Update: Kanye West Apologizes a Day After Calling Puma ‘Trash’

Peter Verry
·3 min read

Update: Sept. 19, 2020 at 6 p.m. ET

Yesterday, Kanye West was talking disrespectfully about Puma. Today, he is apologizing.

The rapper took to Twitter again today, this time revealing he spoke with Kareem “Biggs” Burke, who cofounded West’s former record label home, Roc-A-Fella Records. In the tweet, West also apologized to Jay-Z and Roc Nation lifestyle specialist Emory Jones.

“Speaking Biggs now … I shouldn’t have said anything about Puma publicly … I apologize to Emory and Jay and the entire Puma crew,” West tweeted today.

What We Originally Reported on Sept. 18, 2020

Kanye West has been tweeting up a storm as of late. Today’s social media commentary from the rapper-turned-designer included a bold statement about the label that delivers his Yeezy footwear and a shot at a rival athletic brand.

“I am the head of adidas,” West wrote in a tweet today. “I will bring adidas and puma back together and bring me and jay back together … all pumas designs are embarrassingly trash but I will personally design puma and adidas and make everything ok.”

West’s “Jay” mention is a reference to longtime music collaborator Jay-Z, who is affiliated with Puma.

Both Puma and Adidas declined FN’s request for comment.

Although the shot at Puma on Twitter today is jarring, it’s not the first time West has taken aim at the brand publicly before. On Feb. 9, 2016, the rapper proclaimed on Twitter that sister-in-law Kylie Jenner was “1000% Kylie is on Yeezy team” and that “1000% there will never be a Kylie Puma anything. That’s on my family!”

West’s proclamation, however, proved to be incorrect. Jenner signed a deal days later with Puma on Feb. 17, 2016.

There have been shakeups at Adidas as of late that have impacted his Yeezy brand. FN obtained an email on Sept. 1 that was sent to Adidas employees revealing Jon Wexler, who was the GM of Yeezy, was leaving Adidas. A day later, West tweeted a thank you to Wexler. “This man changed the game with our Adidas deal and helped to bring adidas to a 62 billion dollar market cap and made me a multi billionaire,” West wrote. “Thank you Jon. You changed my life.”

Also on Sept. 1, West appeared on Nick Cannon’s “Cannon’s Class” and stated Adidas should let him wear Air Jordans, despite the shoes being made by Adidas rival Jordan Brand (a company backed by Nike). “In my Adidas contract, I definitely should be able to wear Jordans. Jordans need to be part of reparations. You can’t tell a Black man not to wear Jordans,” West said with a laugh. “Any deal [should say], ‘But you could wear Jordans.'”

More from Footwear News

Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.