Kanye West calls Black Lives Matter 'scam' after White shirt
By: francescabacardi (Page Six)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Kanye West called the Black Lives Matter movement a “scam” after wearing a White Lives Matter shirt to his surprise Yeezy fashion show.
“Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam now it’s over you’re welcome,” he wrote on his Instagram Story Tuesday morning.
The statement came after the fashion designer wore the headline-making top, which featured the pope’s face on the front, alongside just-as-controversial political commentator Candace Owens at Monday’s Paris Fashion Week presentation.
Some of the models in his show wore the same shirt emblazoned with “White Lives Matter” on the back, causing fans and celebrities to react on social media. Jaden Smith, who attended 45-year-old West’s show, left early upon seeing the messaging.
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He published the message Tuesday morning after his Yeezy show. kanyewest/Instagram
“I Had To Dip Lol,” the 24-year-old singer tweeted Monday.
“I Don’t Care Who’s It Is If I Don’t Feel The Message I’m Out,” he added. “Black Lives Matter.”
“Sending a “WHITE LIVES MATTER” t-shirt down a runway in Paris is literal insanity and no amount of gospel is getting that man through Heaven’s gate, I’m so sorry,” one person tweeted .
Another wrote , “mind you kanye was just calling kim [Kardashian] and kris [Jenner] the kkk 2 weeks ago and now he’s wearing a white lives matter shirt.”
West has yet to directly address the fashion choice, though he did remind everyone at his show that he cannot be controlled.
The "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" alum is "now done...
“I am Ye, and everyone here knows that I am the leader,” he said at one point, referencing his new legal name . “You can’t manage me.”
When he wasn’t stirring up controversy and offense, his Season 9 line debuted an uplifting surprise — giving his daughter North West the opportunity to showcase her vocals.
Standing in the middle of the rotunda where the show was held, West and ex-wife Kardashian’s eldest child sang along to inspirational tunes interspersed with beats from The Fugees and Macklemore.
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Kanye West has been mentally ill his entire life. Literally. His dissing BLM can only help them.
Why do you consider him mentally ill John? Is it because he is black and does not share your particular views on politics and race?
That's where my money is.
Because he is mentally ill. You'd have to be mentally ill to support trumpturd.
Your remark sounds pretty racist there Ed.
Please explain why you think my remark "sounds pretty racist".
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Okay, I can go along with his having mental health issues, but of the huge list of sources you quoted above, the vast majority were from leftist liberal leaning sources so I question some of their veracity regarding conservatives. I have never been a a Kayne West fan and know very little about him. And quoting The View as a reliable source? That was pretty much over the top there.
Kanye West is a scam.
Right wing fanatic Candace Owens looks like she's trying to get her hand down the front of his pants.
She's such a dumb bitch. A traitor to her own race.
Yeah how dare black people think for themselves, draw their own conclusions, and not fall in line with the left wing agenda! You go Tessy, tell them what they should think! /s
A traitor to her own race?!! That is about the most racist thing I've read here in quite some time.
Just like white democrats of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the white democrats of today need blacks to stay in power.
Once they escape the liberal plantation, they are hunted down, demeaned and insulted.
Ahmaud Arbery Family: Kanye West’s ‘White Lives Matter’ Stunt ‘Legitimizes’ Extremist Behavior
Kanye West ’s latest stunt of championing the slogan “White Lives Matter” and decrying Black Lives Matter as a “scam” has not only brought sharp rebukes from his music and fashion industry peers , but from the mother of Ahmaud Arbery , whom the rapper had privately supported after her son was murdered in a racially-motivated attack.
Wanda Cooper-Jones tells Rolling Stone in a statement that West’s actions “flies directly in the face” of what he had expressed to her family after her 25-year-old son was killed when he went for a jog in Georgia and three white neighbors chased him down and shot him in February 2020.
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In a statement given through her attorney Lee Merritt, Cooper-Jones expressed her “extreme disappointment” in West for slapping the phrase “White Lives Matter” on clothing from his latest YZY collection and doubling down on his stance on Tuesday.
“As a result of his display ‘White Lives Matter’ started trending in the U.S., which would direct support and legitimize extremist behavior, [much] like the behavior that took the life of her son,” Cooper-Jones relayed through Merritt. “That is the thing that Wanda and families like hers continue to fight against.”
