Kanye “Ye” West wore a t-shirt with the words “White Lives Matter” on it to a public event on Monday, drawing ire from many fans – and former fans. Ye was at the YZY SZN 9 presentation in Paris, France when he donned the shirt, according to a report by Complex. It sparked a renewed call to boycott Ye’s work and rethink his status as a cultural icon.
Ye’s shirt had the words “White Lives Matter” in capital white letters across the back, and it apparently had an image of the pope on the front. Ye did not offer any commentary on this catchphrase, leaving viewers to assume it was not meant as ironic meta-commentary or satire. “White lives matter” has been used as a rallying cry by racist organizations, and is generally recognized as a racist refutation of the activist slogan “Black Lives Matter.” For Ye to wear it without comment struck many fans as a betrayal of his previous work.
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In criticizing this fashion choice, commenters also recalled Ye’s outspoken support for President Donald Trump during some of the most contentious moments of his presidency, and other controversies that have hastened Ye’s fall from grace. Some wondered at what point these transgressions would outweigh his fame and his early work as a thoughtful lyricist. Here is a look at some of the top takes on Ye’s shirt.
Rebuttal
First, many commenters argued over whether the phrase “white lives matter” was necessarily racist. Ye’s critics argued that this phrase only exists in opposition to the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” and exists only to distract from conversations about white supremacy.
Black Models
Fans spared some sympathy for the Black models who were faced with the decision between wearing Ye’s shirt or turning down a potentially life-changing gig.
Anti-Racist Past
Fans wondered how Ye squared his history of anti-racist commentary with stunts like this one.
Poor Company
Many critics were furious to see Ye spending time with author and conservative pundit Candace Owens. Her enthusiastic endorsement of this shirt was enough criticism as far as some were concerned.
Encouraging
Critics argued that most of the people defending Ye’s new t-shirt seemed to be white.
Jaden Smith
Jaden Smith seemed to condemn Ye’s shirt directly with his own tweets after the event.
‘Trolling’
Finally, some fans wondered how long Ye’s defenders could write off behavior like this as “trolling.”
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