Kanye Krazy III | Kyle Kim

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are not representative of Pulse Magazine, CCA, or SDUHSD, as a whole.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Despite his chart-topping hits, critically-acclaimed status, and widespread cultural omnipotence, Kanye West may have finally reached the end. While he has somehow overcome controversy after controversy in the past, the last couple of weeks presents an unprecedented set of circumstances for the rapper/producer extraordinaire. Never before have more supporters turned against him, nor has he ever cut more ties with his closest friends.

But first, here’s a quick rundown. In the past two weeks alone, he debuted a “White Lives Matter” shirt at his fashion show, conducted an interview with Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, posted abhorrent, anti-Semitic comments on social media, perpetuated harmful conspiracy theories about the nature of George Floyd’s death, made plans to purchase the conservative social media site Parler, and met up with former President Donald Trump. And that’s just the most controversial, headlining information.

So, what happened? Did West finally go insane, showing his unbridled, “off the meds” self to the public? Is this all an elaborate show, with an album announcement just around the corner? Is he just another rich, bored, and misguided public figure, hungry for another 15 minutes of fame? It’s hard to say. After all, with the thousands upon thousands of previously loyal followers turning on him through his shenanigans, it’s unclear what his underlying motivations and intentions are.

And now, what’s next? Will Kanye rebound with a “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”-esque album, breaking down any misconceptions about his character through his sheer artistic ability? Probably not, considering his most recent record of “Donda 2,” as well as his features throughout the past year, have been suboptimal to say the least. Will he pull a Tyler, The Creator, moving past his controversies through clear character growth? Again, not very likely, as his controversial opinions can’t be chalked up to youthful ignorance or negatively-influential authority figures. Or will he go radio silent, letting time erase his mistakes through a fast-moving news and entertainment cycle? Maybe so, given his track record with the Donda rollout.

In any case, West’s now seemingly frequent antics are proving to be somewhat of a case study on the dangerous consequences of modern media on a modern artist. Having access to millions of adoring fans at a moment's notice has seemingly been his downfall, as his most unfiltered thoughts are blasted into the world without regard. On the flip side, the media’s coverage of West has been a major source of complaint from the artist, creating a seemingly never-ending cycle of back and forth about the portrayal of the rapper’s character and intentions.

All in all, it’s no secret that West has been a major source of controversy since the inception of his career, causing headline after headline through his fearlessness towards criticism and his strong, almost egotistical, belief in his own ideas. However, this most recent set of controversies shows a clear shift away from simply expressing his opinions and towards the perpetuation of radical, harmful conspiracies that only serve to slander his own name and detriment those who believe him.