UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer thinks it’s “deeply concerning” that the artist formerly known as Kanye West will be headlining the Wireless Festival in London despite his previous antisemitic remarks and embrace of Nazism.
Starmer revealed his thoughts to The Sun, saying that “it is deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.”
“Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears,” he added. “Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe.”
Ye caught some serious backlash in 2022 when he praised Adolf Hitler during an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. The rapper spoke about seeing the good in everyone, which “especially” includes Hitler.
“Well, I see good things about Hitler, also,” said Ye. “I love everyone, and Jewish people are not gonna tell me… ‘You can love us, and you can love what you’re doing to you with the contracts, and you can love what we’re pushing with the pornography.’ But this guy that invented highways, invented the very microphone that I use as a musician—You can’t say out loud that this person ever did anything good, and I’m done with that. I’m done with the classifications, every human being has something of value that they brought to the table. Especially Hitler!” Ye said.
Instead of backing down from his comments, Ye decided to sell t-shirts that featured a swastika on them and even recorded a song named “Heil Hitler.”
Ye eventually apologized for his past antisemitic comments in a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal. In the lengthy apology, he blamed his issues on the car accident that he was in 25 years ago.
"At the time, the focus was on the visible damage—the fracture, the swelling, and the immediate physical trauma. The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed,” Ye said.
The rapper continued, explaining his battle with bipolar disorder caused him to say and do things that he deeply regretted — including embrace Nazism. .
"One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments—many of which I still cannot recall—that lead to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body experience," he wrote. "I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people."
Ye just wrapped up two shows in Los Angeles in support of his new album, BULLY. On the second night, he brought out Lauryn Hill.
