[22] The Artist Defines the Art.

An Op-Ed that reflects on two years of controversy that's switched my opinion (presented in [6]) — you can't really separate art from its artist. This was published in the Choate News as my last article for the publication.

Never meet your heroes. But given the unprecedented ease to interact with influential individuals, it's become almost impossible to avoid those we idolize. Being in the spotlight had once been an asset for Kanye West, giving context to his music and flaunting his bold personality. And yet, as per his unwillingness to address the absurdity of his public statements, I’m not sure I have any “He made Graduation”-s left to spare for West. 

1 THROUGH THE WIRE

The metric for an artwork’s worth has remained undefined. The price of a painting and the fame of a figure may hint at how "good" an artwork is, but it fails to fully encapsulate its imprint on human culture. That lack of definition exists because taste is subjective. In other words, the traits that someone might look for in a work of art will vary person to person. And yet, regardless of which trait someone might choose to prioritize (e.g., technical skill, cultural relevance, commercial success, critical prestige), an absolute non-negotiable in art is that it should make you feel something. To me, what separates a good artist from a great artist lies within their capability to resonate with their audience. To stir the soul. 

Back in 2002, a car crash sent a twenty-five-year-old Roc-A-Fella Records music producer Kanye West to the hospital. His jaw was shattered and, as a result, West had his “mouth wired shut” — and yet, the young talent rapped and recorded the hit single “Through the Wire.” 

Not only did the song revolutionize “chipmunk soul,” a sampling style of increasing the pitch and tempo of classic R&B songs, but West’s story of perseverance also stunned me. West’s discography is chock-full of lore that’s developed his psyche over three decades. His fear that his daughter may fall victim to exploitative men like himself. His faith as he yearns for God’s love whilst questioning the pain he’s faced. His guilt of being a customer of the industry of blood diamonds. West’s willingness to seek atonement, earnestly reflect, and unabashedly express himself drew me ever so closer to him and his music. 

2 SHAKESPEARE IN THE FLESH

But it would be dishonest to paint West’s career as marked purely with inspiration and goodwill. Rather, throughout his time in the limelight, West has been regarded as a villain by many. To most, it begins at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where West interrupted emerging singer Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech. 

West was criticized by publications and peers alike, but he was able to quickly make a resurgence in popularity after an intensive production process for his follow-up album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. And Kanye West delivered. With collaborations with some of the hottest names in the music industry (a Rihanna, an Elton John, a John Legend) and a contender for the greatest production on any album ever, West both bathes in solemn reflection and boasts his trademark egotistical flair. 

Despite continued reservations about his loud personality, West’s success in both his illustrious discography and fashion endeavors makes clear that fans were willing to turn a blind eye to the faults of their favorite rapper. In fact, as West’s career spiraled into constant controversy, both fans and West himself embraced it. West’s courage to rant his mind in spite of the consequences and capability to walk their talk was admirable. And West? He liked the publicity that came with the controversy. 

3 I MISS THE OLD KANYE

But such instances of controversy seem jovial in comparison to the recent bombardment of hateful sentiment. Shortly after the release of the album Donda (named after West’s late mother) and his divorce from media personality Kim Kardashian, West debuted “White Lives Matter” apparel at his fashion show. 

Instead of getting away with the controversy he had sparked, West suffered the blunt consequences — Adidas and Balenciaga terminated ties with the fashion designer, frequent collaborators Pusha T and Kid Cudi severed ties with the musician, and Instagram and X restricted the social media merchant. West’s statements were founded on hate so blatant that it seemed as if it were an exaggerated publicity stunt. But when West doubled down on X to spew antisemitic rhetoric, it became clear that this was more than what West’s career could handle.

Or was it? Last year, West released two new studio albums titled Vultures 1 and Vultures 2, with the single Carnival peaking at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. These albums made clear that West had no intentions of withdrawing his intolerant stance. He released clothing with logos resembling the coat of arms of the German Reich, contemplating using a Caspar David Friedrich painting whose work was used to promote German nationalism during WW2, and writing lyrics that teased not-so-subtle antisemitism. 

Despite public scrutiny for his hateful rhetoric, West has managed to maintain his stardom. Is this proof that art can be separated from the artist? To an extent, it’s clear that the people who haven’t considered their support for West were indifferent to his image in the first place. They hadn’t taken the step to appreciate how West’s music mirrored his complicated personality, and so this turn of events wouldn’t (and couldn’t) change their view on West. 

As for those more invested in West’s art as a vessel of his persona, they have attributed West's antisemitism to shallow-minded bigotry or bipolar disorder-induced mania. But, to me, that's not quite convincing enough — it doesn't make sense for West to risk his entire career on rhetoric that seemingly came out of nowhere. 

Perhaps West wants to prove to himself that he is untouchable through these frail, pathetic attempts to get people talking about him. He praises himself when he manages to strike a win, and he blames others for his circumstances when things don’t go his way. For instance, West took to X to complain about “being betrayed” by his family, his peers, and “the Black community.” As a fan, it infuriates me that West is not only burning bridges with potential musical collaborators but also failing to take accountability for his actions (as he had throughout previous controversies). The art no longer resonates with me. There is no deserved victory lap, no enlightening self-exploration, no desire for innovation — for whatever reason, all that remains is his hate, and that is certainly not art. 

While it’s impossible to determine whether or not West had held such hateful beliefs long before he made them public in 2022, the absence of blatantly hateful remarks in his earlier work preserves the rest of his discography for me. Going forward, I’m skeptical of whether or not I can even call myself a fan of Kanye West — beyond the evident moral complications of supporting an antisemite, it’s become clear to me that West is (for the moment) no longer invested in creating meaningful art.