Kanye West was the sound of my middle school years. He played through the speakers at my junior prom, and my friends and I loved just about everything he released.

I may have loved Kanye West, but he’s made it clear recently that he hates me.

Many of West’s past remarks have been regarded as a “joke,” not to be taken seriously, such as in 2020 when he labeled the COVID vaccines the “mark of the beast,” and I’ll admit that I’ve been one to laugh through Kanye’s explosive interviews.

When I opened Twitter on Oct. 8, however, I wasn’t laughing.

Ye has given his influential voice to antisemitism. In a tweet posted shortly before all of his social media accounts were taken down for hate speech he expressed a desire ‘go death con 3 on Jewish people’ and qualified it with a blatantly inaccurate association between African Americans and Jews.

On Oct 24, a Jewish hate group called the Goyim Defense League held a banner over the 405 in Los Angeles reading: “Honk if you know; Kanye West is right about the Jews.”

I think this is when it all became real to me. 

Growing up, I was always taught to be proud of who I am. Upon moving to Lake Forest in seventh grade, where the population of Jewish people is very low, I barely even noticed I was one of the only ones in my classes who would miss school for holidays like Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. 

As I grew older, my naivety dissolved. I began to notice the armed security at my synagogue and the graffitied swastikas that would appear in public areas. 

I, like many others, am tired of the excuses celebrities get for blatant hatred. 

Ye’s supporters are quick to point out his diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, which includes symptoms like delusions, hallucinations, and disturbed or illogical thinking, but this in no way excuses his actions. 

As clinical psychologist Carla Manly put it in an interview with USA Today, “There are many people who don’t have mental health issues who are racist and bigoted. And there are people with mental health issues who are not racist or bigoted. We want to see those as two very different issues.”

So I have stopped listening to West’s music. He used to be one of my favorite artists, but now I feel sick knowing that my streams give money to an artist that truly hates a huge part of my identity.

As one of the most iconic rappers in the world, his die-hard fanbase of over 50 million monthly Spotify listeners remains loyal. I know that the loss of one listener won’t affect him. However, there are signs that people are tired of his act.

West has lost partnerships with massive companies over this controversy, including the Gap, Adidas, Balenciaga, and Foot Locker, totaling over a $2 billion loss. This has also cost him his status as a billionaire. 

Even if you aren’t Jewish, you still have a role to play in combating antisemitism. Kanye West doesn’t deserve anyone’s support.