April 7, 2026
Kanye West Blocked From Traveling To UK, Music Festival Cancelled
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RSS Feed After presale tickets sold out for London’s Wireless Festival today, the UK blocked Kanye West from entering the country, saying his presence “would not be conducive to the public good.” Jewish organizations have been outraged that West was even asked to headline the popular festival, which has now been cancelled, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed a similar sentiment, saying West should never have been invited.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey, folks, it is Tuesday, April seventh, and the artist formerly known as Kanye West cannot go to London. Why because his presence would not be conducive to the public good. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and tj Ya just got banned in London. He no, your music, your show is not welcome here.
00:00:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, he got banned from the entire United Kingdom. Let's be more specific here, and yes, to be told that you cannot enter our country stay out, Yes, because you aren't good for the country.
00:00:40
Speaker 1: That the statement that they put out is borderline unbelievable that they have banned a person from the country. Again, Rose, this has been bubbling for the last couple of years. Couple of Yeah, it has been years. But actually yes, in particular on this festival, I was not familiar with the Wireless Festival that happens this summer in London, but it is an enormous hip hop and black culture festival that they thought it was a good idea to have Kanye West headline.
00:01:12
Speaker 2: Look, I think perhaps I can't get into their head, but we don't even have to because they did release a statement. But look, we know that Kanye has been on a bit of an apology tour and has been giving explanations as to why he has made so many anti Semitic comments as far when, as far as trying to sell I Am a Nazi t shirt on his website. So there's just no question that he has behaved appallingly.
00:01:36
Speaker 3: Don't forget the Yle Hitler song.
00:01:38
Speaker 2: Oh, the Heil Hitler song? How could I forget that? It's it's that goes without saying. It's all been known, it's been out there, and he has been trying to say he's sorry. So I can understand why perhaps this major music festival thinks we get Yay to headline, We're gonna go like our tickets are going to go through the roof, And by all accounts they did pre sale opened today and sold out, and tomorrow they were opening it up for general audience and it too was expected to sell out quickly because everyone wants to see Yay. It's been a while and in backfired.
00:02:19
Speaker 1: When did he do the show in La? This was maybe days ago, if at most it was last week, But he had a comeback show.
00:02:24
Speaker 3: Out there in LA.
00:02:26
Speaker 1: Sold out the show and you have some big name artists even come be a part of it. Okay, knock yourself out. This is a part of his tour or his comeback tour, if you will. Here comes the Wireless Festival and you first, Diagio dropped out, the alcohol company sponsor dropped out, Pepsi dropped out, is a major sponsor. Now, when I heard Pepsi, ooh, that's big money. What I thought was going to happen roll is that the Wireless Festival would say, you know what, we change our minds. We've heard you, We're not going to have him come. I thought that was going to happen.
00:02:56
Speaker 2: The wireless folks were desperate for you to headline. That didn't scare them, and so they refused to remove him from the lineup and certainly remove him from being a headliner. And yeah, so it fell in the hands or in the lap, so to speak, of the government. And they're the ones who basically decided to step in and prevent Ye from entering the country. Therefore, he cannot perform at the Wireless Festival because those folks were totally still fine to have him perform.
00:03:25
Speaker 1: Now the one place I will give the U and they did say it. I think we'll have their full statement but what do you think about that robes that you know, we didn't just decide to put Yay as a headliner. We asked a bunch of people, We we got a group together, we asked sponsors, and everybody was aware and on board.
00:03:44
Speaker 3: And now you're going to turn on us. That might be some truth to it.
00:03:49
Speaker 2: I do agree with that that they were. I mean, I would think they would have had to have had conversations with folks knowing how controversial he is, so it would seem almost impossible. Yes, that the Wireless Festival committee chairs, who I don't know how their organization is laid out, but the people who make the decisions, I can't imagine they didn't consult folks first because they know obviously the controversy. And there are just some things that it's very hard to take back. It's very hard to say I'm sorry for and just move on from. And being anti Semitic is one of them.
00:04:24
Speaker 3: Yeah, that goes beyond you know what.
00:04:26
Speaker 1: It's one thing that people have had some racist things they say about Jewish folks, anti Semitic. You could argue Hyle Hitler was the name of the song. That's even beyond anti Semitic to a certain degree. It's not just I don't like Jews. I am with the guy who hated Jews most in the history of the world.
00:04:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, he didn't just become anti he became like the king of anti Semitism. He was like the top dog of all anti Semitics, because, yeah, when he does something, he doesn't do anything half assed, including being anti Semitic.
00:04:55
Speaker 3: And he didn't shy away.
00:04:56
Speaker 1: I mean he like double tripled and all this down on all this stuff he was doing.
00:05:00
Speaker 3: He stood by it.
00:05:01
Speaker 1: Okay, now you wrote the festival, you said they you know, they talk to other people. But what often happens with politicians and corporations which way is the wind going to blow? And once backlash started that they were not going to be able to survive.
00:05:16
Speaker 2: We've seen this happen in our personal lives as well. Once someone says something, then other people start piling on. Then the folks who were making decisions start yes, looking to see which way the wind is blowing, and they go with what they feel is the safest option.
00:05:31
Speaker 3: Now we shouldn't lump ourselves and say.
