Kanye West is facing more consequences as a result of antisemitic comments that he’s made in recent weeks. The rapper is no longer being represented by the booking agency Creative Arts Agency, according to Deadline. And, United Talent Agency, a rival of CAA that previously worked with West, is also speaking out against the musician, with the company’s co-founder and CEO Jeremy Zimmer asking his employees to “support the boycott of Kanye West,” according to Variety.
Deadline is also reporting that MRC is not going forward with a completed documentary on West because the company “cannot support any content that amplifies his platform.” And West has apparently lost the counsel of attorney Camille Vasquez, who will not work him because he’s not backed down from his antisemitic statements, according to TMZ.
Since his antisemitic remarks, which included tweeting his intention to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” West has lost access to his Instagram and Twitter accounts. An appearance on the unscripted series The Shop: Uninterrupted was also pulled, as “he used The Shop to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes,” according to the show’s producer. In addition, Balenciaga cut ties with the rapper and designer, and West is reportedly having his music streamed less and played less often on the radio.
After working with West for a number of years, Adidas has said its partnership with the musician is “under review,” but the company is now facing renewed pressure to cut ties with West wholesale. In an open letter to Adidas executives, Jonathan A. Greenblatt—CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League—wrote, “We urge Adidas to reconsider supporting the Ye product line and to issue a statement making clear that the Adidas company and community has no tolerance whatsoever for antisemitism.”
Another former West ally, ex-wife Kim Kardashian, tweeted today, “Hate speech is never OK or excusable. I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.” West’s former sister-in-law Khloé Kardashian also wrote on social media, “I support my Jewish friends and the Jewish people.”
Amid the backlash against West and his antisemitic remarks, a group of apparent neo-Nazis displayed a banner on a Los Angeles freeway that read, “Kanye is right about the Jews,” as the Los Angeles Times notes. Following the demonstration, Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles tweeted:
And George Gascón, Los Angeles County’s district attorney, tweeted, “We cannot tolerate the #AntiSemitism that was on full display today on an LA Fwy. #WhiteSupremacy is a societal cancer that must be excised. This message is dangerous & cannot be normalized. I stand with the Jewish community in condemning this disgusting behavior.”
While the development precedes Kanye West’s antisemitic outbursts, recent reporting from Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times indicates that the artist is no longer signed with Def Jam Recordings. His own label, G.O.O.D. Music, is also no longer affiliated with Def Jam, according to The New York Times.
West had previously indicated he fulfilled his label obligations with his 10th solo studio album, Donda. “Everybody that supposedly cared for me knew I had 10 contracts,” West said on Drink Champs last year. “Oh, I’m off of it now, but what I’m saying is, I signed contract after contract after contract after contract.”
West’s relationship with Def Jam and parent company Universal Music Group has been contentious for a number of years. The rapper sued UMG, Def Jam, and Roc-A-Fella Records, as well as publisher EMI in 2019. (The suit against EMI was settled the next year.) He also tweeted out his label contracts in 2020 amid a dispute with UMG.
Last week, Universal Music Group tweeted, “There is no place for antisemitism in our society. We are deeply committed to combating antisemitism & every other form of prejudice. We’re proud to continue our partnership with @AJCGlobal to educate about anti-Jewish hate & how to combat it.”
Representatives for Def Jam have not responded to requests for comment from Pitchfork.