Kanye West's post about Jonah Hill sparks frenzy online
What's the story
American rapper-singer-songwriter Kanye West, now known as Ye, has made inflammatory statements in recent times that have caused his career to suffer. His anti-Semitic comments and conspiracy theories have landed him in controversies, but he continues to spark debates on various platforms. After being banned in December 2022, Ye recently returned to Instagram and made a post about 21 Jump Street actor Jonah Hill.
Context
Why does this story matter?
With 18M followers on Instagram, Ye is one of the most popular celebrities on social media. His recent post on Hill came after the rapper's suspension from the platform due to an anti-Semitic tirade that went viral last year. Notably, after being suspended in October, he was again locked out in December after sharing a clip of the song Someday We'll All Be Free.
Instagram post
Ye says Hill made him like 'Jewish people again'
On Saturday, Ye took to Instagram to share a post saying that after watching American actor Hill in the film 21 Jump Street (2012), he started liking "Jewish people again." In a long post, he also mentioned that no Christian can be labeled "anti-Semite" after knowing that "Jesus is a Jew." He concluded by thanking Hill and saying that he "loved" the actor.
Reactions
Netizens called rapper's post 'redemption arc'
Ye's recent post sparked a meme fest on social media, and netizens were quick to call the rapper's Instagram post as his "redemption arc." Users also took to Twitter to react with a barrage of hilarious memes. One user said, "All it took was a movie with Jonah hill in it to make Kanye stop being anti-Semitic?" Another user commented Hill has "solved antisemitism."
Did you know
What is anti-Semitism, and what remarks did Ye make?
Antisemitism is defined as a form of discrimination, prejudice, and hatred toward Jewish people. To recall, in October 2022, Ye made a number of public appearances in which he made antisemitic comments and spouted conspiracy theories. Post his comments, he was suspended from Twitter and Instagram. Meanwhile, he happened to wear a "White Lives Matter" t-shirt to Paris Fashion Week on September 26, 2022.
Controversies
Ye's long list of controversies
Despite a successful career, Ye has also been involved in controversies quite often. From the infamous interruption of Taylor Swift's 2009 VMA speech to his meeting with former US President Donald Trump, Ye has long been known for capturing headlines. In addition, Ye has spoken openly about having a mental health condition called bipolar disorder, most recently on his 2019 album Ye.