An explosive new investigation by the New York Times details how Adidas employees experienced frequent anti-Semitism from Grammy Award-winning rapper and Yeezy designer Kanye West for nearly a decade.

Adidas officially ended its partnership with the rapper and producer, who now goes by Ye, in October of 2022, after multiple virulently anti-Semitic remarks, including a tweet in which the rapper threatened to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”

However, West’s pattern of anti-Semitism dates back to at least 2013, according to the Times’ reporting.

At the start of her report, Megan Twohey detailed how, in his initial meeting with Adidas executives at their German headquarters in 2013, West expressed his dissatisfaction with a proposed shoe design by taking a marker and drawing a swastika — the display of which is banned in Germany — on the design. He also reportedly told Jewish Adidas executive Jon Wexler, who at the time was Adidas’ global director of entertainment and influencer marketing, to “kiss a picture of Hitler every day.”

    • @[email protected]
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      551 year ago

      Yes.

      People are constantly outraged by what he says, but the guy is actually sick and needs help.

      Instead, yes men and the media just fuel his mental breakdowns.

      • @[email protected]
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        241 year ago

        Unless you’re going to support involuntary commitment it’s fair game to ridicule him. He will never seek help and until he does I will view him as the terrible person that he is. If he does seek help my opinion will change.

        • @[email protected]
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          71 year ago

          Also, his young fans model their behavior on him. Public ridicule is probably the only option to hold that back.

    • @[email protected]
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      211 year ago

      He didn’t deny that when asked; he has mental issues and stopped taking his medication according to his Letterman interview.

      • @[email protected]
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        1 year ago

        Right, but at a certain point not taking your medication and acting like an idiot aren’t just ‘oops, I did a goof’ things. Especially after a decade of this sort of behavior.

        Your mental illness isn’t your fault. But it is your responsibility.

        • @[email protected]
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          111 year ago

          Exactly if I refuse Adderall and drive I put myself and others in danger. If it’s denied to me and I’m actively coerced by society to drive it’s different but if every choice is mine so are the easily expected consequences.

        • @[email protected]
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          101 year ago

          Yes, I suffer from the exact same condition as Kanye, and while that may at times explain my erratic behavior, it never excuses it, not does it absolve me of the responsibility of dealing with the consequences of my words or actions. The way people treat Kanye’s mental illness is insulting and infantiling, especially when Kanye himself seems to take no steps to reconcile it with his responsibility for his own actions.

          Fuck Kanye and fuck anyone who tries to excuse his bullshit because “he’s not well.”

          • @[email protected]
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            131 year ago

            When the world press is declaring you a neo-Nazi based off your direct quotes and actions and you still don’t take the medication, yes it is your choice and responsibility to continue those actions.

              • TechyDad
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                31 year ago

                And it can be moreso for wealthy people. It can be easy to fire people who say "maybe you should tone down the ‘Hitler loving’ stuff’ and only keep yes men around who will tell you that you’re doing great no matter what you do.

                Obviously, the wealthy people who fall into this trap are still responsible for what they do. This isn’t an excuse. However, it can help explain why some wealthy people say idiotic things that their staff should have stopped.

              • @[email protected]
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                21 year ago

                Which is part of the mental illness that he should be getting treated for, which he can do as a fully grown, hyper wealthy man.

                Stop making excuses, or choosing to be a bad faith debater. Kanye is responsible for his reprehensible actions period.

                • @[email protected]
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                  -11 year ago

                  Saying just because someone is rich they they are responsible for mental health conditions which control them to this extent is pretty gross.

                  • @[email protected]
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                    21 year ago

                    Every person is responsible for themselves, despite their mental health conditions. It is unfortunate some people have additional struggles, but that doesn’t absolve them the work of being decent. I literally suffer from the exact same kind of bipolar disorder as Kanye; my erratic behavior is never excused just because my brain is different, and I am still responsible for the consequences of all of my words and actions despite my additional struggle.

                    Stop making excuses for a shitty dude that doesn’t need more apologists

              • @[email protected]
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                11 year ago

                Delusion doesn’t absolve you of responsibility. A person who is deluded isn’t blameless, they’re just guilty and deluded.

    • BabyWah
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      121 year ago

      He has a mental illness, but mental illness doesn’t make you a racist.