Since the release of his first full-length album The College Dropout in 2003, Kanye West has been hailed a genius by fans and industry professionals. However, while his commercial success developed and grew with each new album, West has gained notoriety as a somewhat controversial and outspoken figure. His first major controversy came in 2005, when during a benefit for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, West proclaimed that then-President George W. Bush did not care about black people, and that the victims of the disaster were suffering because of this. Ultimately, although West apologised for these remarks in 2010, the general consensus was that West had spoken a truth that many others had been thinking, and this did not generally the way in which he was perceived by many of his fans.
However, while West is sometimes praised for his arguments about racism within the music industry (in 2007, he suggested that his being overlooked to open the MTV VMAs was due to his race), his outbursts are often criticised for their nature. In possibly his most famous controversy, West interrupted Taylor Swift as she accepted an award at the 2009 VMAs, stating that the award was more deserved by fellow artist and friend of West’s, Beyoncé. This outburst led to widespread media attention and criticism, with even then-President Barack Obama labelling West a “jackass” for his actions. Again, West ultimately apologised to Swift for his behaviour, but the apparent feud this created lasted for many years after the event.
In recent months, Kanye has embroiled himself further in controversy due to his support of US President Donald Trump, as well as comments made about the US Slave Trade and support for Candace Owens, a Conservative candidate and pro-Trump commentator. However, all of this personal and political controversy rarely seems to hurt Kanye’s career, with his music still receiving critical acclaim and his other business ventures thriving. While Kanye as a person may be treated with mistrust, Kanye as a brand is still considered a valuable commodity and successful businessman.
In 2009, Kanye released his first line of Yeezy sneakers, a collaboration with Nike met with success from music and fashion fans alike. The line continued, now a collaboration with Adidas, and continued its success. In fact, West is now considered one of the most influential names in athletic footwear, and reportedly makes more money annually on footwear alone than basketball star Michael Jordan and his Air Jordan line. (This has been refuted by BusinessInsider, but as the sales figures and profits are not shared publicly, there is no way to be certain.) This success, however, seems to come largely from West’s personal brand rather than the sneakers themselves. For the Yeezy 6 campaign, West’s wife Kim Kardashian-West was the focus, with help from celebrity friend Paris Hilton. The buzz generated from this campaign alone increased interest and search engine hits for the line.
In 2018, following West’s public support of Trump, online searches and certified resales of Yeezys grew, showing that despite the negative nature of his press attention, keeping Kanye as a person and brand at the forefront of the public’s minds continued to help his sales and his brand success. His notoriety and reputation means that Kanye is a much-discussed figure. Billboard reported that in the week immediately following his return to Twitter, in April 2013, there had been 4.2 million tweets posted about Kanye, and that he gained half a million new followers after his year-long hiatus.
Paramount to his success as a brand is West’s relationship with his wife, Kim Kardashian-West. Dubbed ‘Kimye’ by the press, the unifying of two already successful celebrities, each with great notoriety even before their relationship, has increased the levels of publicity and opportunities for commercial success for both of the pair. On a more personal level, I would suggest that it is in part Kardashian and her persona and public role that allow West to remain successful even in spite of his personal opinion and controversy. When West first posted his endorsement of Donald Trump, he followed up with a tweet stating that his wife had asked him to clarify that he does not agree with all of the President’s actions or policies. Similarly, Kardashian will often tweet in response to West’s controversies, defending him and his right to express his opinions. It is this expression of their relationship that has allowed Kimye to become a successful brand even outside of their commercial success. Both Kanye and Kim are open and willing to discuss their relationship and their children, which has allowed fans to gain a feeling of intimacy and connection with the two. With this feeling of a bond pre-established, it seems easier to forgive Kanye for the opinions one may disagree with, when his wife is seemingly behind him in support and asking for understanding.
Bibliography:
BBC News. (2009). Obama calls Kanye West a jackass . Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8258330.stm. Last accessed 1st July 2018.
Hanbury, M. (2018). Kanye West’s secret to building a footwear empire to compete with Nike. Available: http://uk.businessinsider.com/how-kanye-west-made-yeezy-brand-a-success-2018-4?r=US&IR=T. Last accessed 1st July 2018.
Aniftos, R. (2018). Kanye West Amasses 4.2 Million Tweets About Him Since Reactivating His Account. Available: https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8359919/kanye-west-twitter-stats-since-reactivating-account. Last accessed 1st July 2018.