Who Made Kanye (Ye) Hate Himself?

Rapper’s promotion of white nationalist ideas didn’t come out of nowhere

Photo by Sora

There’s a new documentary out about Kanye West (now known as Ye,) In Whose Name?. I won’t be watching it. At this point, I refuse to watch or buy anything that carries his name.

It’s strange to admit, because I used to be a Kanye West fan. I bought his first two albums. They were different. They were unique. It was rap, but not the same tired gangster tropes. He had something real to say. He was a skilled writer and poet. But who was the real Kanye?

Over time, that Kanye vanished. What’s been left in his place is harder to recognize: a man spiraling through mental health struggles while embracing white supremacy and Christian fundamentalism. Those two forces, unfortunately, often walk hand in hand.

Dangerous Whispers

The documentary traces the past four or five years of West’s unraveling. It highlights the people whispering in his ear — figures like Candace Owens, who built a platform as an African American who promoted anti-Black rhetoric, and Charlie Kirk, a poster child for white Christian nationalism.

“Later, around 2019, we see West sitting for a strategy session with pundit Candace Owens and conservative activist Charlie…