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Former employees claim he glorified Hitler for at least 7 years

November 3, 2022

Kanye West is accused of launching pro-Hitler, pro-Nazi workplace rants years before his recent anti-Semitism scandal.

According to a new report from NBC News, the rapper, who goes by the name Ye, paid a settlement to a former factory worker who claimed he saw him praising Adolf Hitler and the Nazis at work meetings. West – who has faced fallout in recent weeks over new anti-Semitic comments – denied the allegations in the settlement agreement, which was obtained by the outlet.

The outlet spoke to this former employee as well as six other people who worked or dealt with West in a professional setting, and they told NBC News they heard West praising Hitler or discussing conspiracy theories about the Jewish people seven years ago. Of the six, three were former employees or aides and three were present when West reportedly confessed his love for the German dictator during a TMZ interview in 2018.

Concept artist Ryder Ripps, who worked with West between 2014 and 2018, was one of those recorded. Ripps, who is Jewish, recalled several occasions when the artist/clothing designer praised Hitler at meetings.

Seven former employees of Kanye West claim he launched into pro-Hitler rants dating back seven years. (Photo: Stéphane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

“He had told me a bunch of bullshit about, like, how ‘Nazis are good at propaganda,'” Ripps told the outlet. He also recalled Ye asking, “‘Aren’t you offended that, for example, I’m interested in Nazis or something?'” while referencing a Jewish employee who was. . He also claimed that West frequently said, “The Jews have the codes.”

Ripp said he would push back on West’s comments, but didn’t think they were dangerous. However, in light of West’s recent anti-Semitic comments, “With this pattern happening and with the doubling and tripling of it all, it’s pretty obvious that this is some sort of disgusting Nazi obsession, hateful and strange.”

Another former employee, who has not been identified but who worked with West for three years, said West would randomly say things like “I even love Hitler” and then look around to see how people were reacting. The former employee said that in a 2018 meeting, West said Hitler “had good qualities” and that he “wasn’t that bad.”

Three former TMZ employees recalled West’s statements about Nazis and Hitler — and spoke about the confrontation with a Jewish producer that followed. One of TMZ’s former staffers said the only response they remembered from West was the “Gold Digger” singer’s smile. They claimed they were instructed by TMZ executive Harvey Levin not to post any of West’s anti-Semitic comments on the website.

West’s rep did not comment on NBC News’ claims for the report. (West has changed his portrayal several times over the past few weeks.)

This is the second report of this type of settlement in the past week. Last Thursday, CNN reported that a corporate executive who worked with West accused him of creating a hostile work environment out of an “obsession” with Hitler, and also received a settlement.

“He would praise Hitler saying how amazing it was that he was able to amass so much power and talk about all the great things he and the Nazi Party did for the German people,” the statement said. unidentified person at this point of sale.

West has publicly made a series of anti-Semitic remarks over the past month, including accusing Jews of a “Holocaust” against black Americans. It all started when West wore a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt, a slogan associated with white supremacists, to the YZY show at Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 3. Shortly after, his Instagram and Twitter accounts were restricted after posting about his intention to go “death [sic] con 3 On the JEWISH PEOPLE.”

West’s Adidas deal was later terminated, reportedly costing him $2 billion. CAA dropped him as a customer, Balenciaga severed ties with him, Gap rushed to pull products from their old offering from stores. Its music streams and broadcast took a nosedive and its Donda Academy closed. He was defiant amid the business cancellations, saying, “We’re here, baby. We’re not going anywhere.”

West, who suffers from bipolar disorder, continues to beat his drum on social media. Three days ago, he posted a photo of Brooklyn Nets NBA player Kyrie Irving, who recently promoted the anti-Semitic film, Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America. West praised Irving, writing, “There are still real ones here.” However, on the final day, Irving apologized for “the negative impact of my post on the Jewish community” and donated $500,000 “to causes and organizations that work to eradicate hate and hatred. intolerance in our communities”. His team matched him.

West’s post praising Irving for supporting the anti-Semitic film remains online.