Rolling Stone reports that Kanye West said he was inspired by “skinheads and Nazis.” He reportedly made the “casual comment” while working on a Yeezy collection for Paris Fashion Week. West was dropped by Adidas after a series of controversies that included anti-Semitic comments. Loading Something is loading.
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Kanye West said “skinheads and Nazis were his biggest inspiration” while working on his Yeezy Season 9 collection for Paris Fashion Week, according to a former employee who spoke to Rolling Stone.
The rapper-turned-fashion designer was reported to have made the comments while browsing Yeezy designs for heavy hoods and face coverings in a Los Angeles showroom. It was described as a “casual comment,” according to the Rolling Stone report. A former Adidas executive told the publication that he had heard similar comments before.
The Yeezy employee said they initially brushed off the comment, chalking it up to West’s artistic vision.
Insider has not been able to independently verify the claims made in the Rolling Stone article.
West did not immediately respond when Insider tried to reach him on both Instagram and Twitter. He no longer has a publicist, according to Rolling Stone.
Ye, as he is now known, sparked a series of controversies, which have led to him losing numerous deals, when he and conservative commentator Candace Owens wore ‘White Lives Matter’ T-shirts at Paris Fashion Week.
Another Yeezy staffer told Rolling Stone that, before leaving for France, the idea was to talk about race during fashion week, but lean toward “making fun of white people.”
The staff member added: “White lives matter. [and] Candace Owens in combination made it political and just plain stupid.”
Shortly after the jersey controversy, West tweeted that he was “going wild against the JEWISH PEOPLE”, prompting his Twitter account to be blocked. His anti-Semitic comments led companies to cut ties with West, including ending his long-standing relationship with Adidas.
Since then, there have been various allegations that Ye has made numerous positive comments about Nazism in the past, including an NBC News report that he paid a settlement to an employee who claimed he praised Hitler.
His handling of Yeezy employees has also been criticized, with Bloomberg reporting that West demanded Adidas open a new facility near his Wyoming ranch, which closed its doors within 6 months. The Rolling Stone report now adds that some of the 90 employees traveled there on a weekly private plane from California.
Adidas, which collaborated with him on Yeezy, officially parted ways with West on October 25, a move it said would halve his profit for the year. In a call Wednesday to discuss the sportswear giant’s third-quarter earnings, the company told reporters it would release Yeezy designs under its own brand.
Adidas did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment on the content of the Rolling Stone report.
Source: news.google.com