Kanye West defends ‘White Lives Matter’ t-shirt and calls Black Lives Matter a ‘fraud’ – National | Globalnews.ca

Kanye West is no stranger to voicing bold, contrary opinions. Nonetheless, attendees at his Yeezy Season 9 event at Paris Fashion Week on Monday were shocked to see the rapper wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “White Lives Matter.”

Worn by West (who changed his name to Ye in 2021) and several models on the runway, the shirt featured an image of Pope John Paul II on the front with the words ‘Seguiremos Tu Ejemplo’ meaning ‘We will be yours follow example.”

The international civil rights organization, the Anti-Defamation League, has defined “White Lives Matter” as a “white racist phrase”. They claim the slogan came about as a “racist response to the Black Lives Matter movement.”

Ye wore the shirt during his opening speech for the event. In a speech lasting more than six minutes, Ye spoke about his music career, the 2016 Paris robbery of his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, classicism in fashion and his former manager Scooter Braun. (They claimed Braun insisted he “make more money” and continue his 2016 Saint Pablo Tour, which was later cancelled.)

“You can’t manage me. It’s an unmanageable situation,” Ye said. “You can’t turn the music down, it’s a dream of God, a dream that cannot be realized without God’s help. The trip. The people who believed early on. The people who sat in my car and listened to the early versions of Yeezus.”

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Kanye West pays tribute to designer Virgil Abloh with a choral performance

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Candace Owens, a conservative political commentator, also wore the White Lives Matter shirt on the show.

The Yeezy Season 9 event was streamed live on YouTube. Outrage over the White Lives Matter shirt exploded on social media almost immediately.

Jaden Smith, who was present at the show, left shortly after seeing Yes’ shirt and posted “Black Lives Matter” on his social media accounts

On Tuesday, Ye posted an Instagram story defending the jersey. On a black background with white text, Ye wrote, “Everyone knows Black Lives Matter is a scam.”

Ye has been criticized for politically charged fashion choices in the past, including when he was seen during a Saturday night live Achievement in 2018. He previously endorsed Donald Trump on several occasions and met with the former President in the Oval Office that same year.

The Yeezy Season 9 event was Yeezy’s fourth runway show in Paris since he started designing in 2011.

The Yeezy brand has since had a tumultuous run, despite some success, with Ye terminating a two-year deal with Gap last month and claiming the brand had failed to meet contractual obligations. Ye will also end a corporate partnership with Adidas.