Nick Cave has defended his fondness of Kanye West after the rapper went on an anti-semitic tirade on X over the past week.
Cave had previously stated that he hoped to play Kanye’s song ‘I Am God’ at his funeral. Just a few days after this statement the rapper took to X to post a series of racist, pro-Nazi and anti-semitic comments. He also revealed plans to sell a swastika t-shirt through his Yeezy brand.
Following the storm of controversy West’s comments had caused Nick Cave responded to fan letters through his blog The Red Hand Files. A fan had responded to Cave’s funeral song pick, asking the singer “How the hell can you listen to the song without seeing the scum of a human being that Kanye has become?”
Cave started his response acknowledging the letters he had received over the past few days: “A lot of time and energy has been spent explaining the evil of Nazism, the harm of antisemitism, why it is wrong to sell t-shirts emblazoned with swastikas and why it is unacceptable to coerce one’s girlfriend into standing naked on the red carpet at the Grammys.”
“On that matter, it seems, we can all find some common ground.”
He continues explaining that he does not believe art can be separated from the artist because “An artist and their art are fundamentally intertwined because art is the essence of the artist made manifest. The artist’s work proclaims, “This is me. I am here. This is what I am.”
Cave says he believes the “great gift of art” is the ability for artists to turn their “interior chaos” into something beautiful.
“This is what Kanye does. This is what I strive to do, and this is the enterprise undertaken by all genuine artist” Cave explains. “In his brokenness, Kanye is an exemplar par excellence of this notion, the braided dance between sin, transcendence and genius.”
Cave condemns people for feeling morally superior to Kanye as he believes that “given the circumstances, we humans are capable of anything.” Therefore we should not hold ourselves higher than anyone.
Cave finishes his statement saying: “As odious and disappointing as many of Kanye’s views are, and as sickening as antisemitism is… I endeavour to seek beauty wherever it presents itself. In doing so, I am reluctant to invalidate the best of us in an attempt to punish the worst. I don’t think we can afford that luxury.”
Kanye’s controversial rampage included posts praising Hitler, declaring himself a Nazi and expressing his hatred and distrust of Jewish people. Posts also included racist remarks such as “slavery is a choice” and “stereotypes exist for a reason". As well as this, West claimed “dominion” over his wife along with other sexist remarks saying shaming plus-size models.
Most controversially West expressed support for rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs who has been accused of sexual assault and rape of numerous women, some being minors.
Kanye's account was deactivated the day after he had made these posts and was later reactivated three days later after the rapper deleted the posts.
The rapper had previously apologised for his past anti-semitism after watching Jewish actor Jonah Hill, though it seems now he has rescinded this apology.
