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Kanye West Addresses Discrimination in Fashion Industry at Concert, Booed by Fans

During his July 4th appearance at London’s Wireless Festival, rap star Kanye West accused major designers of racism and judging him based on his celebrity.

According to Rolling Stone, West earned some negative backlash from the concert goers.

The crowd used cellphones to capture the diatribe on video as Kanye continued, despite the negative blowback.

The content of the rant was nothing new for the “New Slaves” rapper.

He included a jab at sneaker giant Nike and French fashion house Luis Vuitton and claimed that he and super-producer Pharrell Williams have a common problem with fashion designers.

“You know, people be looking at me like I got a problem or something,” Kanye said. “Like I’m uncontrollable or something. Like I don’t do what I’m supposed to. You know, it’s like they want to have everybody so brainwashed.”

He went on to say that “they” are using marketing schemes and mainstream media to control the minds of the masses.

“They want to control everybody, you know, rumors, lies, media, marketing,” he said. “It’s like they want to steal you from you, and sell you back to you after they stole it. They want to make you feel like less than who you really are.”

That’s when he explained that he believes he has been discriminated against during his meetings with major fashion brands.

“When I take these meetings and … people talk to you like you’re stupid or something…I’m not gonna call no names,” he said before proceeding to name the companies he was referencing.

Kanye West talks racism in fashion during latest show “I’m not going to mention Nike or nothing like that,” he said. “I’m not dissing Louis Vuitton, I’m not dissing the Gucci group and s**t. I’m just saying, don’t discriminate against me because I’m a Black man or because I’m a celebrity and tell me that I can create, but not feel. ‘Cause you know damn well there aren’t no Black guys or celebrities making no Louis Vuitton nothing.”

He then referenced his collection of Yeezus shoes that he released with Nike.

According to the father-of-one, executives in the world of fashion are only willing to let a Black man design a few things for the sake of sales. He insists, however, that those select Black men are not allowed to go beyond very restricting boundaries.

“They let Pharrell make those glasses, and we liked them, right?” he asked the crowd. “They let me make those shoes, and we liked them right? And they say, ‘No, no, no, no n****r. Not no more. That’s too much. That’s too much. No, no, no, no, no, no, n****r ,not no more. That’s way too much. That’s way too much. Stay in your place. Do what you get paid to do. Stay in your place. Don’t embarrass yourself trying to chase your dreams. Save face. Save face.’”

He received some praise and cheers throughout the rant, and decided to end it on a high note.

“I just want to be awesome, and I want to hand around my awesome friends and change the f*****g world, and that’s exactly what I plan to do,” he concluded.

Of course, with the rumors of his beef with Jay Z, it is unclear who his “awesome friends” are.

 

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