advertisement
Latest News

Kanye West Apologizes to Jewish Community Ahead of ‘Vultures’ Album Release

"I deeply regret any pain I may have caused," the rapper wrote in Hebrew.

Kanye West attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 9, 2020 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Kanye West attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 9, 2020 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Rich Fury/VF20/GI for Vanity Fair

Kanye West has issued an apology to the Jewish community for his antisemitic remarks ahead of his Vultures album release.

The 46-year-old rapper, who now goes by Ye, took to social media early Tuesday morning (Dec. 26) to share his regrets over comments in a statement written in Hebrew.


“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions,” Ye wrote on Instagram. “It was not my intention to offend or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused. I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity.”

advertisement

In 2022, Ye faced major backlash after making a series of antisemitic statements. After receiving blowback for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt in October 2022 at Paris Fashion Week, the rapper tweeted that he was going to go “death con 3” on Jewish people. This began a string of hate-speech-filled interviews, which reached an even more disturbing level when he appeared on Alex Jones’ InfoWars and said, “I see good things about Hitler,” among other hateful rhetoric.

Earlier this month, during a listening party in Miami for his oft-delayed collaborative album, Vultures, with Ty Dolla $ign, Ye appeared onstage wearing what appeared to be a black Ku Klux Klan-style hood to perform the project’s title track.

“I ain’t antisemitic/ I just f—ed a Jewish b—-,” he rapped during the song, adding to his controversial antisemitic statements from the prior year.

The release date for Vultures has been delayed several times in recent weeks. The album is now expected to arrive on Jan. 12, Ye’s reps told Billboard in late December. It was previously scheduled for release on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31).

advertisement

See Ye’s apology post on Instagram below.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.

advertisement
Tegan and Sara
Éluvier Acosta
Tegan and Sara
Awards

Tegan and Sara, Jackie Mittoo Win 2024 Polaris Heritage Prize for Classic Canadian Albums

The indie rock duo won the public vote with their 2004 album So Jealous, while Mittoo's classic reggae album Macka Fat received the jury's designation for Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, which honours albums released before the Polaris Music Prize launched in 2006.

Two influential Canadian albums have been named to the ranks of Polaris Heritage Prize winners.

Tegan and Sara's 2004 indie rock statement So Jealous and Jackie Mittoo's 1970s reggae classic Macka Fat have received the 2024 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize designation. The prize honours albums released before the Polaris Music Prize launched in 2006 and acts somewhat like a hall of fame for great Canadian albums.

keep readingShow less
advertisement