Less than one day after making headlines for donning a hoodie that read ‘White Lives Matter’ at his latest Yeezy fashion show held during Paris Fashion Week, Kanye “Ye” West has now shared an Instagram Story claiming that the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was “a scam.”
The rapper hosted a presentation in Paris on Monday 3 October 2022 to debut his SZN9 collection. It came hours after Ye, 45, hinted that some famous faces would be making an appearance at the show after sharing an Instagram post with childhood photos of the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna, Naomi Campbell and even his ex-wife Kim Kardashian with the teasing caption ‘SZN9’.
During the show, West appeared in the dimly lit room wearing a black jumper with ‘White Lives Matter’ printed on the back in white font teamed with a baseball cap, while models also wore jumpers bearing the controversial slogan.
The slogan is obviously a spin on the Black Lives Matter movement which aims to shed light on racism and discrimination while amplifying the voices of the black community.
Ye’s recent Story read, “Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now it’s over, you’re welcome.” While the fashion designer is yet to explain exactly what he meant, it’s not hard to guess what he’s referring to here.
Back in April 2021, a New York Post article revealed that American activist and co-founder of the BLM movement Patrisse Cullors had purchased four homes for nearly $3 million. The transaction had not been previously reported, and Black Lives Matter’s leadership had hoped to keep the house’s existence a secret.
Documents, emails, and other communications about the luxury properties’ purchase and day-to-day operation suggested that it has been handled in ways that blur, or cross, boundaries between the charity and private companies owned by some of its leaders. It created the impression that money donated to the cause of racial justice had been spent in ways that benefit the BLM leaders personally.
While it’s a strong possibility that Ye is referring to this past scandal, his notorious history of insensitive choices can’t be ignored. In 2018, he was slammed for endorsing former President Donald Trump by wearing a red ‘Make America Great Again’ cap while meeting the problematic commander-in-chief at the White House.
That same year, West received immense backlash after stating that African American slavery was “a choice” during a rant at TMZ’s offices in California.
It’s only a question of time before the ‘Gold Digger’ rapper comes out with yet another appalling opinion.