In an exclusive statement to Andscape, SpringHill Company CEO Maverick Carter said a recently taped episode of The Shop starring Kanye West will not air.
“Yesterday we recorded an episode of The Shop with Kanye West. Kanye was booked weeks ago and having spoken to Kanye directly the day before the shoot, I felt he was capable of a respectful discussion and willing to address any of his recent comments. Unfortunately, he used The Shop to repeat even more hate speech and extremely dangerous clichés.
We have made the decision not to air this episode or any of Kanye’s comments. While The Shop welcomes thoughtful discourse and diverse opinions, we do not tolerate hate speech of any kind and will never allow our channels to be used to promote hate.
I take full responsibility for believing Kanye wanted a different conversation and I apologize to our guests and crew. Hate speech should never have an audience.”
Sources close to the production say West doubled down on his recent anti-Semitic remarks during the episode. Other guests included shoe designer Salehe Bembury and Jeezy, with whom West collaborated on 2008’s Grammy-nominated album Put On. LeBron James was not present for the recording.
The pulled episode of The Shop is just another in a series of bizarre media moments for West over the past week. During his most recent runway show at Paris Fashion Week, West’s decision to debut shirts with the phrase “White Lives Matter” drew immediate criticism. Sherrilyn Ifill, former president and director of the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, called West’s rhetoric “dangerous”.
His Oct. 6 appearance on FOX News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight included commentary on abortion in the black community, being a political outsider, Lizzo’s body and, of course, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.
West’s social media accounts were curtailed after he reproduced a text conversation with Sean “Diddy” Combs on Instagram (he threatened to use Diddy as an “example” for the Jewish people) – and later tweeted that he plans to “death Con 3 “JEWISH PEOPLE.” On Tuesday, Motherboard received unaired footage of West’s interview with Carlson. The unedited clips showed West continuing to make anti-Semitic remarks.
Justin Tinsley is a senior culture writer for Andscape. He firmly believes that “Cash Money Records takin’ ova for da ’99 and da 2000” is the most influential statement of his generation.