Dear Kanye, Please Stop…
The reason we love artists and idolize their music can be captured in one word: relatability. We develop an affectionate bond with people we never met, because their lyrics and art represent the very emotions and processes we’re going through in our lives: The conflict between desire and commitment, between material success and authenticity, the despair that comes with realizing our existential insignificance. How often do you listen to a track thinking: “wait…is this song about me?”. And that’s exactly why I’ve always been a huge fan of Kanye West’s music. Aside from his undeniable talent for sampling and producing daring, genre-defining music, Kanye’s true genius is his humanity. In interviews and in public space he’s the rude, deluded and unpleasant narcissist. But a lot of his lyrics paint a different story of self-reflection, insecurity, and pain. Take this passage from “Welcome To Heartbreak”:
My friend showed me pictures of his kids
And all I could show him was pictures of my cribs
He said his daughter got a brand new report card
And all I got was a brand new sports car
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I’ve always been of the opinion that it’s fine to separate the person from the artist and his music. That’s why I’ve ignored Kanye’s messianic delusions of grandeur and disrespect for other people, choosing instead to soak in his music with boundless admiration and gratefulness. But Kanye’s recent behaviour is shedding doubt on this long-held conviction.
By cozying up to Trump in the oval office, Kanye is not only embarrassing himself, but the entire black community. In one of the most bizarre rants I’ve witnessed — even by the rapper’s standards — Kanye references his need to free imprisoned American gang leader Lary Hover because “in an alternate universe, I am him…”. And perhaps he’s right, because, by the look of things, he has become a prisoner to his own mind. And sadly, it very much appears like he’s being used by Trump and The Right to attract black voters before the midterms and 2020. Just a day after Kanye’s visit in the oval office, Trump appeared at a campaign really in Lebanon, Ohio “asking… all African American voters to honor us with their support this November. Get away from the Democrats…”.
The image of a powerful, influential black man supporting a President who’s been regularly accused by The Left of being racist also provides the perfect ideological ammunition for Fox News and co. Hey Look, one of your own embraced us, we’re not racist ! Never mind the “All Lives Matter” talk encouraged by Fox which intentionally distorts the truth about African-American discrimination. Never mind the failure to instantly condemn Neo-nazis in Charlottesville last year. Never mind Trump advocating for the use of stop-and-frisk in Chicago, a policy which encourages indirect racial profiling.
Also, since when do Fox and the right-wing media support the idea of having rappers invited to the White House? Since when do they understand the message of black empowerment and protest to police brutality that many rappers are trying to convey? When Barack Obama invited Common — an artist highly respected in Hip Hop culture for his poetic, social-commentary heavy lyrics — Fox went mad. “It baffles me that this is the person the White House chooses to set as an example for our kids…” rambled Sean Hannity. Following Kendrick Lamar’s performance of “Alright” — an anthem against police killings of black men — Geraldo Rivelda displayed either next-level ignorance or malice by claiming that “hip-hop has done more damage to young African-Americans than racism in recent years.”. These people, which are both represented by and represent Trumpism, don’t understand black culture and black issues.
Which is why a leader like Kanye should not use his platform to legitimize a movement standing for the opposite of Black empowerment. Kanye’s motivation for supporting Trump seems to stem from a sort of psychological need to stand out, to be different and original. It’s a classic case of rebelling against the status quo. As Jelani Cobb of New Yorker points out :“It’s not uncommon for men unburdened by rigorous thinking but convinced d of the superiority of their intellects to presume that a minority opinion is the most valid one.” And part of me even understands this urge. But statements like “Slavery was a choice” remove any shadow of doubt in my mind that Kanye has simply lost the plot. And the only person who stands to gain from his friendship with the president is Trump himself. The sooner West realizes this, the better. So please Kanye, just stop.
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