Kanye West kicked off his highly anticipated “Yeezus” tour in Seattle this past weekend. The controversial hip-hop star is arguably the most talked-about artist in America right now (aside from maybe Miley Cyrus), and with fans still chattering about his recent appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” he’s got the kind of publicity that only drives up interest and ticket sales.
So, of course, what better time to stoke a little more controversy?
As Kanye’s first show of the tour began, the tie-in merchandise being peddled in Key Arena soon became a subject of criticism. According to several reports, T-shirts for the tour and other items being sold are adorned with the Confederate flag emblem. Much of the merchandise features the flag, along with a skull or skeleton, as well as the phrase: “I Ain’t Comin’ Down.” The rapper hasn’t given any explanation as to why he would use such a symbol or what the imagery and phrase mean as it relates to the “Yeezus” tour.
2013 has been a year of provoking fans and media for Kanye West. He started the year with a series of strange rants during performances in Europe, and since the late summer, he’s embarked on a few bizarre televised interviews that saw the iconoclastic star ranting about everything from his lukewarm fashion career to his belief that he’s a “creative genius.” Even his album title generated a fair amount of derision.
