Kanye threw a match on a oil slick over the past few weeks, appearing back in public life and immediately sounding off on BLM, wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt, appearing on Tucker Carlson, and making some comments about Jewish people on Twitter (he said he was tired the night of the tweet but, in the morning would be “going death con 3” on Jewish people, whatever that means. He probably meant DEFCON 3).
And so, as could be expected when one publically attacks that group, Kanye was canceled. JP Morgan gave his business the boot. Twitter kicked him off, though perhaps that could change now that Elon owns the bird app. Adidas, which produces his famous sneaker line, canceled him as well. When he showed up at Sketchers, he was escorted out. High-profile “conservatives” fled from supporting him because he…insulted a group that votes 75% Democrat.
But there’s one CEO that hasn’t canceled Kanye: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said, in an interview with Reuters, that while Kanye’s comments about the Jews were “just awful comments,” Kanye’s music wouldn’t be kicked off Spotify because his comments didn’t happen on there:
“It’s really just his music, and his music doesn’t violate our policy. It’s up to his label, if they want to take action or not.”
Perhaps that will change following his interview with Lex Friedman, whose podcasts are available on Spotify. Speaking to Kanye, Lex cited his family’s persecution in the Holocaust and said “The right thing is not to say there’s Jewish control of the media.”
Firing back, Kanye shouted “That’s incorrect though! That’s a f**king lie. There is. And they did come and bully me and proved the point.”
The conversation between the two remained contentious, with Lex pressing Kanye to back down and Kanye refusing to do so. Newsweek, reporting on one other claim Kanye made during the interview, said:
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West also suggested that a Jewish conspiracy was to blame for his being diagnosed with mental illness, suggesting his “Jewish trainer” brought him to a hospital and a “Jewish doctor” diagnosed him with bipolar disorder and then “put it in the press.”
But, other than that interview, Kanye’s comments about these things took place off Spotify, so Ek could hold firm and ensure Kanye’s music remains on Spotify despite cancel culture doing its best to disappear him.
Ek, for his part, also stood up for Joe Rogan when the cancel culture jackals came for him. Speaking on that in a Spotify town hall, Ek said:
“There are many things that Joe Rogan says that I strongly disagree with and find very offensive.”
“{But] if we want even a shot at achieving our bold ambitions, it will mean having content on Spotify that many of us may not be proud to be associated with.”
“Not anything goes, but there will be opinions, ideas, and beliefs that we disagree with strongly and even makes us angry or sad.”
So maybe Kanye made people “angry or sad”, but it looks like his music will remain on Spotify, for now at least.