Kanye West is making worldwide news with controversial comments. Some Chicagoans find the rapper’s words destructive

The whirlwind of controversy encircling the Chicago rapper born Kanye West may have created widespread ripples of news across business, fashion, politics and social media, but it has raised nary a peep in his hometown, though a few voices are speaking out against his recent outbursts.

The rapper who legally changed his name to Ye has been at the center of a media firestorm that has alienated him from former business partners amid accusations of antisemitism.

Last weekend, he reignited claims of antisemitism following the release of his interview for the podcast “Drink Champs,” where he questioned the cause of George Floyd’s death and recycled old tropes about Jewish money and influence.

“They hit him with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that,” West claimed on Sunday’s episode of the Revolt TV show “Drink Champs.” Floyd died in May 2020 after Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for about nine minutes. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 ½ years behind bars last year on murder and manslaughter charges in Minnesota, and 21 years in July after a federal trial.

In the same interview, he also suggested “Jewish Zionists” were behind a recent disclosure by his former wife, Kim Kardashian. “On TMZ, I just saw yesterday, they said, ‘Pete Davidson and Kim have sex by the fireplace to honor their grandmother.’ It’s Jewish Zionists that’s about that life, that’s telling this Christian woman that has four Black children to put that out as a message in the media.”

Recently, the Anti-Defamation League said Ye’s comments “espouse antisemitic tropes about Jewish intimidation, power and control.”

Following threats of legal action, Floyd’s family released a statement confirming they were seeking $250 million in a lawsuit against Ye.

Following his most recent comments, few if any notable locals even addressed his statements, and even fewer Black voices.

Despite past controversies such as his infamous “slavery was a choice” comment, some say the 24 Grammy-winning rapper and writer and clothing designer behind the Yeezy sports shoe remains a revered figure in Chicago, where he once promised schoolchildren that he was moving back. West has helped local rappers such as Chief Keef and Chance the Rapper gain a wider audience.

“Kanye is not losing fans, at least it doesn’t seem like that in my world,” said media publisher Morgan Elise Johnson. “For those Kanye disciples, they’re just kind of rolling with him no matter what he says or does at this point and I’ve learned that I’m not going to convince these people. For us, it’s a constant battle about what Kanye’s messaging we are going to address or not,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s online culture publication, The Triibe, and its staff have taken to fact-checking West’s controversial statements as a way of countering what they call misinformation. “We’ve been having that conversation internally on how much energy do we give it,” Johnson said. “If we pick on it, are we emphasizing it? If we ignore it, are we letting misinformation spread unchecked? It’s a constant back and forth.”

Over the weekend, Triibe editor in chief Tiffany Walden posted links to fact-checked information regarding the rapper’s claims, representing one of the few black entities willing to address it.

Johnson said she was fearful that his statements, particularly the comments on Floyd, could weaken the hard fought gains made by community grassroots activists who have built networks between the police deaths of Michael Brown and Floyd.

“Everything that happened with Donald Trump happened because words resonated with people and it mobilized a lot of White supremacist activity that is making present times really dangerous for Black people,” Johnson said. “And I just really wish Kanye understood that and that his words were baiting and undermining a lot of progressive grassroots work that is being done, particularly by Black women and queer youths.”

Another rare area voice who spoke out against the rapper’s comments was attorney and local media personality Exavier Pope, who posted several critical posts of the rapper’s recent statements, calling them destructive.

Pope, who runs his own law firm, shared concerns similar to Johnson regarding the rapper’s turn toward right wing politics that began with his alignment with Donald Trump. Seeing himself as a social media “referee,” Pope said he felt compelled to speak out against his words while still holding on to his respect for the man.

“I thought Kanye West was misusing his platform,” Pope told the Tribune this week. “People have a responsibility when they have a platform, particularly in the time that we’re living in, when we see attack on civil rights and voting rights.”

“This is someone who has done so much in the industry and has been outspoken in very positive ways. Why go cut against the grain and then go a completely different direction? This is the wrong time in history. This is the wrong time in your life to be saying and doing some of these things and the net effect of this is damaging to the African American community,” Pope said.

The disconnect between the rapper and his controversial comments is common refrain for fans who wish to separate an artist’s work from their unpopular views, said Paul Booth, a DePaul professor who studies pop culture.

“That to me is interesting — that there are people that don’t want to talk about anything other than the art because they don’t think it matters, and then there are people that think that that’s all that matters,” Booth said.

He agreed there are fans who try to “separate politics from the artist certainly by people that like the art. It’s easy to say, ‘All I want to talk about is the art because that’s all that’s really important,’ but then there’s lots of other people who might say, ‘You can’t separate art from the artist and the beliefs and values and the actions of the artist themselves plays a role in the art.’ When you buy Kanye West’s albums or downloads, you are passively and financially supporting someone.

“Artist’s background is important, but I don’t think there’s an answer to that. I think everyone has to decide for themselves how they feel about, but everyone should be aware of it happening.”

Johnson said she hopes the rapper will be more mindful of his public statements as young activists work doggedly to create a response to rising extremist sentiment.

“Words matter. I go back and forth with people all the time. It was just words on a shirt with ‘White Lives Matter’ on it. And I’m saying nothing is just words on a shirt. If that was the case, advertising wouldn’t matter. Lyrics wouldn’t matter. Books wouldn’t matter. Nothing would matter.”

The New York Daily News contributed.

wlee@chicagotribune.com

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