Kanye West has ignited fresh controversy by promoting a T-shirt featuring a swastika on his Yeezy website. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from civil rights organizations and public figures worldwide.
The 47-year-old rapper was kicked off X on Monday (10.02.25) for posting a stream of anti-Semitic and misogynistic outbursts, but has now taken to seeing a white shirt on his page, which is priced at $20 and labeled “HH-01” — a code for “Heil Hitler” according to the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL has tracked a 36% increase in antisemitic incidents in the past year.
“As if we needed further proof of Kanye’s antisemitism, he chose to put a single item for sale on his website — a T-shirt emblazoned with a swastika,” the ADL condemned Kanye’s latest controversial move, stating. The organization has been monitoring hate symbols and their proliferation for over 100 years.
They emphasized the symbol’s historical significance by saying: “The swastika is the symbol adopted by Hitler as the primary emblem of the Nazis. It galvanized his followers in the 20th century and continues to threaten and instill fear in those targeted by antisemitism and white supremacy.” Historical records show that the symbol has been associated with over 6 million deaths during the Holocaust.
It comes after Kanye launched a commercial for the Super Bowl 2025 in which he mentioned shooting the ad on his iPhone, explaining he spent “all the money for the commercial” on new grills for his teeth. The Super Bowl commercial slots this year were priced at an average of $7 million for 30 seconds.
During his latest anti-Semitic outburst on X, Kanye included declarations of admiration for Adolf Hitler and self-identified as a Nazi. These statements have led to multiple brands severing ties with the artist, resulting in an estimated loss of over $1.5 billion in potential business relationships.
The rapper – who was previously dumped from his deals with household brand names for similar statements – also messaged: “I’m never apologizing for my Jewish comments.” This stance has resulted in further isolation from the fashion and music industries, with many former collaborators publicly distancing themselves.
Before deactivating his account on X, Kanye revealed his swastika T-shirt had been in development for several years, describing it as his “greatest performance art piece thus far”. The platform has strengthened its policies against hate speech, having suspended over 300,000 accounts for similar violations in the past year.
In addition to his anti-Semitic statements, Kanye commented on his wife, Bianca Censori, 30, in recent posts, by stating: “She’s with a billionaire why would she listen to any of you dumb a** broke b******.” The couple’s relationship has been under intense public scrutiny since their marriage in 2022.
The remark was in response to another outcry, over Bianca’s nude dress at the Grammy Awards, which exposed her entire body after she stripped off her fur coat on the red carpet of the event. The incident generated significant media attention and sparked debates about public decency standards at major entertainment events.
The latest controversy has prompted renewed calls for mental health awareness and responsibility in social media usage. Mental health experts have emphasized the importance of addressing both hate speech and psychological well-being in public figures with significant influence.
Several major retailers have already announced their refusal to stock any Yeezy products featuring hate symbols, with some implementing new screening processes for all merchandise. The fashion industry has responded with increased vigilance against the normalization of hate symbols in clothing design.
Legal experts have noted that while freedom of expression is protected, the commercial sale of items promoting hate symbols may face challenges in certain jurisdictions. Several countries have already banned the sale of Nazi-related merchandise, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment.
