Kanye West once said that he believes Jewish people were “holding him back”, according to an interview in a new documentary.
The statement was made in the new BBC documentary The Trouble With KanYe. Fronted by investigative journalist Mobeen Azhar, it explores “the complex journey that led Ye to become one of the most famous and creatively successful artists of his generation, but more recently, to condemnation and notoriety”, including his descent into anti-Semitism.
The documentary features various interviews with people who have interacted with West. One of these is with tech entrepreneur Alex Klein, who worked on West’s last album ‘Donda 2’. He said that West had told him he was “exactly like the other Jews,” and when Klein asked him if he really believed that all Jews were working together to hold him back, West answered: “Yes.”
West has built up a large catalogue of incidents involving anti-Semitic statements in recent months. His spate of anti-semitic comments began when he tweeted that he was going to go “death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE” back in October 2022.
West was declared ‘Antisemite Of The Year’ by the watchdog group StopAntisemitism in response to his anti-Semitic comments in the last few months. He has been widely condemned by many figures in the entertainment world, as well as several political figures and organisations that represent Jewish communities. He later walked out of an interview in which he was challenged over his anti-Semitic sentiments.
West has had his social media accounts suspended multiple times – his Twitter account was banned three times in less than two months. Most recently, he was suspended from Clubhouse after claiming that Jewish people “are used by the Chinese” to control Black people, describing them as “just middlemen”.
He has also lost brand deals with Balenciaga, Adidas and Gap and had his honorary degree from The School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago rescinded. Adidas later donated the proceeds from remaining stocks of West’s Yeezy shoes to organisations fighting anti-Semitism.
However, back in March, West appeared to backtrack on his comments by saying he “likes Jewish people again” after watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street.
“No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of people,” he said on Instagram. “No Christian can be labeled antisemite knowing Jesus is Jew.”
Meanwhile, West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian recently said that she couldn’t “force her beliefs” on the rapper.
“You can’t expect them to be where you’re at [and] at your level,” she said.