Controversial rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, has released a new song called ‚Heil Hitler,‘ alongside a militant-style musical video.
The music video for Heil Hitler depicts a group of black men in formation singing ‚Ni**a Heil Hitler‘ multiple times. The men are wearing animal skins and heads.
West also sings „I became a Nazi, I’m the villain.“
At the end of the song, West includes an audio clip of Adolf Hitler giving a speech. The Jerusalem Post identified the clip as taken from Hitler’s 1935 speech at Krupp Factory in Germany. Here, he can be heard saying „[If] you think my work is right, whether you think I have been diligent, that I have worked, that I have dedicated myself to you over the years, that I have used my time decently in the service of my people. Cast your vote now. If „YES,“ then stand up for me, just as I stood up for you!“
There are also several references to his children in the song, including lyrics such as „these people take my kids from me, then they close my bank account, I got so much anger in me, got no way to take it out.“
The release date of the song on Thursday May 8 has received a lot of criticism, given it coincides with VE day which honors the Allied victory over the Nazis.
‚Blatant antisemitism‘
American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch called the song „blatant antisemitism.“
„Ye is profiting off of Jew-hatred, and the music industry needs to step up and speak out against this obscenity.“
Just a day earlier, West published a tweet on X saying, „I love Hitler.“ This joins a long line of antisemitic rants and actions by the US-based rapper.
In March, he attacked Jews for supposedly controlling banks, the media, and minds, saying “Antisemitism is the only path to freedom.“ The month before, he began selling a T-shirt with a Nazi swastika on his clothing brand Yeezy.
