Kanye West debuted his Yeezy Season 9 collection during a surprise Paris Fashion Week show on Monday evening (Oct. 3), but began trending online when he was seen wearing a long-sleeved shirt with “White Lives Matter” emblazoned on the back.
Not only was the the rapper-turned-designer wearing the phrase on his shirt, so were some of the models in the show. Ye went on to pose with conservative commentator Candace Owens, in matching “White Lives Matter” shirts.
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Of course, no sooner did the photos hit the internet, Ye received immediate backlash. Celebrities and fellow rappers like Jaden Smith and Boosie Badazz also called him out online.
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@kanyewest AFTER ALL WE BEEN THROUGH AS A RACE YOU PUT THIS DISRESPECTFUL SHIT ON‼️U GIVES NO FUCKS ABOUT HOW BLACKS HAVE DIED N SUFFERED TO THE HANDS OF THE WHITE MAN😞 N U SAY BUSH DONT LIKE BLACK PEOPLE.. REALLY “NIGGA”
— Boosie BadAzz (@BOOSIEOFFICIAL) October 3, 2022
Kanye west making Black models wear “ white lives matter” shirts is a culmination of his anti blackness and his immersion in white supremacy ideologies and methods. Disgusting pic.twitter.com/yIaVKPYEBB
— ꧁༺ӄɛɛք ȶʀɨɢɢɛʀɨռɢ ʀǟƈɨֆȶֆ ʍɛɢɦǟռ༻꧂ (@Blu_Alexia_) October 3, 2022
Kanye West doesn’t care about Black people.
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) October 3, 2022
This is all that needs to be said in regards to Kanye West and his White Lives Matter shirt. pic.twitter.com/v2ykdgT4WN
— _Joesy_ 🧚🏾♀️ (@015Serenity) October 3, 2022
White Lives Matter was also trending on Twitter as folks reacted and dragged Ye.