Rapper and fashion designer Kanye West was met with criticism on Monday after he wore a shirt emblazoned with the divisive phrase ‘White Lives Matter’ on its back to a surprise showcase of his new Yeezy line at Paris Fashion Week.
The phrase itself was previously categorised by the Anti-Defamation League as a hate slogan. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, White Lives Matter is a neo-Nazi group that grew into a movement as “a racist response to the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter”.
The front of Ye’s shirt featured a photograph of the late John Paul II. Some of the models on the catwalk of his show also wore shirts with the same message, The Guardian reported.
Earlier this week, the Grammy winner, who legally changed his name to Ye last year, walked the runway for Balenciaga.
He told the audience before the showcase of his own collection: “I am Ye and everyone here knows that I am the leader.”
Watch footage of Kanye’s latest show in the video below:
On Tuesday morning, he shared a post on his Instagram story which he described Black Lives Matter as a “scam”:
A screenshot of Ye's message which he wrote after his show at Paris Fashion Week
Critics have gone on to accuse Ye, who has previously drawn criticism over his support for former US president Donald Trump and comments suggesting slavery “sounds like a choice”, of sending “a dangerously dumb message” with the garment:
Musician and actor Jaden Smith, the son of Oscar winner Will Smith, also appeared to respond to Ye’s attire with these critical tweets:
The phrase itself was previously categorised by the Anti-Defamation League as a hate slogan. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, White Lives Matter is a neo-Nazi group that grew into a movement as “a racist response to the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter”.
The front of Ye’s shirt featured a photograph of the late John Paul II. Some of the models on the catwalk of his show also wore shirts with the same message, The Guardian reported.
Earlier this week, the Grammy winner, who legally changed his name to Ye last year, walked the runway for Balenciaga.
He told the audience before the showcase of his own collection: “I am Ye and everyone here knows that I am the leader.”
Watch footage of Kanye’s latest show in the video below:
On Tuesday morning, he shared a post on his Instagram story which he described Black Lives Matter as a “scam”:
Critics have gone on to accuse Ye, who has previously drawn criticism over his support for former US president Donald Trump and comments suggesting slavery “sounds like a choice”, of sending “a dangerously dumb message” with the garment:
Kanye West after Hurricane Katrina: “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.”
Kanye West after he married Kim Kardashian and became a Trump-supporting Republican: “White Lives Matter”
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— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 3, 2022
Musician and actor Jaden Smith, the son of Oscar winner Will Smith, also appeared to respond to Ye’s attire with these critical tweets:
