Rapper Kanye West has faced a great deal of criticism on the internet for donning a t-shirt featuring Varg Vikernes of the Norwegian black metal band BURZUM.
For those who are unaware, the latter is purportedly a neo-Nazi and a killer with a criminal record. Weeks after the former apologized for his antisemitic remarks, many were shocked to see him sporting this tee.
Here is your trigger warning, this article talks about antisemitic sentiments, so discretion is advised.
Rapper “Ye” Kanye West poses with record producer JPEG Mafia on Friday, January 19. The former was spotted flaunting his brand-new, $850K titanium teeth while sporting a t-shirt designed by Kristian “Verg” Vikernes.
This is not the first accusation for Kanye West, he has been accused multiple times for honoring Vikernes. Many others conjectured that the album cover for his most recent release, Vultures, also honored him. Critics further asserted that the cover had similarities to Burzum’s album cover artwork.
Netizens put Kanye West on blast after looking at his tee
Ye’s antics did not impress netizens. While some were taken aback, others were just repulsed by his seeming endorsement of Vikernes in public.
A lot of them were infuriated and made comments, one Twitter user said that he doesn’t think that Ye has repented from antisemitism, anyone who follows the music industry closely is aware of the Black metal scene which was misogynistic, antisemitic, and racist, a lot more than hip-hop or rap music, and do not forget that he burned down the churches.
Another one talked about the Burzum shirt that he wore, he said the Norwegian band was founded by a Nazi who went to Jail for arson and murder.
Clearly, the users were not happy and did not hold back their critique of Kanye.
For those who don’t know,
Vikernes was convicted guilty in 1992 and 1993 of setting many churches in Norway on fire. In addition, after stabbing the guitarist for the band Mayhem, he was detained and found guilty of first-degree murder and possession of explosives.
The reason, he said, was self-defense. However, he received the maximum term permitted by Norwegian law, 21 years in prison.
The metal singer is said to have founded the Norwegian Heathen Front, a neo-Nazi group, while being in prison. After releasing similar-sounding CDs of music, he went on to publish essays in a periodical that supported the idea.
He was detained in 2013 on allegations of plotting terrorist attacks. The next year, he was found guilty of inciting racial hate as well.
Kanye West faced the internet’s wrath last month too
The well-known artist had an album listening session last month and was spotted there with a hood similar to that of the Ku Klux Klan. He received criticism for his lyrics as well.
He apologized in Hebrew on Instagram for his reportedly antisemitic statements, which many thoughts were made by artificial intelligence (AI), after expressing antisemitic statements on many occasions on other platforms.
Kanye West recorded a 40-minute apologetic video just for the Jewish community, it was also discovered. According to TMZ, there were times when it was impossible to find out what he was saying.
As of January 2024, Kanye West’s projected net worth is $400 million, which he makes from royalties and other ventures. In October 2022, Kanye ended his commercial partnership with German company Adidas.
Earlier in 2023, his net worth allegedly dropped by $1.5 billion to $400 million as the partnership ended. Ye has recently left music in favor of his numerous business endeavors, which bring in at least $100 million annually.
The vast bulk of West’s income comes from his royalties and other sources related to his Yeezy brand and partnership with Adidas. However, because of his controversial beliefs and outspokenness, he has lost a lot of sponsors and partnerships over the previous few years.
Kanye owns the whole Yeezy apparel brand; during his collaboration with Adidas, he received a royalty payment for each dollar of merchandise sold. With the Yeezy brand, Adidas generated $2 billion in revenue and $250 million in profit annually.
At the height of his partnership with Adidas, the worth of the Yeezy brand alone was estimated to be between $4 and $5 billion. According to a 2021 report by UBS Group, the Yeezy brand alone was valued between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion.
The same study claims that Kanye West’s previous deal with The Gap raised his net worth by $1 billion. Moreover, his profits from 2007 were projected to equal $637 million by the end of 2022.
