Kanye West is facing backlash once again – this time for wearing a black hood similar to those associated with the Ku Klux Klan to his Vultures album listening party.
The US rapper initially showed up to the bash, dubbed the “Vultures Rave,” Monday night with a garment covering his face. He later changed into the pointy black hood as the controversial title track for the album played.
In the song, West, 46, addresses allegations of his past antisemitic behaviour, rapping, “How I’m antisemitic? I just f**ked a Jewish bitch.”
The outfit choice, mixed with the vexed lyric, shocked many social media users, who called the rapper “disgusting” and “sick.”
“Kanye wearing a KKK hood and Black people are sitting idly by. F**k him and his music bro,” one person tweeted.
“Just a remark that Kanye West is a[n] anti Semite. He hates the Jews and wants them dead. He abuses women. He is a disgusting human being,” another alleged.
“This isn’t the first time of kanye doing a reference about the kkk, why are y’all shocked,” a third wrote.
Another fan shot down claims that West was actually fighting against white supremacist ideals by wearing the hood, writing, “Kanye is at his listening party full of rapists and abusers after his full year of antisemitism and his fans want me to believe that him wearing a pointy hood is to convey a positive message.”
Meanwhile, others found it even more disturbing that West’s 10-year-old daughter, North (whom he shares with ex Kim Kardashian), was up on stage with him at the time. Also present at the event: Australian basketballer Liz Cambage, who was photographed holding hands with North.
“North looks so uncomfortable with Kanye wearing a KKK mask,” someone else chimed in. “Get her off the stage bro.”
“Kanye West wearing black KKK hat at his listening party with his daughter behind him,” another wrote.
Although North was the only one of West’s children to take the stage, his daughter Chicago, 5, and son Saint, 8, were also in attendance and spotted in the crowd with the rapper’s new wife, Australian woman Bianca Censori.
It appears West and Kardashian’s youngest child, 4-year-old son Psalm, did not attend the party.
While West’s decision to don the hood seemed especially jarring given his past “White Lives Matter” rants, this isn’t the first time he has pulled upon the disturbing imagery.
West’s 2013 music video for the song Black Skinhead also featured people wearing the black hoods.
Along with West’s family, several other big rappers such as Ty Dolla $ign, Playboi Carti, Offset, Lil Durk, Chris Brown and Kodak Black were also in attendance.
This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission