As sponsors pull out from London’s Wireless Festival over headliner Ye, its organizer is standing by the rapper formerly known as
Melvin Benn, the managing director at Festival Republic, shared a statement on Monday backing his company’s decision to book Ye.
鈥淔orgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world,鈥� he wrote. “I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.鈥�
Ye, who changed his name in 2021, is booked to perform in front of around 150,000 revelers over the course of the festival鈥檚 three nights, July 10 – 12.
The rapper has drawn in recent years for antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler. Last year, he released a song called 鈥淗eil Hitler鈥� and advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website. The 48-year-old apologized this past January for his antisemitic remarks in a letter, published as a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal. He said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into 鈥渁 four-month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.鈥�
Wireless sponsors Pepsi, Rockstar Energy and Diageo have since Ye was announced as the headliner, although lead sponsor Pepsi didn’t offer a reason. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the booking 鈥渄eeply concerning.鈥�
鈥淵e鈥檚 music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country,鈥� Benn’s statement said.
鈥淲e are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions,鈥� the statement continued.
Last week, Ye at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, marking his first major U.S. performances in nearly five years. There, fans appeared to separate his personal beliefs and public statements from his music 鈥� and were ready to forgive after his January apology letter.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really bring into politics or the way someone鈥檚 personal opinion are. I鈥檓 into the music artistry,” said Yovani Contreras, one fan in attendance. “Like, I just, to me, Ye is always gonna be Ye. Kanye is always gonna be Kanye.鈥�
A representative for Ye didn鈥檛 immediately reply to a request for comment Monday.
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