklist anyone who opposed their agenda. During a subsequent appearance on right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's Infowars show, he declared his admiration for Hitler and insisted, "We've got to stop dissing the Nazis all the time."
Following these comments, sports and leisurewear brand Adidas severed ties with West, eroding his billionaire status overnight. In a statement, Adidas deemed the remarks "unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous," adding that they violated the company's values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness.