“This mockery of the Black Lives Matter movement and his now denunciation of the movement as some sort of hoax flies directly in the face [of what he’s said,]” the statement added. “It’s confusing for her, it’s confusing for the families to receive his support privately, but publicly to set us all back.”
Merritt confirmed to Rolling Stone that West had given some financial support to Arbery’s family as well as the family of Jemel Roberson — a Black security guard who was fatally shot by a police officer in 2018 — but did not disclose the amount.
West is catching heat from all sides following his latest attention-seeking antics, which included inviting right-wing conservative pundit Candace Owens to his show and posing with her in matching “White Lives Matter” shirts. The stunt prompted Jaden Smith to walk out of the show, as well as Dazed fashion writer Lynette Nylander. (The phrase “White Lives Matter” was borne out of a “racist response to the Black Lives Matter movement,” according to the Anti-Defamation League and “promotes a white supremacist worldview, advocating for raising “white racial consciousness.”)
And rather accept valid criticism about how tone-deaf his messaging was, West lashed out at Vogue stylist and fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson on Instagram after she had diplomatically expressed her thoughts, saying while West had tried to “illustrate a dystopian world in the future when whiteness might become extinct” it ultimately was an “incredibly irresponsible and dangerous act.”
Instead, he proclaimed that “everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now its [sic] over. You’re welcome,” before accusing French billionaire Bernard Arnault, the CEO of fashion group LVMH, for being responsible for the death of Virgil Abloh.
West’s targeting of Karefa-Johnson and Abloh sparked harsh critiques from Gigi Hadid, who called West a “bully,” Vogue photographer who called his attack on Karefa-Johnson “corny AF,” and Supreme creative director Tremaine Emory, who labeled West “an insecure narcissist that’s dying for validation from the fashion world.”
Kanye West is a rapper/Hollywood celebrity version of Donald Trump. Narcissistic, mentally ill, illogical, confused, dishonest , and incoherent.
While some of that may be true, Ye is also a black man whose experiences in life have lead him to where he is now, and have shaped his current world view. Same can be said for Candace Owens. She is very clear about what she sees as a black woman in today's society and articulates it quite well in support of her positions. The fact that some don't like it, or feel that they are " traitors to their race " for expressing their opinions, does not mean that they don't both have a good point now and again.
While seen as insensitive by some, given the ADL's classification of "White Lives Matter" as a "hateful slogan" primarily because some racist anti-Semitic organizations have co-opted it, Ye explained his reason for using it, "Because they do".. As do Black Lives, as do Asian Lives, as do all lives. We all matter and we don't need slogans that can be corrupted or co-opted to tell us that. That was the point he was aiming to make .
Black Lives Matter also started as a slogan that just about everyone would agree with, but it too has been hi-jacked by those who have corrupted it for personal gain. That has been reported by many local chapters and has been all over the news for years, it is absolutely true and it is what Ye means when he calls it a "scam".
Ms. Owens happens to have some opinions about the BLM movement , or those who have co-opted it, as well. While I don't agree with all of her views/thoughts, she makes some good points and she is certainly not a " dumb bitch " simply because her views don't align with what some expect they should simply because she is Black. She calls BLM a "lie" because she feels that if Black lives really mattered to many who sling that slogan, then rather than being outraged by other slogans they would focus on what she sees as the many other real issues that hurt or keep Black Americans down (and she supports her opinions with data and rational analysis, most of the time). She has a different view on what needs to be done to truly help strengthen Black communities, and does not feel that burning down their own communities and looting their own businesses in support of a slogan is helpful. It is not a view completely devoid of reason.
It seems to me that much of the remaining structural and individual racism in this country springs from the continued "us vs. them" mentality. So I gravitate towards ideas and opinions that center on working together to solve those problems and movement towards environments of equal opportunity and working together in unity. I think that BLM helped get many white folks on board with helping chip away at issues that stand in the way of creating such environments. But to the extent that some in the movement, and their detractors, continue to fan the flames of "us vs. them", some even violently, I think that perhaps the focus needs to be re-directed to what really matters and that is that all of us matter when it comes to treating one another as though we do. And I do not mean that in any way to detract from the idea that Black Lives Matter, because they do.
