Kanye West, now legally known as Ye, has addressed growing calls for him to be barred from appearing at a major UK festival after a series of previous antisemitic remarks.
West is booked to headline Wireless Festival in London this July, a decision that has prompted a review by the UK government over whether he should be allowed to enter the country.
The artist, 48, sparked widespread backlash last year after releasing a track titled ‘Heil Hitler’ and selling T-shirts featuring swastikas. He later issued an apology and said his bipolar disorder contributed to his actions.
With sponsors including Pepsi and Paypal reportedly withdrawing from Wireless, West has now released a statement indicating he is open to meeting members of the British Jewish community.
“I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly,” he said.
“My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace, and love through music.”
The rapper continued: “I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen. I know words aren’t enough – I’ve have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”
Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic and the promoter behind Wireless, also defended the decision to keep West on the line-up as a headliner.
He said on Monday that Wireless is “not giving him [West] a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions.”
Benn continued: “I am a deeply committed anti-fascist and have been all my adult life. I lived on a kibbutz for many months in the 1970s that was attacked on 7 October, am a pro-Jew and the Jewish state, while being equally committed to a Palestinian state.
“What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community, the prime minister and others that have commented and – taking him at his word – to Ye now also.”