A coincidence, perhaps. A few weeks before the release of his new album, American rapper Kanye West apologized on Tuesday, December 26, to the Jewish community, a year after anti-Semitic remarks which had caused outrage.

“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any outrage caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to shock or disrespect and I truly regret any pain I may have caused,” it is written on his Instagram account in Hebrew, while Vultures, his new opus, is due to be released on January 12.

The rapper, who goes by Ye, says he wants to work on the issue and “learn from this experience to have more sensitivity and understanding in the future.” A statement welcomed with caution by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a major American group fighting anti-Semitism. “Actions will speak louder than words, but this first act of contrition is welcome,” commented the association on minds with vicious anti-Semitism and hatred.”

The end of lucrative commercial contracts with major brands

In the fall of 2022, Kanye West, who says he suffers from bipolar disorder, made several outings of an anti-Semitic nature. In an interview a year ago, he said he saw “positive things also about Hitler”, “we need to stop insulting the Nazis all the time. (…) I love the Nazis. »

Shortly before, the rapper had displayed the slogan White Lives Matter during a parade in Paris, hijacking the name of the anti-racist movement Black Lives Matter. He also went to a dinner with Donald Trump in the presence of a white supremacist.

Kanye West then saw his Twitter account suspended for “incitement to violence”, after the publication of an image representing a swastika intertwined with a Star of David – his account has since been reinstated by the social network which became X.

In the process, the clothing brand Adidas decided to break off their collaboration, one of the most successful in the world of fashion, notably with the Yeezy sneaker collection. The American ready-to-wear chain Gap and fashion house Balenciaga had also cut ties. He wrote in March that watching actor Jonah Hill in the film 21 Jump Street made him “love Jews again.”