From a college dropout, to living his dreams, with 12 studio albums, 64 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and his successful fashion brand “Yeezy” – Kanye West has established himself as a star. Yet, people’s views on him have changed over these past few years. From antisemitism to blatant racism, West has also made himself a controversial artist through his actions, creating a dilemma for his fans, and is now facing the consequences.
Should one support him, his music and his other ventures, or should one stray away from him altogether due to his personal choices and views? One of the biggest debates in the modern industry of music is separating the art from its artist. Is this possible? Additionally, if it is, would it be morally correct? Or, does this make one a bad person?
Separating the art from the artist has become an rising topic these past few years. With constant stories coming out every week, it is possible that most students will have changed perspectives on different artists. The topic of separating these ideologies from each other has become increasingly complicated, with many arguments and points contradicting each other. Therefore, due to the complex nature of the question, there is no one set answer. Yet, there are still many opinions to dissect and observe, as there are many debates on this topic.
“When you hear about slavery for 400 years . . . for 400 years? That sounds like a choice,” Kanye said. This singular quote changed a lot of people’s opinions on this artist, starting a predicament. Should one continue listening to his music, or back away due to his comment?
On one side, one may say that it doesn’t matter. By choosing to listen to the music, you are able to enjoy his art without supporting him. Yet, the latter is also a contradiction. By listening to his music, you are still supporting him no matter what, with streaming and choosing to listen to his controversial tracks. This is the other side of the argument.
“Kanye’s music usually doesn’t connect with his controversial views, but when it does, I’m not entirely sure if it’s morally right,” said Sereen Guirguis (10).
Another example is Doja Cat. Recently, Doja Cat released her new album Scarlet, with major backlash caused by the rollout that came with it. She’d posted on her Instagram with a shirt that includes a photo of a Nazi, and replied to fans in a manner in which most don’t like. She claims to have never said anything about hating her fans.
“One thing I do want to kind of set straight is that you’ll never see a direct quote of me saying I hate my fans. Not once,” Doja said.
Her album does include lyrics related to the controversy she started, starting the question whether or not it is right to willingly listen to a track with her controversial lyrics.
For some people, separating the art from the artist is vital in order to enjoy some works. They think that by choosing to put your morals first, you’d be missing out on amazing art.
“If I were not able to separate the art from the artists, I think I would limit myself a great deal, and life wouldn’t be nearly as interesting,” American opera singer Jessye Norman said.
