Just last week, his latest fashion venture found him wearing and posing with a "White Lives Matter" T-shirt, along with conservative pundit Candace Owens, which turned off everyone, from the editorial staff at Vogue to Jaden Smith.
Ye, the son of a former Black Panther, added to the uproar by taking to Twitter on Saturday night and posting antisemitic remarks that have since been removed and led to his social media accounts being restricted.
Ye wrote, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tired to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda."
But the controversial tweet made by the billionaire Yeezy designer earned the backing of Jonathan Stickland, former Texas State Representative, who showed his support for the 21-time Grammy Award winner and used the opportunity to troll leftists on Twitter this past Sunday afternoon.
“The left is freaking out, will overreact, and make things worse,” Stickland tweeted to his 13,400 followers. “Thankful for those 'challenging authority,' by asking questions. w/ @elonmusk & @kanyewest #onward.”
Ye’s tweet, which presumably references the military term "defcon" — used to describe levels of threat — was met with criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, which issued a statement on Sunday.
“Power. Disloyalty. Greed. Deicide. Blood. Denial. Anti-Zionism. All of these are antisemitic tropes that we break down in our #AntisemitismUncovered Guide,” the Anti-Defamation League stated. “Many of these myths have influenced [West’s] comments recently, and it’s dangerous.”
Stickland is a politician who's also known to be controversial. In 2019, Texas Monthly called him "the loudest and least effective legislator."
Stickland’s tweet was immediately met with backlash from Twitter users who resurfaced past articles on his scandals, while others questioned his use of the words “challenging authority” and asked him to return to “bleaching his hair.”
Twitter user @Haplicant tweeted to Stickland, “Are you also virulently anti-Semitic, and do you believe that spreading dangerous and hateful tropes about a religion is "challenging authority?" I encourage you to post, word for word, Mr. West's offending tweet.”
Another user said Stickland makes these types of tweets because of his “unhappiness": “@RepStickland republican, note that Stickland makes offensive, racist, woman-hating, & ugly sexual comments. He referred to an unhappy customer as a 'DFA' (dumb fu..ing Asian). He advised a man 'rape is nonexistent in marriage. Take what you want my friend!'”
"If you are an honest person, you did not think this tweet was antisemitic. You did not think that he wrote this tweet because he hates or wants to genocide Jewish people. This is not the beginning of a Holocaust." – Candace Owens
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“Another Republican who stands by virulent anti-Semitism. Shameful,” tweeted John Ray of North Texas.
Stickland made headlines in 2019 after making “sorcery” claims about top COVID-19 vaccine expert Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., following a Twitter exchange between the two. Stickland retired from the Texas House in 2019. Ye has yet to respond to Stickland’s tweet.
The rapper's recent comments, which add to his countless antics, have caused fans to grow tired of his music. Hip-hop fans miss the old, pre-Twitter Kanye, the chop-up-the-soul Kanye, set-on-his-goals Kanye, the rapper at the center of 2016’s “I Love Kanye.”
“I don't know these Rappers so their personalities don't bother me but it's becoming hard to listen to Kanye West music. I'm tired of the tap dancing. I know, you think he's a genius, cool. I'm not debating your views. These are mine #kanyewest,” tweeted @TonyDaDome.
“So #KanyeWest spent the last few years buddying up to a white supremacist who tried to instigate a race war and y’all are still gonna hype his album like none of that happened? Alright then,” said Ethan Thomas on Twitter.
Outside the Anti-Defamation League, no other politicians, parties, or organizations have commented on Ye or Stickland’s tweets at press time — except, of course, for Candace Owens.
On her Daily Wire show Candace, which, incidentally, is run by Jewish political commentator Ben Shapiro, Owens said: "If you are an honest person, you did not think this tweet was antisemitic. You did not think that he wrote this tweet because he hates or wants to genocide Jewish people. This is not the beginning of a Holocaust."
