Kanye West's 'Downright Dangerous' Swastika Merch and Provocative 'Crispy' Comments Slammed
Kanye West is facing widespread backlash after debuting his new line of T-shirts emblazoned with swastikas.
The rapper's tweets celebrating Nazi imagery and joking about the Holocaust have been described as "downright dangerous" by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
Posting to X, formerly Twitter, West, 47, shared a series of T-shirts emblazoned with swastikas to his over 33 million followers. When describing the upcoming collection, he had said the collection was "coming in crispy,"—a phrase many took to mean gas chambers from the Holocaust.
Kanye West Slammed Over Anti-Semitic Posts
In a response to West's now-deleted posts, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told DailyMail: "There is no excuse—none—for praising Hitler. Glorifying a genocidal dictator with swastika merch is not 'edgy' or 'controversial.' When someone with Kanye's influence spreads Nazi glorification, it emboldens extremists. It's unacceptable and downright dangerous."
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) also denounced the comments from West, stating that his words could give cover to those who spread Hate and antisemitism among the millions of followers he has on social media.
The AJC said in a statement as quoted by DailyMail, "Hate, left unchecked, only multiplies. At a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing to terrifying levels worldwide, Ye is actively endangering Jews."
This is not the first time West has had unsavory things to say about Jewish people. He drew attention in October 2022 when he tweeted that he was going "death con 3 on Jewish people," making history along the way and receiving heavy backlash as well, leading to many companies cutting ties.
It remains unclear if West's recent posts amount to a violation of X's policy on violent and hateful entities. Reps for X and West did not immediately return requests for comment.
The rapper has doubled down, furthering divisive rhetoric on race and culture. He also complained recently about accusations that media outlets are shadow-banning him.
Now, West's behavior has sparked conversation across the entertainment world, with many calling for other high-profile figures to condemn his actions and words. Critics say that this kind of incendiary rhetoric fuels an increasing culture of hatred and polarization.
Originally published on Music Times
