Ye — formerly Kanye West — is walking back earlier statements labeling himself a Nazi. West came to the realization on Wednesday (Feb. 19), retracting his previous statements in a new post to X.
“After further reflection I’ve come to the realization that I’m not a Nazi,” he wrote.
The backtracking on his heavily criticized comments — which saw him praising Adolf Hitler — comes just over a week since his series of antisemitic, homophobic and hate-filled X tirades earlier in February.
“I love Hitler, how what bi—es,” Ye wrote, which he followed up with, “I’m a Nazi.” He later added, “Hitler was sooooo fresh” and “call me Yaydolf Yitler.”
West had been selling T-shirts emblazoned with a black swastika logo for $20 on his Yeezy website, which was shut down by its marketplace partner Shopify.
West faced backlash for his remarks, as the Anti-Defamation League, Charlie Puth and Lyor Cohen all condemned Ye and pleaded with him to stop pushing antisemitic rhetoric.
“With antisemitism on the rise, your voice and influence carry a significant responsibility,” the former Def Jam president wrote in a letter to Ye. “I urge you to be more sensitive to the pain your words inflict on Jewish communities and all those who stand against hate.”
Back in October 2022, Ye fired off a series of antisemitic rants, including the “Death Con 3” tweet, which led to companies such as Adidas, Def Jam, Balenciaga, Gap and more cutting ties with the rapper.
“West is not just any person — he is a pop culture icon with millions of fans around the world,” Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel wrote at the time. “And among them are young people whose views are still being formed. This is why it is necessary for all of us to speak out. Hatred and anti-Semitism should have no place in our society, no matter how much money is at stake.”
In another post on X, Ye responded to Adam Sandler seemingly referencing the musician during his performance on the SNL50: The Anniversary Special over the weekend, singing, “50 years of finding out your favorite musician’s antisemitic.” Ye chose to focus on the “favorite musician” part of the lyric, responding to the comic actor on X: “Adam Sandler Thank you for the love.”
