Kanye West Twitter Ban: A Chronicle of the Rapper’s Downfall

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Kanye West, now known as Ye, is best known for hits like Gold Digger and Stronger

Kanye West has never been afraid to upset people, but his recent anti-Jewish rants have been too much for many.

As of October, he was a billionaire music artist and businessman and had deals with some of the biggest brands in the world.

Fast forward just two months and most of them no longer apply.

And it all started with a t-shirt.

Paris Fashion Week – October 3, 2022

At his Yeezy SZN 9 show, Kanye, now officially known as Ye, wears a t-shirt with the slogan “White Lives Matter.”

Anti-racism activists label it hate speech poking fun at the Black Lives Matter movement.

A picture of Kanye posing with conservative commentator Candace Owens and wearing a matching top went viral.

It’s not well received, and fans and other hip-hop stars are lining up to challenge him.

Instagram ban – October 7th

Kanye got in a fight with rapper Diddy, who posted a video criticizing White Lives Matter shirts.

In an Instagram post, Kanye seems to imply that Diddy is controlled by Jews. Ye is criticized for anti-Semitism and has his account suspended.

Adidas says it is reviewing its deal with Kanye.

48 Hours on Twitter – October 10th

Kanye – who hasn’t posted on Twitter in almost two years – is returning to the bird and taking aim at Facebook and Instagram boss Mark Zuckerberg.

Then he posts a tweet that appears to be a threat against Jews.

Twitter is following Instagram’s lead and kicking it out.

Interview with Tucker Carlson – October 11

Website Vice obtains unaired footage from an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

These unused clips are said to include the rapper making various anti-Semitic claims and repeating myths about the Jewish people.

An episode of The Shop: Uninterrupted YouTube talk show starring Kanye is being pulled for “more hate speech” for his alleged use of hate speech.

Kanye was diagnosed with bipolar disorder years ago and has spoken publicly about his mental health challenges.

But at the time of this interview, people who share his condition told the ZooHouseNews that mental health issues are not associated with anti-Semitism.

Brands are turning their backs – end of October

A bad week for Kanye as major companies announce they no longer want to work with him.

Fashion house Balenciaga and talent scouts Creative Artists Agency follow JP Morgan bank and clothing store Gap in dumping the artist.

Adidas is coming under increasing pressure to do the same.

Bye-bye Adidas, bye-bye billionaire status – October 25th

Adidas announces its split from Kanye.

The termination of the partnership means Adidas will make a net loss of £217m in 2022.

But it’s a bigger loss for Kanye, who is estimated to make $1.5 billion from his deal with the sportswear giant.

The US money magazine Forbes says he is no longer a billionaire and puts his new fortune at $400 million.

Skechy Situation – October 27th

American shoe manufacturer Skechers says Kanye showed up at its headquarters “unannounced and uninvited” and had to be removed.

It says it has no plans to work with him and condemns his previous comments.

Adidas scandal – November 22nd

US magazine Rolling Stone runs a lengthy article alleging West engaged in “toxic” behavior towards Adidas employees.

It declined to comment on the feature but announced two days later that it had launched an investigation into the claims.

Campaign Ye 24 – November 25

Kanye announces that he plans to run for US President in 2024.

Previously, there were reports that he dined with far-right political commentator Nick Fuentes at Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago golf club in Florida.

Infowars and another Twitter ban – December

Kanye appears in Infowars by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Wearing a face covering throughout the interview, he praises Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and rants about sin, pornography, and the devil.

Hours after it aired, he was again banned from Twitter for “violating our rule against incitement to violence.”

What now?

Kanye is known for being unpredictable, so the saga is unlikely to end.

His music remains popular and fans have seen him on their annual Spotify Wrapped and Apple Replay roundups.

But there are reports from some users demanding that streaming giants remove his music.

Fans have previously told Newsbeat they might consider skipping his tracks – so time will tell if he’ll still be in our top tracks next year.

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