Rapper-producer Kanye West has made the news yet again, and this time it’s not for berating anyone. The Grammy Award-winning rapper has been under the gun for his past remarks about Jewish people, his songs that seem to glorify Hitler, and his abusive rants on social media. Now, he has taken out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, apologising for his anti-Semitic remarks, and has even cited reasons behind his social media outbursts.
The rapper, who lost the Adidas collaboration due to his comments, wrote in the ad that he regrets the statements he made about Jews. He wrote, “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people. … I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state and am committed to accountability, treatment and meaningful change.” He continued and revealed that a car accident in 2002 left the frontal lobe of his brain damaged. Kanye revealed that this caused him to develop bipolar disorder.
He added, “It wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023. Bipolar disorder comes with its own defence system. Denial. When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think everyone else is overreacting. You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely.”
Kanye claimed that he was in a “fractured” state and said, “I lost touch with reality. Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to love someone who was, at times, unrecognisable. One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type 1 is the disconnected moments – many of which I still cannot recall – that lead to poor judgement and reckless behaviour that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body experience. It does not excuse what I did. I am not a Nazi or an anti-Semite. I love Jewish people.”
He went on to thank the Black community for standing beside him through thick and thin and apologised for letting them down. Kanye said that he understands that his words have a global impact and requested the people around him to exercise some patience. “As I find my new baseline and new centre through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living. I am not asking for sympathy or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my home,” wrote Kanye.
The ‘Otis’ rapper received immense flak for his social media comments, targeting Jewish people. From releasing a track called ‘Heil Hitler’ to abusive lyrics, the rapper seemed to be getting more hateful with each song and each social media post.