00:05:33
Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, no no. I didn't mean to, but yeah, to.
00:05:38
Speaker 1: That point, we do have that experience. But we'll get into this in the in the later one. But I think I don't know was it Starmer when the Prime Minister started talking this was that elevated it even I think the first time I was aware of you know what it was? It was Pepsi and Starmer. Those two big names are the thing. They put this on the radar for me.
00:05:57
Speaker 2: Yes, so Starmer went on X. He had said that the decision for Wes to headline, he called it deeply concerning. And then when they made the decision to deny his entrance into the UK, Starmer put this out on X. This government stands firmly with the Jewish community and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of anti Semitism. We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values, which is.
00:06:27
Speaker 1: Including putting an all time great rapper from the South Side of Chicago, banning him from our country. That is how you fight anti Semitism. That sounds wild that How is the sun kid from Chicago all of a sudden you can't even go to the UK?
00:06:43
Speaker 2: What do you think about that? Though? Because this does create I understand the outrage and the offense taken by the Jewish community. That is understandable in all caps and underlined. But there is still a question there as to how a country should react. Should you ban an artist for past statements that he has since apologized for, and you make the decision that no one in your country can hear or watch him perform. I don't know. Do you feel like that's a fair like in the world of free speech, in the world of democracy, in the world of I don't know, even forgiveness. Do you think that it makes sense for a country to take a stand like that to you cannot like it. You can say this isn't for me. This person is a horrible person. We don't agree with them, But to ban him completely from entering the.
00:07:46
Speaker 1: Country, man, Look, the statement is he would not be conducive to the public good. That might be accurate. That might be a completely accurate statement. So because no matter how much he has said, I'm sorry, Robes, you can't control what he does when he gets on that stage.
00:08:05
Speaker 2: That's true.
00:08:05
Speaker 1: This is a guy who has willingly spewed this stuff. We don't know, we don't have any assurances, and we can't guarantee. This is a guy who has opened his mouth for years and spewed something that we here in the UK and our proximity to Germany understand this a little different, you know what.
00:08:24
Speaker 2: You just put it like that, and that does make it a lot more, you know what, You're right. I mean, look, I when Ava was my daughter was studying in Berlin, she warned me, and I knew it, but it was like, right, you cannot say certain words in public. You cannot even fly a German flag in Germany because of what Hitler did. And you're right, maybe we are geographically removed just enough where we don't fully understand the history that never leaves.
00:08:54
Speaker 1: Euntes being in Germany. Even the Germans, it's all around and a reminder and a recognition of the wrongs that took place.
00:09:04
Speaker 2: They're the best, I have to say at making sure you don't forget that we don't forget. They have memorials and tours and they've left everything up and they take people through and they have plaques and they want you to know the horrific history that happened in this country so it's never repeated again. Yes, I admired how the Germans have handled it in modern times.
00:09:29
Speaker 1: That's Europe. And we say modern times, that wasn't that terribly long your history?
00:09:35
Speaker 3: Yes?
00:09:36
Speaker 1: Sure, well, Rose, they do not mess around. And you're telling me we're going to give this stage. And again it's a three day festival and he was the headline of the whole time. So it's not like he goes on stage one night and gone no, no, no, this was nights of Yay mister Hyle Hitler who was selling Nazi shirts and whatnot on a website. Let's let him have a stage in the UK for three days. How do you think that's going to go. And if they choose to not have him, if they think it's going to cause a ruckets, if it's going to be bad for them. This is a tough one, Robes. Free speech. You have the right to say what you want to say, but you do not have the right to be shielded from consequences of your words. And there are consequences, and people can choose to have you in their home or not have you in their home, to listen to your music or not listen to your music. And yeah, a government maybe has the right to say you represent something that we here in Europe we rejected a long time ago, and we don't want a hint of it.
00:10:39
Speaker 3: He's not just their robes.
00:10:40
Speaker 1: Given a speech about this is an enormous honor that he's getting, and we're gonna let when was this apology the It was in January.
00:10:51
Speaker 2: So in January you all probably remember we absolutely covered this that he put out a Wall Street He actually placed and paid for a full page Wall Street Journal ad and he entitled it to those I've hurt, and actually the Wireless Festival circulated it just to kind of remind folks. He's been on an apology tour where he told folks, yes, I know that I said I had bipolar disorder, but actually I was misdiagnosed I have autism. And he apologized but also explained perhaps why he behaved and acted the way he did, but said he wanted to take this time to prove to the world that he had changed, that he recognized the error of his ways, and that he had a medical condition. Now, a lot of folks looked at that and said, Okay, you've got new music coming out, so clearly you need people to forgive you to purchase and freely. Okay, I said that other people did.
00:11:46
Speaker 1: But I remember doing that. I was trying to give him say well, i'mna listen to this. You were like, hmm, has knew out yet? You called this immediately.
00:11:55
Speaker 2: Yes, And it makes sense. He had an incentive to apologize. He had an incentive to explain himself in a way that he hadn't before because he, yes, has been releasing new music.
00:12:06
Speaker 1: Which will take away from the authenticity bracity possibly of your apology if people think you're doing it for your own as correct.
