Has Kanye Gone Too Far?

Peter Hutchins from DC, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kanye “Ye” West, 45-year-old singer-songwriter, has gone viral recently due to his controversial statements.

West has garnered attention recently due to a vast number of controversial comments that span a wide range of topics. This has led to his Twitter ban. People question if this is a new low for him and if he has truly gone too far.

“Recently, most of what [he] said is going too far because of the siding with Hitler mainly,” Stanton junior Paolo Coyoca stated. “He has offended and posted offensive signs and symbols relating to Nazism.”

Though it does not excuse what has been said, some believe that West has recently spiraled due to changing events in his life related to his bipolar disorder.

“He has gotten worse with his controversy because he knows people excuse him for having [bipolar],” junior Pritha Patel stated.

This isn't about mental illness. Stop defending Kanye or having sympathy for him because he's bipolar or something. HIs virulent and repeated antisemitism isn't tied to that. This is who he is. And it's disgusting.

— Touré (@Toure) December 1, 2022

Since he has been so influential within the music industry for years, some argue that he should not be forgiven. Even though he has been famous for several years, his controversy isn't new. The boost of publicity to his name has amplified his opinions.

“Just because of your music, you can't come back from saying antisemitic things,” sophomore Abimael Alamo stated. “Especially in this time and age.”

West was recently banned from Twitter after what Elon Musk deemed as “too far” with his opinions, including inciting violence towards the Jewish community. Some question if freedom of speech applies to situations such as this.

“He should be banned from Twitter especially because he was public,” Patel stated. “Yes, freedom of speech should be restricted when it hurts people and they're affected by it.”

West recently mentioned all the “good things” Hitler has done, implying that the horrific acts that he was responsible for could be overlooked.

“Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler,” West stated in an interview with Alex Jones. “I like Hitler.”

“I miss the old #Kanye”#Ye #AlexJones #Infowars #Yeezy pic.twitter.com/Z498h4UrtL

— Løst Jewelz Ent.™ (@LostJewelzEnt) December 2, 2022

Although West has made controversial statements for years, his recent publicity has just allowed new audiences to have access to what has been said. Will his restrictions prohibit him from continuing this act?

Despite these statements, Coyoca conceded the reality of West’s impact.

“Trying to separate art from artist, but his music is obviously tainted with his name, and his name is extremely controversial.”