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Kanye West drops music video titled ‘Heil Hitler’

“So I became a Nazi, I’m the villain,” the artist declares.

Kanye West
Singer Kanye West with his daughter North as they leave the Saint James Armenian Church in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter in April 2015. Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90.

Kanye West, the American rapper also known as “Ye,” has released a music video called “Heil Hitler,” adding to his record of antisemitic behavior.

The video, titled “HEIL HITLER (HOOLIGAN VERSION),” was published on West’s X account and has already accumulated approximately 27,000 likes and over a million views. This release continues his track record of antisemitic behavior, including selling a T-shirt featuring a swastika through his fashion brand Yeezy.

In the video, men appear draped in animal skins, and the artist declares, “So I became a Nazi, I’m the villain.” In the song, the artist addresses the backlash he faced after making controversial statements, including previously stating on his X account that he “loves Hitler,” that he is a Nazi, and to “Call me Yadolph Hitler"—a play on Ye.

One of Kanye West's posts on X. Source: kanyewest/X.
One of Kanye West’s posts on X. Source: kanyewest/X.

“Is this kind of posting allowed??” a user commented on X, while others supporting the artist’s latest release were quick to appear: “I hate to say it but it’s a hit,” one user said. “He still makes bangers,” said another.

West’s brief foray into the world of livestreaming ended in disaster late last month when the rapper was banned from the Twitch platform seven minutes into his debut broadcast.

Wearing sunglasses and a black jacket, West appeared to be streaming from a motel room, and launched into a hateful rant targeting Jews, the LGBTQ+ community and his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, according to The Daily Mail. During the stream, West gave a Nazi salute and shouted “Heil Hitler,” prompting immediate action from Twitch.

The Amazon-owned platform swiftly removed the channel, posting a message that it was “temporarily unavailable due to a violation of Twitch’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.” At the time of the ban, West had fewer than 220 followers on the platform.

West has also previously landed in hot water over incendiary rants against Jews, as well as praising Hitler. In February, he stoked further controversy when he released a Super Bowl ad that directed people to his website, which sold one item only: a white T-shirt emblazoned with a black swastika.

This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in Israel Hayom.

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