The rapper Kanye West has never been a stranger to scandal, but this time he refused to let the headlines write his narrative. Having faced a tornado of fan and media backlash for a performance on July 12 in China, where the iconic rapper and producer played, among other things, his hit “I Love It,” West has issued a rare public response, and he’s not holding back.
The show, which drew more than 70,000 spectators, quickly started trending on social media as complaints began to emerge. From gripes about sound quality and stage setup to choruses of “Refund!” chanted by a beleaguered audience, the overall disappointment was loud. Accounts described the event as a mess, with Ye reportedly showing up late or performing a subpar set, according to some reports. But as far as Kanye and his camp are concerned, nothing could be further from the truth.
Kanye’s team had some strong words in a statement issued steadfastly after the show. “To ensure the quality of the performance, Ye arrived at the stadium before 3:00 PM on July 12,” the statement said, citing surveillance footage as evidence. “The concert was originally scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM, but due to on-site equipment issues, troubleshooting and adjustments continued until 8:00 PM and still failed to reach optimal condition.”
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But despite the challenges, Kanye decided to proceed. “Out of respect for the audience’s passion and anticipation, Ye made the decision to go on stage and perform despite the imperfect setup,” he added, countering, accusing the installation of being a dog and pony show for world leaders. “Therefore, claims of Ye being late are entirely untrue,” the statement continued. The controversy also closely followed Ye’s cancellation from a Slovakian festival, which courted backlash from fans and artists who protested his booking on the bill. That situation escalated somewhat quietly, but the incident in Shanghai led to a rare instance of public, face-to-face media engagement from the artist, an interview that he typically eschews.
While the internet can’t agree, Kanye West is not bullshitting. In an industry where perception often trumps reality, Ye is countering what he considers a distortion of what actually took place that night. As usual, there’s an unavoidable sense of polarization surrounding Kanye’s every move, and the defiant statement he makes here will only add to the ongoing debate about his art, his decisions, and his undeniable impact on world music culture.
