In today’s world, we are constantly discovering that many of our favorite artists have made poor decisions, which can cause a feeling of uncertainty.

Some people make the claim that art should be separated from the artist, but we can’t let artists get away with problematic actions. When an artist crosses the line by making hateful statements or committing crimes that target a certain group, it is vital that students understand the totality of the statement, neglect their music and stand in solidarity with the people in the affected group.

Kanye West has been restricted from his Twitter account, and for a good reason. On Oct. 8, he tweeted antisemitic, hateful rheotic to his 37.1 million followers. Since then, West has lost over $1 billion from companies like Adidas pulling his deals. If companies are able to realize they should not sponsor someone that is ignorant, college kids should also be able to cut ties. It only takes the click of a finger to unfollow Kanye on Spotify.

One must not bury their head in the sand and ignore an issue — if it doesn’t affect you, that doesn’t mean it’s not a problem. West’s statement directly impacts an exorbitant amount of this campus. SU has a large Jewish population, making up about 17 percent of the school. Although many students like his music, they should consider how it affects others.

Although rap music is popular among college students, they can listen to other unproblematic rap artists who have made no controversial statements. By no means is this a war on rap music, it is a war raged upon artists unfit to have a mass audience. Students can find many great songs to listen to that have the same style as West, but do not support harsh antisemitic statements.

Listening to West’s music only continues to support someone who spreads hate. Not only did he proudly display his words, he shared them with a mass audience that can be easily influenced to follow in his footsteps. Artists should be held responsible for their actions and West’s audience and fan-base needs to take a critical look at who the artist is as a person.

SU students need to recognize that turning a blind eye can have devastating consequences to their own community. Playing songs by artists such as Kanye West could have a negative emotional effect on many members of the community. Students should stand with the Jewish community by consciously choosing to not separate the artist from their music.

Sophia Leone is a sophomore broadcast, digital journalism major with a minor in political science. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at seleone@g.syr.edu.

Published on November 1, 2022 at 10:00 pm