No need to belabor my comment FW, give it a rest
“I think that perhaps the focus needs to be re-directed to what really matters and that is that all of us matter when it comes to treating one another as though we do.”
Hear, hear!!
Agreed.
A few months ago I was walking through the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ and came across a BLM protest on campus. One of the protesters looked at me and said "Hey old timer, do you support Black Lives Matter?", to which I answered "Nope, not at all. I believe all lives matter equally." At first I thought he was going to come unglued, but him and others busted out laughing and he said "You cool dude. Have a good day." I just nodded at them and kept on walking. The next person they asked I guess did not give a answer they wanted to hear because they started screaming and shouting at each other. I just kept on walking thinking I got lucky.
Give it a rest, no, bury that tribal bs.
Calm, rational and reasonable right? It is a bit contagious and usually ends with, "You cool dude. Have a good day."
The opposite - combative, irrational, and unreasonable, however, is much more contagious and we all know where it leads.
Well I made my point, no need to belabor it, she is right about that.
We gave it a rest yet DOTW comes along two hours later to stir shit up again. Which he will deny was his intent
Candace Owens has said that the cop who killed George Floyd was the victim of "mob justice". Really ?, there is video of him kneeling on Floyd's neck for nine minutes. The jury convicted Derek Chauvin in a very short amount of time, not because it was mob justice, but because the evidence was overwhelming.
Owens is a hustler. She changed political ideologies from Democratic to conservative in order to be successful in social media and make money. As is often the case, the more controversial you can be the higher you move up the social media pecking order. Eventually she became someone with multiple You Tube shows and various paid gigs as essentially a spokesperson for the right wing policy positions as presented by a person of color.
By this time she probably does believe what she says , which is of course her right. I dont think she is the worst example of a modern day conservative, but neither does she do them any credit.
She has offered faint praise of Hitler ( based on what appears to be historical ignorance), made a Prager University video minimizing the effects of slavery which was widely mocked for inaccuracy, and said that white supremacy is not a threat to America (this was in the immediate aftermath of Charlottesville).
She is not a deep thinker in my opinion. She is a college dropout and not really trained to analyze all the data you say she uses.
She wants to be well known and make good money and I think that pretty well explains her.
Kanye West is clearly a narcissist. He has less understanding of political matters than Owens does. The only reason, and I mean only, that people pay attention to him is because he is a famous entertainer. He had about as much business being in the Oval Office sitting for a parley with the president of the United States (Trump) as someone randomly pulled off the street would.
Like I said, I don't agree with many of her thoughts or statements. But on the subject of the BLM movement and her response to the outrage over the WLM Tee shirts she makes some fairly decent points. Sure she is a political hustler, there are plenty of them on both sides of the political divide. I prefer not to focus on that fact in general when looking at any of them, but rather to listen to what they say on specific subjects and then express my opinion either in agreement or disagreement, or even partial agreement, with their specific views. It is often best to focus on the subject, not the person IMHO.
Stir your shit up? No, I said that it should be buried.
One of the major arguments against Black Lives Matter is that it should be All Lives Matter and no one should be protesting injustice through the viewpoint of only one race.
While obviously , unless you are a sociopath, all lives matter, but that doesnt mean that Black Lives Matter is not an appropriate name and slogan for their movement.
BLM rose from a context that could be posed as
White Lives Matter , but BLACK LIVES MATTER too.
Objectors might say, "no one goes around saying White Lives Matter on placards or in chants", which is true, but the reason is because "white" is and always has been the default color description referred to when one talks about the American people. In other words it is assumed that white lives matter, no one had to protest to get that fact acknowledged or acted on.
Black Lives Matter started as a response to what they believed was an indifference to their rights displayed in various police departments around the country. The proponents saw a need to say "hey you cant do whatever you want Mr. Policeman, Black Lives Matter too".
Frankly, I dont see anything wrong with the term in that context.
I agree that the slogan isn't the same as the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, and whatever positive change has resulted is different for both.
Its absolutely wonderful that you have cleared up whatever minor confusion there may have been about that with someone somewhere . It is a weight lifted from many minds.
Thanks, and I was able to accomplish that with only two lines of text as compared to your fourteen in 2.1.17.
Nor do I.
