KANYE WEST

from BAVUAL The African Heritage Magazine Fall 2022

THEME: BLING

The Rise and Fall of Ye

By Kristen Jones

Rising from middle-class Chicago, Ill., to the lap of luxury in Beverly Hills, Calif., would seem like an impossible dream for most people, but for rapper, music producer, fashion designer and influencer Kanye West, it was a reality. Although the 45-year-old star quickly rose to nearunimaginable heights, recent controversies have even more quickly brought him down, costing him heavily both socially and financially. According to Forbes magazine, West, whose previous net worth was in the billions, is a “billionaire no more.”

So, what happened? What led to this giant star’s epic fall?

The Beginning

Born in Atlanta, Ga., in 1977, West moved to Chicago at the age of 3 with his mother, Donda West, after she divorced his father. They then briefly lived overseas when his mother taught in China. His love for the arts bloomed early, and he released his first musical endeavor in the third grade and began making musical compositions in the seventh grade, eventually selling them to other artists.

After graduating from high school, West received a scholarship to attend Chicago's American Academy of Art in 1997 and began taking painting classes. Shortly afterward, he transferred to Chicago State University to study English. He soon realized, however, that his busy class schedule was detrimental to his musical work, and at age 20, he dropped out of college to pursue his musical dreams.

Big Breaks

West, who changed his name to Ye in 2021, got a big break in 2000 when he began to produce for artists on Roc-AFella Records.

He soon achieved recognition for his abilities and is often credited with revitalizing JAY-Z's career with his contributions to JAY-Z’s 2001 album

The Blueprint

On Oct. 23, 2002, while he was driving home from a California recording studio after working late, he fell asleep at the wheel causing a head-on crash with another car. The crash left him with a shattered jaw, which had to be wired shut with reconstructive surgery.

While recovering from his injuries, West recorded his debut studio album The College Dropout, which went on to gain critical acclaim and launch his career. The album won several awards, including a Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2005; was certified four times platinum; and led West to continue making more studio albums, collect more awards, and earn billions of dollars in a short time. He is among the top best-selling digital artists in history, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

As his career was in full swing, however, his mother passed away in 2007, possibly due to complications following cosmetic surgery. During this traumatic time, many began to question the young artist’s mental health, and some say that the grief and pain still affect him today.

Sunday Services

More than a decade later, on Jan. 6, 2019, West started his weekly "Sunday Service,” which is basically a Christian worship meeting that includes unstructured prayer and nontraditional music. The meeting includes variations of his and others' songs and has been attended by multiple celebrities including the Kardashians, Charlie Wilson and Kid Cudi.

Entering the World of Fashion Design

In addition to his rap music and Christian Sunday Services, early in his career, West also made clear his interest in fashion and desire to work in the clothing design industry. In January 2007, he began fulfilling this dream when he released of one of his first sneaker collaborations, a special-edition Bapesta from A Bathing Ape.

In 2009, he collaborated with Nike to release his own shoe, the Air Yeezy, with a second version released in 2012. He became the first nonathlete to be given a shoe deal with Nike.

On Dec. 3, 2013, Adidas officially confirmed a new shoe collaboration deal with the rapper, and months later, West confirmed the release of the Adidas Yeezy Boost. Then, in 2015, he unveiled his Yeezy Season clothing line, premiering Season 1 in collaboration with Adidas. His Yeezy shoe line became one of the most influential sneaker brands in the world.

Controversies, Controversies, Controversies

Even though West has been highly successful in many areas of his life, he has also been involved in a lot of problems and controversies over the years—most of his own making. Such controversies include storming the stage at multiple awards events over the years to express his opinion about who should have won an award instead of the actual awardee. He drew heavy criticism in 2009, for example, when he went on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards while Taylor Swift was accepting her award for Best Female Video and grabbed the microphone from her to suggest that Beyoncé's video should have received the award.

In 2005, during a Hurricane Katrina benefit concert on NBC, he went off the prepared script and criticized President George Bush and his treatment of African Americans. The list of such incidents goes on and on, but more recently, he has drawn the ire of many critics for his comments about slavery, George Floyd’s death, and White Lives Matter.

In 2018, during an appearance on TMZ, he said, "When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice. You were there for 400 years and it's all of y'all.”

In October 2022, talking about the cause of George Floyd’s death, he told Revolt TV’s Drink Champs, “If you look, the guy’s [police officer’s] knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.” In fact, officer Derek Chauvin had already been convicted of Floyd’s murder as a result of pressing his knee to Floyd’s neck.

In October, during Paris Fashion Week, West also created a scandal when he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt, which many criticized as taking away from the Black Lives Matter movement that was started in 2013 following the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin. The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified the growing “White Lives Matter” movement as white supremacist and neo-Nazi.