00:12:13
Speaker 2: Correct. So clearly the Brits were not swayed by his Wall Street Journal ad and even by his recent statements trying to convince the folks there in Great Britain that he is changed and that he is sorry, and he wanted an open dialogue to basically mend or repair some of what he created.
00:12:38
Speaker 1: I am, I'm going to do this. We're going to take a break and I want to talk to you about the ad and if this guy can ever be forgiven.
00:12:46
Speaker 3: But the government did we read their statement?
00:12:47
Speaker 2: Ye, we thought we haven't. This was actually from the Wireless Festival festival and then and then we read Stormer's statement, and then we have the campaign against anti Semitism. They have been really about all of this? Which ones is now? Kanye's Kanye? Oh yeah? Oh? Kanye's statement is this.
00:13:06
Speaker 3: Uh?
00:13:07
Speaker 2: He said, my only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace and love through my music. I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with the members of the Jewish community in the UK in person to listen. I know words aren't enough. I'll have to show change through my actions. If you're open, I'm here.
00:13:28
Speaker 3: What was the Jewish community's response to.
00:13:31
Speaker 2: His several there's several available, a lot of things to say. Here are the ones that stood out to me. How did it come to this? Apparently no concerns were highlighted about Kanye West at the time of the booking. Who were they consulting a wall That's what happens when the only stakeholders you speak to are those who stand to make a profit. And then they went on to say, after the UK decided to block Yay's admission into the country, someone who has boasted of making tens of millions of dollars from selling swastika T shirts and who released a song called Hyle Hitler just months ago, clearly would not be conducive to the public good In the UK, Wireless Festival, in its desperate quest for profit, defended the invitation until the end. That is shameful and its sponsors should continue to stay away.
00:14:19
Speaker 3: You know what, how recently was that Hyle Hitler song? Was that recently?
00:14:26
Speaker 2: I actually need to check that because they said just months ago. So I'm looking this up right now.
00:14:31
Speaker 1: All right, well, folks, stay with us when we come back, we'll have the answer for you. Just how recently that Hyle Hitler song was. And also the question can and should Kanye ever be forgiven embraced again? Is there any coming back from this Nazi stuff he was spewance?
00:14:50
Speaker 2: Stay here, Welcome back everyone to Amy and TJ. We are talking about Kanye West band from the UK. The Wireless Festival canceled a major music event that was scheduled to take place July eight through tenth or tenth through twelfth, somewhere in mid July. And yeah, it's all gone. The ticket sales were already through the roof today. They were supposed to go to the general audience tomorrow. All of that now has been stopped and the Wireless Festival has already told those folks who were sold out in those pre sale tickets today that they will be refunded and the concert will not go on. We just looked up because we were trying to figure out when that Kyle Hitler song was released by Yay Yes, technically they were. He released it on May eighth, twenty twenty five, so that was months ago. Granted it was eleven months ago, almost a year ago, but it is still correct to say he released it months ago.
00:15:57
Speaker 1: It does not that much distance between then and now. It's not that much distance actually between that song being released and his statement he put out the ad and the forgipos I've hurt in January? He said, right, is it? When I read his initial the ad and asking for forgiveness, hearing him explain something like I wanted to have a sympathetic ear because we've watched him his entire career, come out as this genius. He had this car accident and then we saw his mom die, and he publicly took some kind of a turn and a die to where people that were very close to him were publicly saying, I don't know what's going on.
00:16:35
Speaker 2: Kim Kardashian among them, don't know how to help him.
00:16:38
Speaker 1: So I think something genuinely was wrong the other side, Babe, that's very easy for somebody to say, and I heard the comments. And autism makes you a Nazi.
00:16:49
Speaker 2: The autism thing didn't make a lot of sense to me at all.
00:16:52
Speaker 1: You had an injury, had depression, you had all these mental health It makes you a Nazi. Depression turns you into a Hitler. Love the good question that. But he had reasons for sometimes acting out and people explain, I don't want to say, explain away. But it didn't make sense for this kid from Chicago to all to a sudden become a man who embraces Nazism.
00:17:14
Speaker 2: There was a lot of things it didn't make sense. He just even his political aspirations, his sudden love of President Trump. A lot of things were confusing and head stretches.
00:17:25
Speaker 1: So can you ever explain that? Can anything ep Can you be forgiven for it? Do you give him any grace for it? I don't know, but I am open to something genuinely being wrong with him that he tried to fix the problem. Robes is timing like it's okay, put that thing out in January. Let me see you doing community service in February. Let me see you in March making a speech somewhere doing do something to build. Don't give me that in January and Ropes is barely April. He had that festival book. Did he not get or knew it was coming? Yes, that just doesn't feel authentic.
00:18:04
Speaker 2: It feels motivated. It feels that the intentions were perhaps financial and redemptive and less about actually being apologetic and wanting to learn and grow. Now, I thought something. You heard the disdain of Yay obviously from the Jewish community, but they were very, very upset with Wireless Festival folks period. And I'm curious. I want to read the Wireless Festival statement as to their announcement that the concert was off, because this really set off a lot of folks the way they worded it. Words matter. We talk about it all the time. The Wireless Festival said this, the Home Office has withdrawn Yeay's eta, denying him entry into the United Kingdom. As a result, Wireless Festival is canceled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders. Here we go. As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking Yea, and no concerns were highlighted at the time. Sense then they go on to say this anti Semitism in all its forms is a warrant, and we recognize the real and personal impact these issues have had. As Yea said today, he acknowledges that words alone are not enough, and in spite of this, still hopes to be given the opportunity to begin a conversation with the Jewish community in the UK.
00:19:23
Speaker 1: Is that possible to do? Is that possible? And I guess it's maybe up to the Jewish community to say that can you ever? And they might say never, never forgive or support or in any way endorse you ever. And I think that might be understandable, Babe.
00:19:46
Speaker 2: I think it's understandable as well. And I think perhaps instead of just let me talk to you, let me have a face to face meeting with you, as you were saying, why not just do better and make the effort and not rely on someone someone else listening to you or understanding you, but actually just showing them who you are, and not for profit necessarily, or not for the cameras or not for pr but just to see him do the work, perhaps behind the scenes. That then is taken notice by the folks who he offended and hurt.
00:20:17
Speaker 1: It's all obviously pr and people. There are people, and it's all money. But I don't know has he quietly reached out begged, will you please anybody have a meeting with me from the Jewish community?
00:20:29
Speaker 3: Please?
00:20:29
Speaker 1: I need to talk to somebody. I need help. I don't need pr help. I need help and I want to reach out and I want to have been sincere about where I'm coming from. I don't know if he's done that the first time he's offered to meet.
00:20:41
Speaker 3: He should have been. There should have been a steady.
00:20:44
Speaker 1: Stream of meetings leading up to an announcement that he was going to be doing that concert.
00:20:48
Speaker 3: He should have had their support.
00:20:49
Speaker 1: They didn't have to come out in public lease support, but he should have known behind the scenes that all right, do you think we're not going to come out against you, but we're not going to come out and support roams.
00:20:58
Speaker 3: This is this is one.
00:21:00
Speaker 1: I don't know the work he's done behind the scenes. Maybe he has, and I hope he's getting help, But the work he needs to do with the community is not work. Actually, we need to be seeing on TV or in statements correct. We just hope it's happening.
00:21:10
Speaker 2: We hope it's happening, but at least it seems by the very strong reaction by the Jewish community. Look, the Jewish community, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, I mean, they all banded together condemning the Wireless Festival for choosing Kanye West in the first place, and certainly didn't imply or even suggest that any conversations had happened. Now we've heard the Wireless Festival claiming that the Jewish community organizations refuse to even sit down with them or talk to them. They're denying that. So there's a lot of So the Wireless Festival said that the Jewish communities refuse to sit at the table with them. I actually have a conversation, yes.
00:21:51
Speaker 1: Well, after you announced that the anti semi is really yes, okay, yes.
00:21:56
Speaker 2: And so in fact, they even said it's deeply regrettable that the Carless Festival invited him in the first place, and then doubled down when the Jewish community and our allies rejected, and they said that we know that the festival has now been canceled, but it should never have reached this point. This situation could have and should have been resolved much earlier. So yeah, they're like, don't come and talk to us to convince us why it's okay that he's performing. Talk to us beforehand before you announce it, and that does make a difference.
00:22:25
Speaker 1: Well, they took a shot, They took a bit, you know what, They took a Disney ABC shot and they got burned. Right, you knew you shouldn't have gotten Frankie Taylor Paul.
00:22:34
Speaker 2: You know, yeah, that is kind of no better.
00:22:37
Speaker 1: It was big risk, big reward, and you lost. They rolled the dice, didn't work, and it didn't work with Kanye West, and people were learning the lesson moving forward.
00:22:47
Speaker 3: Will he ever be embraced on me?
00:22:49
Speaker 2: He was in La, and it's different right in La. In America, he's one of ours, so we might tend to be more forgiving because he's a part of America and such a huge part of.
00:22:59
Speaker 3: Our culture and we don't have that connection and we.
00:23:02
Speaker 2: Don't have you know, I didn't even think about the proximity to Germany, the proximity to where all of those atrocities happen, and certainly the Jewish community there, who still I'm sure have living family members who are directly impacted by the Nazis he has.
00:23:20
Speaker 3: I didn't see them.
00:23:21
Speaker 1: I can't remember which country the countries they are, but he has other dates that are scheduled in different places around Europe. I don't recall anything as big as London, but he's got We'll see how those go.
00:23:32
Speaker 2: Now that's fascinating. And you know, I looked up Yay has not performed in the United Kingdom at all since twenty fifteen, so it has been eleven years since he's even performed in that country. And a lot's happened in those eleven years in the UK specifically, Yes, in the UK specifically, So you know, it is a different mindset and it's understandable, and they don't have any reason to celebrate Yay. It just there is nothing thing about him that's not one of ours.
00:24:03
Speaker 3: We don't need to embrace him back. Keep your guy.
00:24:07
Speaker 2: Kind of that's what they're saying. Stay in America. Yeah, see what happens.
00:24:11
Speaker 1: And I don't mind that the UK on this one, I do not. I get it.
