In the last two months, Kanye West’s fanbase went from hating the man for his political and historical views back to loving him with the release of several projects.
With his eighth studio album “Ye” reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200, West just proved something to himself that very few musicians, let alone megacelebrities, can ever achieve in a politically polarized environment: hold widely unpopular views and not have it affect your career.
If he challenged himself to come out as a Trump supporter and still sell a No. 1 album, then you might as well give him the nod for Time’s “Person of the Year.”
He called President Trump his “brother,” wore a MAGA hat, and said slavery “sounds like a choice.” And many of West’s black and liberal fans as a result excoriated the rapper for his newfound status as a “free thinker” and prepared to cut him out of their lives altogether. There was a deep sense of hurt and disappointment that very few thought West could recover from. Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote in the Atlantic how West’s quest for “white freedom” has put him on a path of dangerous ignorance.
But let’s be real: West’s impact on the world at this juncture is minuscule compared to that of Trump, the man he continues to support. What West says in the public domain can be interpreted in any way, but what Trump says might inform his policy, which directly and indirectly affects the people he governs.
West’s flirtation with politics was strong in 2015 when he said he wanted to run for president in 2020. In April, he tweeted ominously:
2024
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 25, 2018
After that, West’s relationship with politics has gone somewhat cold, especially after he barricaded himself in Wyoming to record these albums. It’s probably safe to say that West wasn’t about to make a career change into politics at all, but simply wanted to cause a stir and get publicity — whether positive or negative — before all these projects were released.
And with the success of “Ye,” West’s joint project with Kid Cudi “Kids See Ghosts,” and production of Pusha T’s album “Daytona,” we’re reminded that West is enjoying the Trump effect, but in music instead of politics.
