Thursday was a big day for Kanye West. I imagine he waltzed out of his Wyoming Dome, looked up at the bright Wyoming Sun, then he saw his shadow and decided that meant six more weeks of Yeezy designing. No, but seriously, Kanye was named the highest-paid musician in the world, according to Forbes. Forbes released their Celebrity 100, the highest-earning celebrities in the past year – to be exact, this isn’t “taxable income for the year 2019.” This is Forbes’ special methodology and it’s not calculated by calendar year. Kylie Jenner was actually the highest-paid celebrity overall because she sold off a controlling stake in Kylie Cosmetics. Kanye is #2 on the list, having made about $170 million over the same period, the bulk of which comes from his mega-lucrative Yeezy line. For what it’s worth, Taylor Swift came in at #25, with $63.5 million earned over the same period. She did that without touring – that figure is just music sales and sponsorships.
So, long story short, Kanye is now worth $1.3 billion overall by Forbes’ estimates. And all of it happened because he hitched his wagon to the MAGA train, right? He believed in Donald Trump and sold his soul to white supremacy, and he was rewarded with riches and domes. Maybe he misses his soul. Maybe he’s trying to buy it back?
Kanye West’s giving a huge assist to the families and legal teams fighting for Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd … and helping in other ways too.
Kanye’s donated $2 million, so far, to the cause and set up a 529 college savings fund to fully cover tuition for Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Gianna. He’s also made a separate donation to cover the legal costs for the Arbery and Taylor families. Along with that, a rep confirms Kanye’s donating to several black-owned businesses in his hometown of Chicago and nationwide that have been in crisis and impacted by the unrest in the U.S.
As you know … widespread protests and riots have broken out since Floyd was killed in police custody on May 25. The demonstrations are a demand for an end to systematic racism and police brutality … of which the killings of Arbery and Taylor are also prime examples.
It’s nice. Those families can take his money and we can all say that it was a nice thing to do and we’re glad that Kanye is supporting those families and those businesses. And then we can go right back to cancelling him, right? Because right after he cut those checks, he slipped back into the Dome and reapplied his MAGA hat.
(Kanye was actually in Chicago yesterday at a BLM protest, sans MAGA hat, huh.)
KANYE WEST PROTESTING IN THE STREETS OF CHICAGO pic.twitter.com/0UxWODt6NU
— Ⓜ️ (@WashedMel) June 5, 2020
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.
That’s all great and all, but I don’t really care until he comes out and denounces Trump and apologizes for all the BS he has participated in in the last 4 years.
I will believe all of this when the families confirm they have a received a check and post the Thank-You Note on Instagram.
I am with you Tampa Bay. I want to see a legit bank deposit receipt.
And someone on Twitter yesterday said yesterday that they noticed Ye has said anything….and thanked him for it. 😊
Same, I’ll believe it when I see it.
As long as Kayne is helping Trump , try to bring Jim Crow. He ain’t to trust.
Seriously I do not GAF about the money. That is absolutely NOTHING to him and does not remotely touch the damage he’s done.
I’m so thankful kanye hasn’t said a word.
So thankful@!
As a black woman, he gets no claps or a cookie from me. F@ck this MAGA POS. I doubt he did it out of the goodness of his heart. I’m guessing he was probably being pressured to do something. Poor thing, must’ve been so hard for him to be around so many black people who aren’t millionaires.
I’m sorry.. I despise this misogynist POS.
I agree, I don’t see him disavowing Trump, taking off his MAGA hat and joining reality. He’s just doing this because somebody made him.
I find it so interesting that he was so quick to jump up and say that Bush hates black people (which, was a completely fair statement) and yet manages to have nothing to say now when we’re seeing such a wildly out of control administration blatantly stomping on constitutional rights.
Yep. If you’re too gutless to stand up and be counted, then do everyone a favour and feck off.
Totally agree. This is a PR stunt for Kanye and until there’s an actual receipt shown I won’t believe he donated this amount of money or any actual money.
And don’t be sorry, POS like Kanye should be despised.
Yes, this was very nice but this and him protesting are nothing! His actions the past few years show more about how he really feels. Funny, people complain about Taylor Swift, how she said nothing in the past and only the last year or so she has started to make comments, how too late. Well, I hope these same people realize, while this was a great thing he did, it does not change the fact he is a MAGA idiot!
As long as he supports a white nationalist president who wants to use the military to attack US citizens, Kanye West doesn’t care about black people.
Money can’t wipe his soul and conscience clean.
That’s great. But until he recognizes he’s part of the problem for supporting Trump, it’s not enough.
Exactly
He is at the protest for what exactly?
he’s there so he can tell the Black community he’s one of them and supports them – look I donated to college funds for the children and I went to a protest march so, please, when July 7 rolls around, forget about all my MAGA nonsense & make sure you remember that I’m black so you can buy my products as part of your show of financial support to black-owned businesses.
He helped usher in this mess. He’s a two-faced ego goblin who just a few weeks ago bragged about being a billionaire. His money isn’t enough. Not when he’s called slavery a choice. Not when he has praised and supported Trump. Not when he has not used his voice for anything outside of lining his own pockets with the black community’s money as they die calling out for their mamas under the knee of a proxy Trump.