00:24:15
Speaker 2: It makes sense, it makes sense, all right. We just wanted to hop on and get you all updated on the latest controversy. With Kanye West. I'm sure this is not the end of it. I'm sure we're going I'm interested to see if other countries react to the UK's decision and if there will be more fallout, but we will of course be on top of it. Bring you the very latest. Thank you as always for listening to us. I'm Amy Robock alongside TJ. Holmes. We will talk to you soon
Speaker 1: Hey, folks, it is Tuesday, April seventh, and the artist formerly known as Kanye West cannot go to London. Why because his presence would not be conducive to the public good. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and tj Ya just got banned in London. He no, your music, your show is not welcome here.
00:00:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, he got banned from the entire United Kingdom. Let's be more specific here, and yes, to be told that you cannot enter our country stay out, Yes, because you aren't good for the country.
00:00:40
Speaker 1: That the statement that they put out is borderline unbelievable that they have banned a person from the country. Again, Rose, this has been bubbling for the last couple of years. Couple of Yeah, it has been years. But actually yes, in particular on this festival, I was not familiar with the Wireless Festival that happens this summer in London, but it is an enormous hip hop and black culture festival that they thought it was a good idea to have Kanye West headline.
00:01:12
Speaker 2: Look, I think perhaps I can't get into their head, but we don't even have to because they did release a statement. But look, we know that Kanye has been on a bit of an apology tour and has been giving explanations as to why he has made so many anti Semitic comments as far when, as far as trying to sell I Am a Nazi t shirt on his website. So there's just no question that he has behaved appallingly.
00:01:36
Speaker 3: Don't forget the Yle Hitler song.
00:01:38
Speaker 2: Oh, the Heil Hitler song? How could I forget that? It's it's that goes without saying. It's all been known, it's been out there, and he has been trying to say he's sorry. So I can understand why perhaps this major music festival thinks we get Yay to headline, We're gonna go like our tickets are going to go through the roof, And by all accounts they did pre sale opened today and sold out, and tomorrow they were opening it up for general audience and it too was expected to sell out quickly because everyone wants to see Yay. It's been a while and in backfired.
00:02:19
Speaker 1: When did he do the show in La? This was maybe days ago, if at most it was last week, But he had a comeback show.
00:02:24
Speaker 3: Out there in LA.
00:02:26
Speaker 1: Sold out the show and you have some big name artists even come be a part of it. Okay, knock yourself out. This is a part of his tour or his comeback tour, if you will. Here comes the Wireless Festival and you first, Diagio dropped out, the alcohol company sponsor dropped out, Pepsi dropped out, is a major sponsor. Now, when I heard Pepsi, ooh, that's big money. What I thought was going to happen roll is that the Wireless Festival would say, you know what, we change our minds. We've heard you, We're not going to have him come. I thought that was going to happen.
00:02:56
Speaker 2: The wireless folks were desperate for you to headline. That didn't scare them, and so they refused to remove him from the lineup and certainly remove him from being a headliner. And yeah, so it fell in the hands or in the lap, so to speak, of the government. And they're the ones who basically decided to step in and prevent Ye from entering the country. Therefore, he cannot perform at the Wireless Festival because those folks were totally still fine to have him perform.
00:03:25
Speaker 1: Now the one place I will give the U and they did say it. I think we'll have their full statement but what do you think about that robes that you know, we didn't just decide to put Yay as a headliner. We asked a bunch of people, We we got a group together, we asked sponsors, and everybody was aware and on board.
00:03:44
Speaker 3: And now you're going to turn on us. That might be some truth to it.
00:03:49
Speaker 2: I do agree with that that they were. I mean, I would think they would have had to have had conversations with folks knowing how controversial he is, so it would seem almost impossible. Yes, that the Wireless Festival committee chairs, who I don't know how their organization is laid out, but the people who make the decisions, I can't imagine they didn't consult folks first because they know obviously the controversy. And there are just some things that it's very hard to take back. It's very hard to say I'm sorry for and just move on from. And being anti Semitic is one of them.
00:04:24
Speaker 3: Yeah, that goes beyond you know what.
00:04:26
Speaker 1: It's one thing that people have had some racist things they say about Jewish folks, anti Semitic. You could argue Hyle Hitler was the name of the song. That's even beyond anti Semitic to a certain degree. It's not just I don't like Jews. I am with the guy who hated Jews most in the history of the world.
00:04:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, he didn't just become anti he became like the king of anti Semitism. He was like the top dog of all anti Semitics, because, yeah, when he does something, he doesn't do anything half assed, including being anti Semitic.
00:04:55
Speaker 3: And he didn't shy away.
00:04:56
Speaker 1: I mean he like double tripled and all this down on all this stuff he was doing.
00:05:00
Speaker 3: He stood by it.
00:05:01
Speaker 1: Okay, now you wrote the festival, you said they you know, they talk to other people. But what often happens with politicians and corporations which way is the wind going to blow? And once backlash started that they were not going to be able to survive.
00:05:16
Speaker 2: We've seen this happen in our personal lives as well. Once someone says something, then other people start piling on. Then the folks who were making decisions start yes, looking to see which way the wind is blowing, and they go with what they feel is the safest option.
00:05:31
Speaker 3: Now we shouldn't lump ourselves and say.
00:05:33
Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, no no. I didn't mean to, but yeah, to.
