Kanye West is criticized for wearing a black version of a KKK hood
Despite the backlash he has suffered over his infamous spate of anti-Semitic outbursts, Kanye West is wearing a black version of a KKK hood.
Bang Showbiz
Ye, the rapper born Kanye West, apologizes for his anti-Semitic behavior ahead of the release of his new album.
The 46-year-old took to Instagram in the early hours of Tuesday to share his atonement, written in Hebrew.
“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any inadvertent outburst caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to offend or be disrespectful, and I deeply regret the pain I have caused,” he wrote, adding that he was determined to learn from this experience “in order to promote greater sensitivity and awareness in the future “To ensure understanding.”
West ended the post by saying, “Your forgiveness is important to me and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity.”
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The apology sparked more than 750,000 likes in five hours, and many Instagram users asked about “Vultures,” Ye's new album in collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign. According to reports, the release of the album, which was due out earlier this month, has been pushed back to January 12th.
Other commenters were vocal about the lack of words.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” one Instagram user wrote. “For more than a year you have been making anti-Semitic and offensive statements for no reason and out of complete ignorance! Is this the legacy you want to pass on to your children???”
“Less talk, more action,” pleaded another.
“Now publish it in English so it’s not just us (Hebrew speakers) who understand it,” wrote another. Hebrew is not a language spoken by all Jews.
The apology follows consistent anti-Semitic actions by Ye. “Vultures,” the album’s title track, debuted on streaming on November 22 and was met with backlash for West’s lyrics about sleeping with Jewish women. Earlier this month, he attended a listening party for the album in Miami wearing a “black Ku Klux Klan-like hood,” according to Forbes.
The rapper's anti-Semitic comments last year cost him major brand deals (and billionaire status), not to mention he lost a lot of public sympathy despite his mental health struggles.
Ye's post comes amid a deadly war in Israel and Gaza that began on October 7. Preliminary data from the ADL shows that there were 1,402 anti-Semitic incidents in the United States from October 7 to November 20. That compares to a 315% increase over the same time frame last year, when Ye and Kyrie Irving's high-profile anti-Semitic rhetoric dominated the news cycle.
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Contributors: Taijuan Moorman and David Oliver