According to videos and photos that the accused rapist shares on social media, the Yeezy designer and him are handing out his controversial 'White Lives Matter' T-shirts to homeless people at Skid Row.
- Oct 19, 2022
AceShowbiz - Kanye West is teaming up with Ian Connor, who is a stylist and associate of the rapper, for his recent antics. According to videos and photos that Ian shared on social media, the "Donda" artist and him were handing out his controversial "White Lives Matter" T-shirts to homeless people in Los Angeles' Skid Row.
Ian, who was previously accused of sexual assault by multiple women, shared on his Twitter account on Sunday night, October 16 a video of them dropping the "load one." In the video, Ian was seen telling the mob that the items were "courtesy of Kanye West."
Also giving more insights into the activity was Donda's Place Instagram account as it posted pictures and videos of the homeless rocking the T-shirt. "#WLM shirt activation today at Skid Row," the account wrote in the caption.
Upon learning of the news, Internet users were quick to put Ye on blast. Accusing the Yeezy designer of exploiting homeless people, one person wrote, "Yeah let's exploit homeless people, knowing they will take a clean shirt no matter what is written on it."
Echoing the sentiment, another user said, "You lost me Ye the message is lost when you use people in need for your propaganda keep ya, merch, ur views of your agenda to your ever smaller group of followers that is dwindling, smaller and smaller in size by the day."
Some people also pointed out that wearing the T-shirt would endanger the homeless. "Y'all gone get them homeless ppl beat up smh," a user noted. Similarly, someone else penned, "how to get stabbed speed run L post."
Kanye introduced the "White Lives Matter" design during his Yeezy Season 9 show in Paris Fashion Week. The backlash was immediate with Boosie Badazz (Lil Boosie) and Vogue contributing editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson criticizing the musician. It also led to Kanye beefing with models Gigi Hadid, Hailey Baldwin and even Hailey's husband Justin Bieber.
Despite the backlash, Kanye insisted that the shirt was "funny." He explained on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight", "You know, my dad is an educated ex-Black Panther, and he put in a text to me today, he said, 'White Lives Matter. Ha ha ha ha ha.' And I said, 'I thought the shirt was a funny shirt. I thought the idea of me wearing it was funny.' And I said, 'Dad, why do you think it was funny?' He said, 'Just a Black man stating the obvious.' "
He continued, "That [was] my favorite response. Cause ... people, they're looking for an explanation, and people say, 'Well, as an artist you don't have to give an explanation,' but as a leader, you do. So the answer to why I wrote White Lives Matter on a shirt is because they do. It's the obvious thing."