West’s Biggest Unbreak

The costliest backlash to West’s expressions came, however, after he criticized Jewish influence in society and tweeted that he was going to "go death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE."

During a later interview on Drink Champs that was posted and then removed on October 16, West repeatedly blamed “the Jewish people, “Jewish media” and “Jewish Zionists” for numerous alleged misdeeds, stating that “Jewish people have owned the black voice” and that “the Jewish community, especially in the music industry … they’ll take us and milk us till we die.”

Many criticized his expressions as anti-Semitic, and his Twitter account was locked. His Instagram account was also blocked after a now-deleted post that included what some consider anti-Semitic tropes accusing Sean "Diddy" Combs of being controlled by "the Jewish people."

In an interview with Piers Morgan, West, when discussing Mark Zuckerberg and Meta, said that "these tech companies feel they're more powerful than the U.S. government." Following these social media restrictions, West entered into an agreement to purchase controversial social media platform Parler.

During the Drink Champs interview, West, referencing Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, also asserted that he was #MeToo-ing the Jewish culture. “I’m saying y’all gotta stand up and admit to what you've been doing,” he said.

As these comments gained widespread attention, major partnerships ended lucrative deals they’d made with him, and his net worth plummeted. In addition to losing relationships with major corporations such as Adidas, leaders and celebrities around the world chimed in and blacklisted him from industry ceremonies and events. In addition, his famed Donda Academy had to be shut down for the rest of the school year, and Madame Tussauds removed his wax figure from public view.

Fashion house Balenciaga became the first brand to announce the end of its relationship with West following his comments, followed by Adidas, Foot Locker and Peloton. He was also escorted from Skechers’ corporate office in Los Angeles after arriving "unannounced and uninvited," according to the shoe brand. The company said West and his party were made to leave the premises as he was "engaged in unauthorized filming."

During all of the backlash, West is also getting some support, mostly from members of black extremist groups and anti-Semitic influencers who believe that he is speaking truth and that he shouldn’t be blackballed for it. His relationship with Minister Farrakhan has been scrutinized as the two have expressed respect and support for each other on many occasions. Earlier, in 2013, West made remarks about Jewish “connections” and was defended by Farrakhan who stated that he “said nothing wrong.” It appears that the OK West has received from the Nation of Islam leader has once again given him reasons to believe it’s OK to use such words.

Holocaust Museum LA invited him to visit and educate himself on anti-Semitism, but he rejected the offer, and it’s unknown if he will later take the museum up on its offer. So far, there is no reporting that he has.

Ego, Mental Illness and Narcissism

Over the years, West has gained many haters nationwide as his monster ego and political beliefs have become front page news, especially since his messy divorce from Kim Kardashian earlier in 2022 and its aftermath. His presidential candidacy in 2020 and some of his political stances have also raised questions about other issues, such as narcissism.

Since his 2016 diagnosis of bipolar disorder, he has said he struggled with the disorder and has had difficulty accepting his diagnosis, sometimes even saying that it was a misdiagnosis. Moreover, he has stated that he does not use medication to treat it. As a result, he likely shifts between manic and depressive moods, with each lasting several weeks. Recently, however, when Piers Morgan asked him in an interview if he suffers from mental illness, he said that he believes he suffered from “exhaustion” and “being lied to constantly.”

While many people blame West’s recent influx of controversial posts and rants on his bipolar disorder, others argue that being bipolar does not excuse racism. They say that he should be held accountable for his actions and be banned from social media for spreading hate.

Although West often offers some type of apology for his actions and words, it's usually far too late and after he has already suffered severe consequences. In the recent cases, his ill-chosen words have managed to anger blacks, Jews, whites and many others. It seems the voice that has made him internationally famous and earned him billions of dollars may also be the same voice that leads to his further descent.

Unfortunately, for West, who boasts about his wealth, influence and brilliance, these things can be a double-edged sword. While they make him popular to millions of people, they also make him a much greater target when he does something scandalous or controversial. While those without wealth, influence and brilliance would simply be ignored, these features ensure that his scandals will be broadcast loudly to the world.

Whether he is going through a mental break or is just using his platform to speak on issues as he has done in the past, we all have a front-row seat to watch it all unfold. While all of this is going on, perhaps the ones who will be most affected are his children. What his words and actions will mean for his future legacy and that of his family is unknown. What is known is that this has given the world an opportunity to openly discuss thoughts and feelings on these subjects. And, for some, it is a welcome discussion.

MARRIAGE TO KIM KARDASHIAN IN 2014 CREATED A CELEBRITY POWER COUPLE