Kanye West, the iconoclastic hip-hop artist and Donald Trump supporter, wore a shirt with the phrase “White Lives Matter” to a Paris Fashion Week event yesterday.
SO WHAT
Love him or hate him, West is one of the few mainstream artists willing to go against the grain in Hollywood.
WHAT HAPPENED
Photos of West and conservative commentator Candace Owens wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase, “White Lives Matter,” were shared widely on social media.
West donned the apparel at a surprise show in Paris unveiling his new Yeezy Season 9 clothing collection.
- Celebrities, activists and media figures were scandalized by the statement: rapper Jaden Smith, who was in attendance, walked out.
- The New York Times’ chief fashion critic scolded West in a lengthy essay.
- “This message is reactionary to a message affirming the worth of Black lives, which have never been worth anything in America,” podcast host Van Lathan wrote on Instagram. “In its intent it’s a white supremacist notion because it posits that we can’t have a conversation about the worth of Black people without having a conversation about the worth of white people, which is f**king insane.”
Kanye addressed the controversy this morning: “Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam now it’s over you’re welcome,” he wrote in an Instagram Story.
SAME ENERGY
In 2011, at the height of Occupy Wall Street, Jay-Z sparked outrage with his pro-capitalist response to the movement.
The rapper, who has collaborated with West on multiple projects, launched an “Occupy All Streets” line through his Rocawear clothing brand.
- The “Occupy All Streets” T-shirts sold online for $22 each.