00:05:38
Speaker 1: That point, we do have that experience. But we'll get into this in the in the later one. But I think I don't know was it Starmer when the Prime Minister started talking this was that elevated it even I think the first time I was aware of you know what it was? It was Pepsi and Starmer. Those two big names are the thing. They put this on the radar for me.
00:05:57
Speaker 2: Yes, so Starmer went on X. He had said that the decision for Wes to headline, he called it deeply concerning. And then when they made the decision to deny his entrance into the UK, Starmer put this out on X. This government stands firmly with the Jewish community and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of anti Semitism. We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values, which is.
00:06:27
Speaker 1: Including putting an all time great rapper from the South Side of Chicago, banning him from our country. That is how you fight anti Semitism. That sounds wild that How is the sun kid from Chicago all of a sudden you can't even go to the UK?
00:06:43
Speaker 2: What do you think about that? Though? Because this does create I understand the outrage and the offense taken by the Jewish community. That is understandable in all caps and underlined. But there is still a question there as to how a country should react. Should you ban an artist for past statements that he has since apologized for, and you make the decision that no one in your country can hear or watch him perform. I don't know. Do you feel like that's a fair like in the world of free speech, in the world of democracy, in the world of I don't know, even forgiveness. Do you think that it makes sense for a country to take a stand like that to you cannot like it. You can say this isn't for me. This person is a horrible person. We don't agree with them, But to ban him completely from entering the.
00:07:46
Speaker 1: Country, man, Look, the statement is he would not be conducive to the public good. That might be accurate. That might be a completely accurate statement. So because no matter how much he has said, I'm sorry, Robes, you can't control what he does when he gets on that stage.
00:08:05
Speaker 2: That's true.
00:08:05
Speaker 1: This is a guy who has willingly spewed this stuff. We don't know, we don't have any assurances, and we can't guarantee. This is a guy who has opened his mouth for years and spewed something that we here in the UK and our proximity to Germany understand this a little different, you know what.
00:08:24
Speaker 2: You just put it like that, and that does make it a lot more, you know what, You're right. I mean, look, I when Ava was my daughter was studying in Berlin, she warned me, and I knew it, but it was like, right, you cannot say certain words in public. You cannot even fly a German flag in Germany because of what Hitler did. And you're right, maybe we are geographically removed just enough where we don't fully understand the history that never leaves.
00:08:54
Speaker 1: Euntes being in Germany. Even the Germans, it's all around and a reminder and a recognition of the wrongs that took place.
00:09:04
Speaker 2: They're the best, I have to say at making sure you don't forget that we don't forget. They have memorials and tours and they've left everything up and they take people through and they have plaques and they want you to know the horrific history that happened in this country so it's never repeated again. Yes, I admired how the Germans have handled it in modern times.
00:09:29
Speaker 1: That's Europe. And we say modern times, that wasn't that terribly long your history?
00:09:35
Speaker 3: Yes?
00:09:36
Speaker 1: Sure, well, Rose, they do not mess around. And you're telling me we're going to give this stage. And again it's a three day festival and he was the headline of the whole time. So it's not like he goes on stage one night and gone no, no, no, this was nights of Yay mister Hyle Hitler who was selling Nazi shirts and whatnot on a website. Let's let him have a stage in the UK for three days. How do you think that's going to go. And if they choose to not have him, if they think it's going to cause a ruckets, if it's going to be bad for them. This is a tough one, Robes. Free speech. You have the right to say what you want to say, but you do not have the right to be shielded from consequences of your words. And there are consequences, and people can choose to have you in their home or not have you in their home, to listen to your music or not listen to your music. And yeah, a government maybe has the right to say you represent something that we here in Europe we rejected a long time ago, and we don't want a hint of it.
00:10:39
Speaker 3: He's not just their robes.
00:10:40
Speaker 1: Given a speech about this is an enormous honor that he's getting, and we're gonna let when was this apology the It was in January.
00:10:51
Speaker 2: So in January you all probably remember we absolutely covered this that he put out a Wall Street He actually placed and paid for a full page Wall Street Journal ad and he entitled it to those I've hurt, and actually the Wireless Festival circulated it just to kind of remind folks. He's been on an apology tour where he told folks, yes, I know that I said I had bipolar disorder, but actually I was misdiagnosed I have autism. And he apologized but also explained perhaps why he behaved and acted the way he did, but said he wanted to take this time to prove to the world that he had changed, that he recognized the error of his ways, and that he had a medical condition. Now, a lot of folks looked at that and said, Okay, you've got new music coming out, so clearly you need people to forgive you to purchase and freely. Okay, I said that other people did.
00:11:46
Speaker 1: But I remember doing that. I was trying to give him say well, i'mna listen to this. You were like, hmm, has knew out yet? You called this immediately.
00:11:55
Speaker 2: Yes, And it makes sense. He had an incentive to apologize. He had an incentive to explain himself in a way that he hadn't before because he, yes, has been releasing new music.
00:12:06
Speaker 1: Which will take away from the authenticity bracity possibly of your apology if people think you're doing it for your own as correct.
00:12:13
Speaker 2: Correct. So clearly the Brits were not swayed by his Wall Street Journal ad and even by his recent statements trying to convince the folks there in Great Britain that he is changed and that he is sorry, and he wanted an open dialogue to basically mend or repair some of what he created.
