Rapper and fashion mogul Kanye West is no stranger to controversy these days, although, this wasn't always the case. Before any of this happened, the Jesus is King rapper was most well known for his unique producing style, which he started cultivating in the mid-1990s. Most aren't aware that Kanye is the mastermind behind songs for artists like Jay-Z, Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson before he branched off to start his own musical career.
That same musical career rapidly took off and allowed Kanye to release incredible songs like Jesus Walks, Touch the Sky, and Love Lockdown. His first major bit of controversy happened at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards when he rushed the stage while Taylor Swift was giving her acceptance speech to announce that Beyoncé should have won the award.
The controversies continued from there in various forms including getting into it with his ex-girlfriend Amber Rose, infamously saying that President George W. Bush doesn't care for black people, altercations with the paparazzi, going after Pete Davidson after his split from Kim Kardashian, and judgment surrounding his spiritual and personal beliefs and the friends he keeps.
Ye Has Often Shared Controversial Opinions
Kanye West is no stranger to supporting people in political parties that he appears to believe in. West has donated to both President Barack Obama's re-election campaign and has even donated money toward Hilary Clinton when she was attempting to run for president as well.
This is likely why it was shocking for many of his fans to find out that Kanye seemed to change course and donated to President Donald Trump's campaign as well. And it went beyond that, with West admitting that he would have voted for Trump in 2016 if he had cared to vote at all.
The artist admitted this during a concert he was performing at in San Jose, California, and received plenty of boos from the audience. He went so far as to call Trumps debating style "genius" and said that showing support for the Republican Party would somehow make racists make themselves known.
Taking it one step further, Kanye West and Donald Trump ended up meeting not too long after, a move that continued to upset fans of the rapper and had many questioning if he was of sound mind, if this was just a performative stunt, or if he really did believe that Trump was the ideal candidate at the time.
Kanye Had An Appearance On The Alex Jones Show
West has made his disdain for the Jewish community very clear on social media, with several celebrities calling him out for the antisemitic things he has tweeted in the past. The likes of Sarah Silverman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Grande, John Legend, Billy Baldwin, and Mandy Moore have all spoken out against Kanye West and the things he has said.
Others, like actor Alan Tudyk, have spoken out against Kanyes' antisemitic point of view while also highlighting that there is likely also a mental health issue at play and that others are essentially using Kanye as a scapegoat.
"I reflexively ignore Kanye's words because he seems deeply unwell, but those people who agree with his antisemitism find comfort in his ignorance and strength to perpetuate hate."
West continued to push those beliefs during an appearance on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' show and even appeared to make the host uncomfortable while sharing his thoughts. It was during this appearance that West seemed to praise Hitler and even went on to deny that the Holocaust ever happened.
"The Jewish media has made us feel like the Nazis and Hitler have never offered anything of value to the world. I see good things about Hitler, also" is just one of the few things West said during his three-hour appearance.
West also made it a point to mention that he had dinner with Trump not too long before with the likes of Nick Fuentes, a known white supremacist.
Australia May Deny Kanye Entry
West has certainly suffered a sort of domino effect thanks to his antisemitic beliefs and who he chooses to associate himself with. Former friends of his, like Kid Cudi, no longer wish to associate with him.
Even Elon Musk, who had a long-standing friendship with the rapper, allegedly distanced himself from Ye and banned him from Twitter because of his hateful statements.
And it's not just his personal relationships that have suffered. Several brands have decided to stop working with West either of their own accord or because of pressure to cut ties with him. Adidas had a long-standing relationship with Kanye thanks to their Yeezy collaboration.
The sneaker and sports brand ended up cutting ties with him and completely terminated their partnership. Other brands and businesses that have decided to cut ties include Vogue, GAP, Balenciaga, MCR Entertainment, The Creative Arts Agency, which has represented the rapper since 2016, Foot Locker, TJ Maxx, Home Goods, and Madame Tussauds wax museums.
And it seems that the entire country of Australia may want to cut ties with Ye, with the government saying that they reserve the right to deny him a visa into the country due to his antisemitic statements, something they have done in the past to others with similar views.
This is likely due to Australia's Migration Act, which has security and character requirements for non-citizens that are visiting the country. According to Peter Wetheim, the co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, "We had a sympathetic hearing."
"We've made the case that this particular individual does not meet the character test and that it would be in the national interest not to grant him a visa and we set out our reason in some detail."
This may spell trouble for Kanye and his new wife Censori, who has family in Melbourne, since it appears the chances are high that they will deny him entry.