Yup. Plus didn’t he just say he was going to vote for Trump this year? This dude has admitted to NEVER voting in his life but now feels it necessary to go out and vote for the worst president in American history. Ok Kanye.
I am completely annoyed he’s here in Chicago. I hope he doesn’t pull focus from the incredible organizers that have been doing the work on the ground and supporting their communities
speaking of gianna–there is a video of her with her uncle ( I think it’s George Floyd’s brother) and she is saying “Daddy changed the world.” And it made me sob. I cannot fathom my father being murdered over $20. I don’t know what we’ve been doing all this time
It’s just a dishonest attempt to redeem his image.He could have apologized for his problematic behavior over the past 3 years towards the black community and the other communities that hurt him with his political views and his church. But he preferred to buy his forgiveness with his money, reason for which he made non anonymous donations.
Nope. Performative. I mean, imagine the people who were calling Ben and Ana performative applauding this. I would laugh. Ben actually isn’t MAGAT, so…
This is actually IMO offensive.
For sure, he did nice things for their families. I don’t understand how he would go protesting and then support Trump, though, where the hell is the logic in that? Nope, still cancelled.
Sorry this is gross – after YEARS of spewing MAGA talking points, now he is trying to win PR points? what an ass.
I think George’s daughter will be well taken care of. I mean aren’t they going to sue for millions? They should. Now way they would lose that case…at least I hope not. I guess time will tell if those officers will actually serve time.
Today is Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday. I am wrote that in the present tense because she should be here.
Here is what I am doing:
Calling Louisville DA office
Calling Louisville police Dept.
Donating to fund set up for her family.
Saying her name and the names of other black woman who have lost their life to murder by police.
Doing what I can to make sure she is not forgotten and her murderers be brought to justice.
I’m asking that you all rise up and do what you can. These women’s death should not be a forgotten news cycle.
He and his famewhore wife should keep their blood money. Both of them selfishly and shamelessly profit off their connection to the monster who is making everything about this tragedy a hundred times worse.
And let’s not even get started about how much she and the rest or her family constantly co-op and try to capitalize and monetize black culture but are curiously silent the minute someone asks them to actually stand up for them.
He has a lot of fucking gall showing up to a protest after the shit he’s said and the way he STILL supports the good in the WH.
He gets no cookies for this from me. He threw our community under the bus and walked with the devil in a red hat. He wrote a check to the families? Great. That doesn’t absolve him of ANY of the crap he has said and done leading up to this moment.
Frankly all Im glad about is that he has kept his mouth SHUT. That’s truly the only think black people want from him at this point. To just stfu.
2M for what? He is part of the problem being an open trump supporter and wearing the maga red cap to show public support. I dont see him anywhere showing public support for the black lives matter cause and speaking words besides flaunting his money… as usual.
I am NOT endeared by the gesture but I am happy for the floyd family.
The donation to the families is good as far as it goes — which isn’t far enough. He was recently bragging about getting a $60 million tax cut thanks to Trump, so he gave the families 1/30th of that. Not exactly a big sacrifice.
Talking out of both sides of his mouth — marching in a Floyd protest while continuing to support Trump, who is calling the protestors “terrorists” — isn’t going to wear well.
When I listen to his early music, I’m reminded of how much he USED TO have to say about race relations in America and how relevant and important so much of it was. Kanye USED TO be great. I saw a tweet somebody made into a meme, it said he used to be Kanye West, but he’s Kanye Kardashian now and he sold his soul. I agree. He’s still canceled as far as I’m concerned. You don’t get to be the guy who says slavery was a choice and then try to redeem yourself by donating money. A vocal supporter of Candace Owens but now you want to throw your money around? Ehhh. I’m not buying it. Happy these families are getting financial support, though.
If the money is true, great. But I agree he has a LOT more work to do, and first step is denouncing Trump.
As performative as his wife and archangel-of-death Trump himself. Take a damned seat.
From a USA Today report:
“Kanye West appearance at Chicago protest results in disorder
Kanye West joined public protests Thursday night in response to the death of George Floyd. The rapper appeared in Chicago at a “Justice for George Floyd/CPD out of CPS” rally on city’s South Side.
Organizers with Good Kids Mad City told USA TODAY that West called them yesterday and said he wanted to join a protest. But the orderly rally devolved as West got out of a black SUV wearing a face mask and a hoodie.
Organizers became frustrated with the disorder. Taylore Norwood, 20, grabbed a megaphone and told the crowd that this Chicago march was a youth-led protest and that she didn’t want a “celebrity” hijacking it.
– Grace Hauck”
I think the kids are all right. So many young people that are authentically brave, full of integrity and fire. They don’t take Kanye’s bs.
And yet, he remains a tRump humper.
Can’t have it both ways.
Also, why didn’t he give to Philando Castile’s fiancee? We all saw him bleed to death from a cop’s bullet.
I couldn’t figure out how he made the list after being in so much debt a few years ago, then it clicked… it’s that freaking church/tax scam he set up