After a week of controversy over the “White Lives Matter” shirt, he made his debut at his YZY Season 9 show during Paris Fashion Week, Kanye West sat down for an interview with Tucker-Carlson which is aired on the FoxNews hosts broadcast at 5 p.m. ET tonight. Prior to that, the network released three clips in which the hip hop superstar fires back at his critics.
“My so-called friends/managers around me told me that if I said I loved Trump, my career would be over. That my life would be over,” Kanye told the Fox News host. “They said stuff like people were getting killed for wearing a hat like that. They threatened my life. They basically said I would be killed for wearing the hat. Someone called me last night and said anyone wearing a “white lives matter” shirt was going to be greenlit. It means they will beat them if I wear it. I’m like, you know, ‘Okay, green light, then.’ ”
You can watch the first clip here.
West’s stance with the shirt led to condemnation. His spokesperson has resigned, according to MTV News. Jaden Smith, who appeared on YZY, came out and later spoke online. Vogue’s first black female cover stylist, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, also posted a series of reviews saying, “The t-shirts this man has designed, produced and shared are pure violence. There are no excuses. There is no art there. Then came today’s article from New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman. His exam from his Paris collection released today is titled “There’s No Excuse For Ye’s ‘White Lives Matter’ Shirt”.
Closer to his portfolio, earlier today Adidas, which has a years-long partnership with the rapper to distribute pieces from his Yeezy line, posted the following statement“After repeated efforts to resolve the situation privately, we have made the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this time.
It comes less than a month after Kanye decided to dissolve the 10-year deal he signed in 2020 with Gap. It’s a big move, considering his Yeezy Gap line reportedly made $1 billion in first-year sales, according Forbes. In 2021, Bloomberg valued that approximately $970 million of the hip-hop mogul’s fortune was attributable to the hole OK.
In the second video, Carlson asks the rap mogul about an ultrasound photo hanging from a lanyard around his neck.
“It just represents life. I am pro-life,” Kanye replies.
Asked about the reactions he got, the Yeezy-branded apparel replied, “I don’t care about people’s reactions.”
Watch the second clip here.
Of the media criticism, Kanye told Carlson in a third sequence, “We’re in a battle with the media. For example, the majority of the media has an ungodly agenda and their jokes don’t work. All that stuff like, ‘Oh , you’re crazy” and all those things, it doesn’t work because the media has, you know, they’ve also seen cross-dressing happening, even specifically for me, and watch it and act like that’s it n doesn’t happen. And they remain silent about it.