Kanye West Wears KKK-Style Hood at ‘Vultures’ Listening Party & Fans Are Shocked

Following the Art Basel Miami Beach festivities, Kanye West surprised fans at Wynwood Marketplace early Tuesday morning (Dec. 12) with an album listening party.

During the introduction to his forthcoming joint project with Ty Dolla $ign, titled Vultures, Ye appeared onstage wearing what appears to be a black Ku Klux Klan hood to perform the album’s title track with his 10-year-old daughter North West by his side.

“I ain’t antisemitic / I just f—ed a Jewish b—-,” West rapped during the song, adding to his controversial antisemitic statements from late 2022. Billboard reported in mid-October that Ye and Ty were shopping a joint project to distributors and that West would “make a decision soon.” The set would mark the first release for Ye since his antisemitic comments, which led to Def Jam parent company, Universal Music Group, distancing from the artist.

It’s hardly the first time Ye has promoted racist imagery in public. In October 2022, the rapper wore a long-sleeved shirt with “White Lives Matter” emblazoned on the back while debuting his Yeezy Season 9 collection during Paris Fashion Week.

Following Ye’s decision to wear the black hood onstage, fans took to Twitter to express confusion and frustration over the clothing choice, especially given that he is a Black man and that his daughter was standing next to him. See some of their reactions below.

Rania Aniftos

Billboard