She is a nasty witch and I cannot stand West. His bipolar/mental illness is no excuse for his ignorance.
That's all she is John, a hustler who sold her soul to hate and West is a braindead moron.
www.msn.com /en-us/music/news/from-the-trump-supporter-who-called-slavery-a-choice-kanye-west-wears-white-lives-matter-t-shirt/ar-AA12yO3d
From the Trump Supporter Who Called Slavery a Choice: Kanye West Wears ‘White Lives Matter’ T-Shirt
3-4 minutes Invalid Date
Well, here we go again with the “ Kanye West does something wild and uncalled for” headlines. On Monday, Kanye West showcased his new Yeezy line at a YZY SZN 9 presentation in Paris. His choice of clothing? A longsleeved “White Lives Matter” shirt.
The live-streamed event saw the musician wearing the T-shirt as he laid back and recorded children (seemingly from his Donda Academy, along with his daughter North) walking around in a circle in all-black as they sang “You make forever.”
Oh, and conservative pundit Candace Owens even posed for a photo with West wearing a matching shirt with the slogan. White supremacists — such as the KKK and the Aryan Renaissance Society — have overtaken the “Black Lives Matter” phrase used by Black people protesting police brutality and reframed it. The Anti-Defamation League has categorized the phrase as a hate slogan.
According to Complex , several of the models from the YZY show also wore designs that featured the slogan on the runway, including a white long-sleeved shirt with the words “WHITE LIVES MATTER” printed on the back.
West doubled down on Instagram Tuesday morning, writing that “everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now its [sic] over. Youre [sic] welcome.”
While it’s unclear what message (if any) West was trying to make with his latest fashion choice, the rapper has been no stranger to controversy in the past few years — particularly when it comes to his political beliefs. He pledged his support for Donald Trump in 2018 and ran for president himself in 2020.
And when it comes to race relations, West previously drew tremendous ire for his 2018 flippant comments about the history of American slavery, in which he claimed it was a “choice.” “When you hear about slavery for 400 years: For 400 years, that sounds like a choice,” West said. “You was there for 400 years,” he added, “And it’s all of y’all?”
About the time he stood behind Trump , he told Jimmy Kimmel in 2018, “Just as a musician, African-American, a guy living out in Hollywood, everyone around me tried to pick my candidate for me. And then told me every time that I said I liked Trump that I couldn’t say that out loud or my career would be over.”
“It took me a year and a half to have the confidence to stand up and put on the hat, no matter what the consequences.”
You mean it's not a scam?
I'm curious as to what you think is a scam . Is MAGA a scam?
MAGA is a slogan not an organization. Weird you didn’t know that.
BLM.
Trying to distract from your own article I see.
You must be aware of all the money that has been extracted from suckers in the name of MAGA.
Not nearly as much as the BLM shysters took.
Top echelon BLM leadership buying multimillion dollar mansions for their own use using funds from donations for BLM from the public. Yep, that's scamming all right!
DEFLECTION
Amen!
Bullshit. The seed is about BLM.
Exactly!
BLM Buying Large Mansions in predominantly white neighborhoods.
the leaders are scumbags and sellouts.
Looks like somebody flagged your comment. I wonder who that could have been...
So they're scumbags and sellouts for buying property in white neighborhoods ?
Of course not! But usually when folks take donated money and use it to enrich or treat themselves rather than to serve the cause for which it was donated, other folks tend to stand up and call them scumbags or sellouts. Often it is those in the lower chapters of the same organization who are calling the leaders out on such matters and for their lack of honesty and transparency, while local programs suffer and see none of those donated funds. That is what has been happening in the BLM and related organizations for several years.
If one is to criticize Trump's fleecing of those donating in the name of MAGA (as some have here, including me), then why should those fleecing BLM supporters not be similarly criticized? In either case, it does not reflect well on the organization.
Kanye has bipolar disorder and it has deranged his mind.
It is a sad thing for us to all witness.
Remember when during a live telethon in 2005 for hurricane Katrina relief Kanye said, "George Bush doesn't care about black people?"
George Bush cared a whole lot more about Black People than MAGA does.
It's too bad Kanye doesn't focus more of his attention seeking energies to his music.
White nationalists still hate you Kanye. They always have, they always will.
Does he want their approval or is he just trolling the rest of us?