00:12:38
Speaker 1: I am, I'm going to do this. We're going to take a break and I want to talk to you about the ad and if this guy can ever be forgiven.
00:12:46
Speaker 3: But the government did we read their statement?
00:12:47
Speaker 2: Ye, we thought we haven't. This was actually from the Wireless Festival festival and then and then we read Stormer's statement, and then we have the campaign against anti Semitism. They have been really about all of this? Which ones is now? Kanye's Kanye? Oh yeah? Oh? Kanye's statement is this.
00:13:06
Speaker 3: Uh?
00:13:07
Speaker 2: He said, my only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace and love through my music. I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with the members of the Jewish community in the UK in person to listen. I know words aren't enough. I'll have to show change through my actions. If you're open, I'm here.
00:13:28
Speaker 3: What was the Jewish community's response to.
00:13:31
Speaker 2: His several there's several available, a lot of things to say. Here are the ones that stood out to me. How did it come to this? Apparently no concerns were highlighted about Kanye West at the time of the booking. Who were they consulting a wall That's what happens when the only stakeholders you speak to are those who stand to make a profit. And then they went on to say, after the UK decided to block Yay's admission into the country, someone who has boasted of making tens of millions of dollars from selling swastika T shirts and who released a song called Hyle Hitler just months ago, clearly would not be conducive to the public good In the UK, Wireless Festival, in its desperate quest for profit, defended the invitation until the end. That is shameful and its sponsors should continue to stay away.
00:14:19
Speaker 3: You know what, how recently was that Hyle Hitler song? Was that recently?
00:14:26
Speaker 2: I actually need to check that because they said just months ago. So I'm looking this up right now.
00:14:31
Speaker 1: All right, well, folks, stay with us when we come back, we'll have the answer for you. Just how recently that Hyle Hitler song was. And also the question can and should Kanye ever be forgiven embraced again? Is there any coming back from this Nazi stuff he was spewance?
00:14:50
Speaker 2: Stay here, Welcome back everyone to Amy and TJ. We are talking about Kanye West band from the UK. The Wireless Festival canceled a major music event that was scheduled to take place July eight through tenth or tenth through twelfth, somewhere in mid July. And yeah, it's all gone. The ticket sales were already through the roof today. They were supposed to go to the general audience tomorrow. All of that now has been stopped and the Wireless Festival has already told those folks who were sold out in those pre sale tickets today that they will be refunded and the concert will not go on. We just looked up because we were trying to figure out when that Kyle Hitler song was released by Yay Yes, technically they were. He released it on May eighth, twenty twenty five, so that was months ago. Granted it was eleven months ago, almost a year ago, but it is still correct to say he released it months ago.
00:15:57
Speaker 1: It does not that much distance between then and now. It's not that much distance actually between that song being released and his statement he put out the ad and the forgipos I've hurt in January? He said, right, is it? When I read his initial the ad and asking for forgiveness, hearing him explain something like I wanted to have a sympathetic ear because we've watched him his entire career, come out as this genius. He had this car accident and then we saw his mom die, and he publicly took some kind of a turn and a die to where people that were very close to him were publicly saying, I don't know what's going on.
00:16:35
Speaker 2: Kim Kardashian among them, don't know how to help him.
00:16:38
Speaker 1: So I think something genuinely was wrong the other side, Babe, that's very easy for somebody to say, and I heard the comments. And autism makes you a Nazi.
00:16:49
Speaker 2: The autism thing didn't make a lot of sense to me at all.
00:16:52
Speaker 1: You had an injury, had depression, you had all these mental health It makes you a Nazi. Depression turns you into a Hitler. Love the good question that. But he had reasons for sometimes acting out and people explain, I don't want to say, explain away. But it didn't make sense for this kid from Chicago to all to a sudden become a man who embraces Nazism.
00:17:14
Speaker 2: There was a lot of things it didn't make sense. He just even his political aspirations, his sudden love of President Trump. A lot of things were confusing and head stretches.
00:17:25
Speaker 1: So can you ever explain that? Can anything ep Can you be forgiven for it? Do you give him any grace for it? I don't know, but I am open to something genuinely being wrong with him that he tried to fix the problem. Robes is timing like it's okay, put that thing out in January. Let me see you doing community service in February. Let me see you in March making a speech somewhere doing do something to build. Don't give me that in January and Ropes is barely April. He had that festival book. Did he not get or knew it was coming? Yes, that just doesn't feel authentic.
00:18:04
Speaker 2: It feels motivated. It feels that the intentions were perhaps financial and redemptive and less about actually being apologetic and wanting to learn and grow. Now, I thought something. You heard the disdain of Yay obviously from the Jewish community, but they were very, very upset with Wireless Festival folks period. And I'm curious. I want to read the Wireless Festival statement as to their announcement that the concert was off, because this really set off a lot of folks the way they worded it. Words matter. We talk about it all the time. The Wireless Festival said this, the Home Office has withdrawn Yeay's eta, denying him entry into the United Kingdom. As a result, Wireless Festival is canceled and refunds will be issued to all ticket holders. Here we go. As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking Yea, and no concerns were highlighted at the time. Sense then they go on to say this anti Semitism in all its forms is a warrant, and we recognize the real and personal impact these issues have had. As Yea said today, he acknowledges that words alone are not enough, and in spite of this, still hopes to be given the opportunity to begin a conversation with the Jewish community in the UK.
