An interview that Kanye West previously granted for an edition of The Shop, a talk show presented by LeBron James and his business associate Maverick Carter, has been canceled due to the rapper’s recent controversies.
Carter explained in a statement provided to Andscape that West’s episode was recently filmed (the statement indicates that it was taped “yesterday” and the article was published on Tuesday (October 11), but the exact date of the statement is unknown). Carter had previously confirmed the rapper’s appearance on the show several weeks prior.
Carter stated, “After speaking directly with Kanye the day before we began filming, I had confidence in his capacity for a civil discourse, and he was prepared to respond to his recent remarks.” Sadly, he utilized The Shop as a platform to propagate additional hate speech and perilous stereotypes.
Consequently, West’s appearance on The Shop was completely canceled, and the interview material will not be disclosed to the public. Carter further provided reassurance to his audience that although his program “welcomes intellectual dialogue and dissenting viewpoints,” it and its staff “have absolute zero tolerance for hate speech in any form and will never permit our platforms to be exploited to propagate hatred.”
He concluded, “I apologize to our guests and personnel and accept full responsibility for believing Kanye desired a different conversation. “An audience should never be granted to hate speech.”
Furthermore, the eliminated episode of The Shop was set to include shoe designer Salehe Bembury and Jeezy, with whom West had collaborated on the 2008 track “Put On.” Due to West’s extensive participation in the recording process, their interviews have likewise been canceled. It is noted that LeBron James was not in attendance during the filming of the episode. An official statement from him concerning the situation has yet to be issued.
Landscape reports that during his interview with The Shop, Kanye West reportedly employed antisemitic language, an assertion that has generated significant controversy for the rapper in the last week. The rapper’s social media accounts were suspended over the weekend due to posts that violated the policies of the platforms.
Prominent figures including Sarah Silverman, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Legend, and Jack Antonoff, as well as political figures including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and organizations including the Black Jewish Entertainment Alliance, vehemently condemned his antisemitic remarks on Twitter. In the meantime, Elon Musk, a potential owner of Twitter, stated that he has spoken with West and “acknowledged concerns regarding his recent tweet, which I believe he internalized.”
It ensued subsequent to West’s exhibit of a blouse bearing the inscription “White Lives Matter” during this year’s Paris Fashion Week, which generated contentiousness and can be traced back to white supremacist movements. West doubled down and labeled the Black Lives Matter movement a “scаm” in response to the criticism he received from a number of his colleagues in the music and fashion industries.
Later, West appeared on Fox News for an interview in which, among other inflammatory remarks, he continued to defend his racist display and made a peculiar remark about Lizzo’s weight. Subsequently, Fox News withdrew their endorsement of the performer.
On Tuesday, October 10th, West distributed the Last Week documentary. This, too, has generated controversy, as it featured a recording in which West is seen pornographically displaying material to Adidas executives.