Kanye West’s erratic behavior, who recently changed his name to Ye, and his antisemitic comments have cost him important partners and jeopardize his future in the fashion and entertainment industries.
Adidas is the latest partner to sever ties with West. The company justified the breakup by citing the series of antisemitic comments made by the musician and owner of a fashion brand. In a statement, Adidas said it “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other form of hate speech.”
Gap Inc had already ended its multi-year partnership with West last month. The company announced on Tuesday, October 25, that it was removing Yeezy Gap products from its stores and shutting down the website for the collaboration.
Foot Locker Inc stated that, while it remains a partner of Adidas, it instructed its retail team to remove any existing Yeezy products from its shelves and digital sites.
Two high-profile athletes – Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics – stated in tweets that they are parting ways with Donda Sports, a sports marketing agency founded by West earlier this year.
West owns Yeezy LLC, a clothing company he incorporated in 2016. Without major partners in the sector, his future prospects in the fashion industry are in question. Working with large fashion companies and retail networks provided the artist access to creative talent, as well as production and distribution channels to reach consumers.
But it is not new for the musician to engage in controversial statements. In 2005, he proclaimed that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” during a television broadcast aimed at raising money for Hurricane Katrina relief. In a 2018 interview with TMZ, he suggested that slavery was a choice.
Recently, West tweeted that he planned “Death to the Jewish people.” In the following weeks, he adopted similar antisemitic statements on the podcast “Drink Champs” and in television interviews.
It is not just fashion companies that have dismissed West. The production company MRC, which made a documentary about the artist, canceled the premiere of the production. The talent agency CAA, which represented him, also severed ties with the artist. Universal Music announced that he is no longer under contract.
Could the rapper’s empire be in jeopardy?
Source: Wall Street Journal