[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Whoa… This is so, so disturbing, but sadly, not surprising given the events of this month.
According to several new sources who spoke to CNN on Thursday, Kanye West has had an “obsession” with Adolf Hitler for YEARS! And it got so crazy, he allegedly wanted to name an album after him. WTF. A business executive who used to work for Ye told the outlet the artist created a toxic work environment in part because of his sick “obsession” with the dictator and Nazi Party leader. He recalled:
“He would praise Hitler by saying how incredible it was that he was able to accumulate so much power and would talk about all the great things he and the Nazi Party achieved for the German people.”
So f**king disgusting.
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Because of this antisemitism, the executive left his position and reached a settlement with West and some of his companies over workplace complaints, including harassment. CNN reviewed the documents to confirm, noting Kanye denied all the allegations within the agreement. It’s unclear what year he stopped working for West, and the exec asked to remain anonymous due to a confidentiality agreement and fear of retribution by the rapper. Yeah, not hard to see why he’d be afraid of that!
The unnamed former employee went on to share how the Heartless vocalist would speak openly about reading Mein Kampf, Hitler’s 1925 autobiographical manifesto. The Yeezy designer apparently expressed his “admiration” for the Nazis and Hitler for their use of propaganda as well. Propaganda that had a key role in the persecution and murder of Jewish people, mind you. Who in their right mind would admire that?!
As has been coming to light, this fixation has been going on for several years now, too, and those in Kanye’s inner circle were “fully aware” of his interest in Hitler, the individual insisted. Four other sources (all of whom did not want to be named for fear of professional retribution) also told CNN that Kanye originally wanted to name his 2018 album Hitler.
Thankfully, people talked him out of that idea. The record was released as Ye. Still… the very notion he pitched such a title is insane. It’s despicable how the 45-year-old’s antisemitism has been going on behind the scenes for this long. And to think he wanted to glorify the leader of the Nazi Party, which led the genocide of German and other European Jewish people, is sickening. Where was then-wife Kim Kardashian during all of this?
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In a statement to CNN on Tuesday, Universal Music Group, owner of Def Jam, which used to distribute Kanye’s music and used to have a relationship with his GOOD Music label (which ended last year), denounced his antisemitism, saying:
“There is no place for antisemitism in our society. We are deeply committed to combating antisemitism and every other form of prejudice.”
That said, the sources CNN spoke with did not have information about why the album was called Ye. While the father of four has taken his hatred to a whole new level this month, none of his shocking opinions are new. Van Lathan Jr., who used to work at TMZ and who was in the office during the Grammy winner’s infamous 2018 interview in which Ye said slavery “sounds like a choice,” claimed he also made antisemitic remarks that were cut out.
Appearing on the Higher Learning podcast earlier this month, the former employee revealed:
“I already heard him say that stuff before at TMZ. I mean, I was taken aback because that type of antisemitic talk is disgusting. It’s like, I’m taken aback any time anyone does that, right? But as far as [West], I knew that that was in him because when he came to TMZ, he said that stuff and they took it out of the interview. … He said something like, ‘I love Hitler, I love Nazis.’ Something to that effect when he was there. And they took it out of the interview for whatever reason. It wasn’t my decision.”
Another one of the sources CNN spoke with confirmed Kanye favorably referenced Hitler during the outburst. Wow. So this has been going on — and growing more intense — for at least five years? Jeez. It’s a shame nobody was able to stop or educate Kanye before this mess. Thoughts? Let us know (below).
[Image via WENN]
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