The Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a listening party late Saturday night following the much-anticipated release of Ye (formerly Kanye) West’s latest album, Vultures 1.
The album has been teased for months and is the 24-time Grammy-winning rapper’s first since 2021. It is also his first album since a series of inflammatory and anti-semitic remarks sent his career into crisis.
In late 2022, West touted a variety of anti-semitic conspiracy theories, including casting doubt on the Holocaust and praising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. He dined with notorious white nationalist Nick Fuentes and former President Donald Trump, and went on a media campaign doubling down on his vile comments. Following intense public backlash, Balenciaga, Gap, and Adidas terminated their lucrative brand deals with West, and his social media accounts and music were restricted on various platforms.
In December of last year, West issued an apology in Hebrew, stating, “[i]t was not my intention to offend or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused.”
Since its release early last Saturday, the album has reinvigorated the debate about the rapper’s legacy. Contrary to those who paint it as a comeback, some of the lyrics on the tracks have drawn further criticism. The title track, “VULTURES,” includes the lyrics “How I’m anti-Semitic? I just f*cked a Jewish b*tch.” In the track “PROBLEMATIC,” he says, “I’m not racist, it’s a preference.” Similarly, “KING” includes the chorus “Crazy, bipolar, antisemite. And I’m still the king.” Despite this, the album has topped the charts in over 100 countries, including Israel, and even bested Usher, who, as of late, saw a miraculous resurgence in the charts after his widely viewed Super Bowl Performance.
Tufts SJP’s “EMERGENCY Listening Party” brought together members and included refreshments like Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. The group styled the event as a “critical deconstruction,” though there was a dearth of criticism. Their head-bobbing to the catchy tunes blended in well with their nodding in agreement with the rapper’s messages.
One student in attendance, Francis Benedict, said, “I’ve been a Kanye fan for quite a while now. He’s an inspiration to me and so many others, and I’m glad to hear he’s back in action.” When asked what his favorite song by the rapper was, Benedict replied, “He makes music?”
Another student, speaking anonymously, shared how she appreciates Ye’s journey in preparing for the album: “It was really cool how he spent months in places like Japan and Italy, which have such rich histories, instead of the united states.” The student, a sophomore, also said the eagle coat of arms, one of the album’s symbols, is “inspiring.”
The NES reached out to Tufts SJP for comment on the listening party who, in a long-winded email with peculiar capitalizations and citing Zionist control of the media, declined, only stating that they were looking forward to the release of Vultures 2.
Our special correspondent, Bolf Wlitzer, can be found on Instagram @bolfwlitzer! He enjoys paddle boarding and raising his pet basset hounds!
Picture credits: River Callaway/WWD via Getty Images