Is Kanye West getting the message? The rapper, whose fame as a singer preceded his notoriety as an antisemite, just canceled his Marseille concert ahead of a possible ban sought by French authorities.
The comeback kid played to a packed stadium of 70,000 strong earlier this month in Los Angeles, but was banned from the United Kingdom for his next performance at the Wireless Festival in London. Instead of lashing out, Ye wrote another apology letter and offered to meet with the members of London’s Jewish community.
Even France — not particularly known for its philosemitism — is too disgusted with Kanye’s past to allow him a toehold, with Marseille’s mayor, Benoît Payan, saying no way.
“I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unabashed Nazism,” Payan said. “Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome, our temple of community and home to all Marseillais.”
And French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez vowed to examine “all possibilities” to ensure the cancellation of the show.
Now instead of fighting for the chance to perform in France, Ye said he actually gets it.
“After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice,” he posted Wednesday on X. “I know it takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends.”
Ye’s apology tour kicked off with a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal apologizing for his abhorrent behavior that inflicted incalculable harm on the global Jewish community. After promising to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” he released a song called “Heil Hitler” and marketed T-shirts emblazoned with the swastika.
Then Ye sat down with a famed Kabbalist in NYC, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto. The two held hands as the rapper talked of his struggles with mental illness and apologized for his behavior.
Next came London and Marseille.
Kanye is right. It will take a lot of work to demonstrate his sincerity to the Jewish community. So here’s a thought, Ye: Donating the proceeds from your Nazi T-shirt business to Jewish charities will go a long way to building trust, putting your money where your mouth is.
But it looks like Kanye is getting the message — with the humble acceptance of a potential French ban marking another step in the right direction.