“I miss the old Kanye”
Rapper Kanye West has lost many fans as he’s recently been under fire for his antisemitic comments and controversial actions. As a result, many brands associated with West have dropped their contracts with him, no longer wanting to be associated with his problematic past.
Mr. West has been known to cause a stir in the public eye. One of the first instances displaying his radical behavior was his embarrassment of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift during the VMA’S after she won an award for “Best Video by a Female Artist.” West stated, “I’mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!” This diss was a very infamous moment in American pop culture and would later play into the villainous role of Kanye West today.
His discography has been praised by many fans and artists alike. He created hit albums like “Graduation,” and “Donda,” an album most notably named after his late mother, Donda West, who played a large role in the outcome of his life.
Donda had a very large impact on his mental health simply by encouraging his self-confidence. Her motivation made a difference in him both as a person and in his work. After the passing of his mother in 2007, due to surgery complications, West’s mental health went into a downward spiral. West blamed himself for his mother’s untimely death, stating in an interview with Q magazine, “If I had never moved to L.A. she’d be alive.”
Donda West wasn’t the only woman in his life that had a large effect on him. Kim Kardashian, an American socialite, began a relationship with West in 2011, and then later married West in 2014. Their marriage lasted till 2021 and the couple raised four children together. Kardashian later denounced their relationship in the media, stating, “How did this last this long?”
The overwhelming guilt from his mother’s passing, mixed with the stress of his recent divorce would lead West to participate in controversial events marking the end of his career.
Some of these events include wearing “White Lives Matter” shirts alongside Republican political activist Candace Owens and making antisemitic comments on social media. West went on Twitter to declare he’ll go “death con 3” on Jewish people. CNN added to the heat, revealing West’s concerning “obsession” with the infamous Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler. This led brands like Adidas and Balenciaga to drop their contracts with West, and also social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to block him.
Why is West such a problematic person? His mental health may be the answer.
West is a person that suffers from bipolar disorder, a mental illness that causes “dramatic shifts in a person’s mood” and encourages the participation of “risky behavior.” West, like many other people suffering from mental illness, chooses not to take his medication, in fear that it will change who he is as a person. As a result, West has caused the downfall of his career.
What does this say about West and his mental health?
Before his controversies, he was an aspiring artist, producing beats for albums like “Down to Earth” and songs like “You Made Me.” But even before that, he was a son. More specifically an only child to Donda West. She was the mother that encouraged him to express himself through poetry. She was the mother that stood beside him as his manager during his musical career. She was the mother that provided him with the motivation to pursue his dreams even when faced with adversity. And although she was what initially made Kanye ‘Kanye’, ultimately, her death began the beginning to the end of his career.
West is a troubled soul. He is a man dealing with the struggles of being an artist and a father, all while coping with the loss of his mother. He couldn’t handle the vivid reality of the world and suffered from the ailment that is Bipolar Disorder. So, because of his decision to deal with his mental health on his own, without help from professionals and his loved ones, he made a terrible mistake that changed the fate of the rest of his career. And for that, I MISS THE OLD KANYE.
