Russell Brand, a comedian and actor turned Christian influencer who is currently on trial in the U.K. for rape, took to social media this week to praise Kanye West’s viral new song, “Heil Hitler.”
Editor’s note: This article references to sexual assault and racial slurs that some readers might find offensive or potentially triggering.
The song and accompanying music video is the latest in a string of public declarations of antisemitism from the award-winning rapper and hip hop producer. For several years, West, who now simply goes by Ye, has raised alarm bells for his racially and sexually charged statements on social media and in interviews.
At one point, Ye appeared on Alex Jones’ “InfoWars” for a three-hour interview in which he repeatedly denigrated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and praised Hitler. Earlier this year, Ye declared on social media, “I’m a Nazi,” and began selling on his website apparel featuring swastikas.
Ye has also been accused of sexually assaulting those who work with him or for him. On May 5, he posted on social media, “That employee p**sy hits different 😅.”
All of this is a dramatic shift in public persona for Ye, who surprised fans in 2019 by converting to Christianity, hosting celebrities for “Sunday Service” musical performances, and dropping his first gospel album, “Jesus Is King,” which went on to achieve critical and commercial success.
Ye’s follow-up album, “Donda,” was similarly praised.
However, in 2024, Ye publicly began publicly discussing his “issues with Jesus,” and he has on more than one occasion referred to himself as a god.
Last week, Ye released his “Heil Hitler” song and accompanying video. While Spotify, SoundCloud, and other major tech platforms have sought to remove the song and its various remixes from their platforms, the song has racked up millions of views on X.
In the song’s lyrics, Ye laments that “they don’t understand the things I say on Twitter” and goes on to declare, “n**ga, heil Hitler.”
The chorus of the song states, “All my n**gas Nazis, n**ga, heil Hitler.”