00:19:23
Speaker 1: Is that possible to do? Is that possible? And I guess it's maybe up to the Jewish community to say that can you ever? And they might say never, never forgive or support or in any way endorse you ever. And I think that might be understandable, Babe.
00:19:46
Speaker 2: I think it's understandable as well. And I think perhaps instead of just let me talk to you, let me have a face to face meeting with you, as you were saying, why not just do better and make the effort and not rely on someone someone else listening to you or understanding you, but actually just showing them who you are, and not for profit necessarily, or not for the cameras or not for pr but just to see him do the work, perhaps behind the scenes. That then is taken notice by the folks who he offended and hurt.
00:20:17
Speaker 1: It's all obviously pr and people. There are people, and it's all money. But I don't know has he quietly reached out begged, will you please anybody have a meeting with me from the Jewish community?
00:20:29
Speaker 3: Please?
00:20:29
Speaker 1: I need to talk to somebody. I need help. I don't need pr help. I need help and I want to reach out and I want to have been sincere about where I'm coming from. I don't know if he's done that the first time he's offered to meet.
00:20:41
Speaker 3: He should have been. There should have been a steady.
00:20:44
Speaker 1: Stream of meetings leading up to an announcement that he was going to be doing that concert.
00:20:48
Speaker 3: He should have had their support.
00:20:49
Speaker 1: They didn't have to come out in public lease support, but he should have known behind the scenes that all right, do you think we're not going to come out against you, but we're not going to come out and support roams.
00:20:58
Speaker 3: This is this is one.
00:21:00
Speaker 1: I don't know the work he's done behind the scenes. Maybe he has, and I hope he's getting help, But the work he needs to do with the community is not work. Actually, we need to be seeing on TV or in statements correct. We just hope it's happening.
00:21:10
Speaker 2: We hope it's happening, but at least it seems by the very strong reaction by the Jewish community. Look, the Jewish community, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, I mean, they all banded together condemning the Wireless Festival for choosing Kanye West in the first place, and certainly didn't imply or even suggest that any conversations had happened. Now we've heard the Wireless Festival claiming that the Jewish community organizations refuse to even sit down with them or talk to them. They're denying that. So there's a lot of So the Wireless Festival said that the Jewish communities refuse to sit at the table with them. I actually have a conversation, yes.
00:21:51
Speaker 1: Well, after you announced that the anti semi is really yes, okay, yes.
00:21:56
Speaker 2: And so in fact, they even said it's deeply regrettable that the Carless Festival invited him in the first place, and then doubled down when the Jewish community and our allies rejected, and they said that we know that the festival has now been canceled, but it should never have reached this point. This situation could have and should have been resolved much earlier. So yeah, they're like, don't come and talk to us to convince us why it's okay that he's performing. Talk to us beforehand before you announce it, and that does make a difference.
00:22:25
Speaker 1: Well, they took a shot, They took a bit, you know what, They took a Disney ABC shot and they got burned. Right, you knew you shouldn't have gotten Frankie Taylor Paul.
00:22:34
Speaker 2: You know, yeah, that is kind of no better.
00:22:37
Speaker 1: It was big risk, big reward, and you lost. They rolled the dice, didn't work, and it didn't work with Kanye West, and people were learning the lesson moving forward.
00:22:47
Speaker 3: Will he ever be embraced on me?
00:22:49
Speaker 2: He was in La, and it's different right in La. In America, he's one of ours, so we might tend to be more forgiving because he's a part of America and such a huge part of.
00:22:59
Speaker 3: Our culture and we don't have that connection and we.
00:23:02
Speaker 2: Don't have you know, I didn't even think about the proximity to Germany, the proximity to where all of those atrocities happen, and certainly the Jewish community there, who still I'm sure have living family members who are directly impacted by the Nazis he has.
00:23:20
Speaker 3: I didn't see them.
00:23:21
Speaker 1: I can't remember which country the countries they are, but he has other dates that are scheduled in different places around Europe. I don't recall anything as big as London, but he's got We'll see how those go.
00:23:32
Speaker 2: Now that's fascinating. And you know, I looked up Yay has not performed in the United Kingdom at all since twenty fifteen, so it has been eleven years since he's even performed in that country. And a lot's happened in those eleven years in the UK specifically, Yes, in the UK specifically, So you know, it is a different mindset and it's understandable, and they don't have any reason to celebrate Yay. It just there is nothing thing about him that's not one of ours.
00:24:03
Speaker 3: We don't need to embrace him back. Keep your guy.
00:24:07
Speaker 2: Kind of that's what they're saying. Stay in America. Yeah, see what happens.
00:24:11
Speaker 1: And I don't mind that the UK on this one, I do not. I get it.
00:24:15
Speaker 2: It makes sense, it makes sense, all right. We just wanted to hop on and get you all updated on the latest controversy. With Kanye West. I'm sure this is not the end of it. I'm sure we're going I'm interested to see if other countries react to the UK's decision and if there will be more fallout, but we will of course be on top of it. Bring you the very latest. Thank you as always for listening to us. I'm Amy Robock alongside TJ. Holmes. We will talk to you soon