“Unacceptable, hateful and dangerous”. The words used to describe the comments that effectively terminated Adidas’ collaboration with Kanye West in October 2022. Headlining a spiralling nosedive that has few comparisons in the modern era. What happened to Kanye West? How did we get here? It is difficult to say. Ye’s story contains elements of fabulism, almost comparable to Icarus, who flew too close to the sun. Yet might also be grounded in something far more human. A battle with his mental health, personal struggles and the weight of his success.
Creative Roots and Musical Breakthrough
Ye, formerly Kanye Omari West, was born to Donda and Ray West in 1977. When West was three, his parents divorced, and his mother raised him in Chicago’s South Side while he spent summers with his father. His mother taught English at Chicago State University. His father was a former Black Panther and one of the first black photojournalists at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. With creativity running in the family, West went on to study at the American Academy of Art and Chicago State University before dropping out to pursue his music career. Ultimately inspiring his 2004 debut album, ‘The College Dropout’.
Kanye, a talented producer, had already met industry heavyweights and produced Jay-Z’s 2001 single “This Can’t Be Life.” Following the commercial success of his first album, the hip-hop artist won Best New Male Artist at the 2004 World Music Awards and Billboard Awards. Kanye West’s personal persona, which many would have described as a confident (sometimes cocky) showman, started to shine through. No more so than during his Grammys speech in 2005 when he delivered the iconic lines “Everybody wanted to know what I would do if I didn’t win… I guess we’ll never know”.
Speaking His Mind: From Bush Comments to the VMAs Incident
This rise to fame gave Kanye a platform to share what he regarded as his truth. Whether you deemed that to be good or bad. 2005 was the first example of this. In the immediate fallout from Hurricane Katrina, West deviated from the telethon script to proclaim, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people”. A mere taste of what was to come, but early proof, Kanye wouldn’t be afraid to speak his mind.
Three albums and several awards later, Kanye’s ego grew with his success, as seen in his first public outburst at the 2009 VMAs. Famously, the Atlanta-born musician stormed the stage to protest against Taylor Swift’s award for Best Video by a Female Artist, insisting that Beyonce should have won. To this day, immortalised himself in that moment as a timeless meme. At this time, Kanye was no longer just a successful artist; he became somewhat of a cultural lightning rod. His blunt and unfiltered thoughts brought with them drama, but also entertainment. The immediate backlash from the VMAs incident caused Kanye’s co-headlining tour with Lady Gaga to be cancelled, birthing another all-time Kanye snippet: “I like some of the Gaga songs… what the f** does she know about cameras?”.
Clashes with the Fashion Industry and the Adidas Deal
Kanye West’s playful, if sometimes out-of-pocket, media interactions opportunistically coincided with his creative peak. His album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, dropped in 2010 to universal acclaim and his collaborative album with Jay-Z, Watch The Throne, which debuted the year after, only solidified his brilliance. However, Kanye wasn’t entirely satisfied with his success. During a 2013 interview with radio show host Sway Calloway on Sway in the Morning Shade 45, West spoke of his frustrations around the fashion industry gatekeeping him from high-level opportunities. A moment that not only created another iconic meme: “You ain’t got the answers, Sway!” But also spelt the end of West’s involvement with Nike and led him to sign his industry-defining deal with Adidas just a few months later.
You’d think that is where the story ends. Adidas Yeezy, as we all know, became one of the most successful partnerships in the fashion industry less than three years on from Ye bemoaning his dissatisfaction with his level of opportunity. Ye was right, on that occasion, but unfortunately, in that moment and those that followed, it would become clear that the only thing stopping Kanye was, and is…Kanye.
From Entertainer to Political Activist
From supporting Donald Trump to running for president himself, countless lawsuits and even more outrageous claims. Ye’s more recent controversies seem less endearing to the public and more destructive to his image. His cause is now no longer something people can support. He isn’t blowing up at the VMAs over who wins an award or ranting in interviews about the state of music or fashion. He is now using his platform for something far more political. Perhaps going full circle with his comments aimed at President Bush in 2005, only this time his fans don’t think he has a point.
West’s tweets became the subject of mainstream news in 2016 when he posted online, “Bill Crosby is innocent!” and in 2018, West caused outrage in the TMZ newsroom for his comments on slavery. Publicly donning a ‘Make America Great Again’ Hat, claiming “slavery sounds like a choice”. The disapproval was widespread, but it was not a total condemnation. Not yet anyway. Many of West’s fans and collaborators were able to separate the art from the artist. However, in the second half of 2022, a series of seemingly out-of-the-blue statements seriously impacted his commercial viability and his appearance at Paris Fashion Week alongside Candace Owens wearing “White Lives Matter” tees, proving the straw that ultimately broke the camel’s back.
Anti-Semitic Remarks and Extreme Associations
After Ye posted a barrage of hateful, anti-Semitic comments on social media, Twitter and Instagram removed him. People also questioned West’s political leanings because of his association with white supremacist Nick Fuentes during his presidential campaign. In a shocking interview with Alex Jones for Infowars, the disgraced artist admitted he “liked Hitler” as he was accompanied by Fuentes, who is a Holocaust denier.
West lost another long-standing friendship with Elon Musk, despite the Twitter CEO previously supporting him amid past allegations of antisemitism. The relationship ended after West posted a Nazi symbol on the platform, leading to the suspension of his account. He was also dropped by his talent agency, CAA.
While largely condemned, a group of far-right supporters hung a banner over a bridge in Los Angeles in support of the disgraced hip-hop musician’s offensive comments towards Jewish people, causing many anti-hate speech groups to further denounce West. His ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, also responded to his behaviour, stating that it is “never ok or excusable”. Adding fuel to the fire amid the public fallout between the Kardashian sisters and Ye, Canadian rapper Drake raised eyebrows in his track “Search and Rescue”, which sampled dialogue with Kim Kardashian.
Ye did not flinch in the midst of it all. Instead, he doubled down with more political and racially charged comments. Ultimately costing the rapper more than his reputation, with many questioning his mental health. Particularly following Kanye’s openness about his struggle with bipolar disorder in the past. Many brands terminated their commercial partnerships with the musician as a result. Significantly affecting his net worth and people’s respect for him as an artist.
Adidas: The End of a Billion-Dollar Deal
One of the most significant blows to West’s net worth was his partnership with adidas, a deal Forbes valued at $1.5 billion. In a press release announcing the end of the collaboration, the brand stated they “do not tolerate antisemitism and any other hate speech”, calling Ye’s actions “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous”.
Ye signed with adidas in 2015 in a deal that allowed full creative control following his previous partnership with Nike, which ended in 2013. While there is speculation over the rapper’s influence on the sportswear brand, according to Business Insider, adidas’ sales in North America were down 1% the year Kanye signed the deal. However, three years into the contract, “adidas reported an 18% annual sales increase, something which Mark King, president of the North American division at the time, credited to the artist”. During the lucrative seven-year partnership, 17 different silhouettes were released, driving a huge demand for the adidas sneakers.
While the termination of this contract significantly impacted West’s earnings, the European manufacturer was also affected. According to the adidas press release, the effect of the action was predicted to cause a “short-term negative impact of up to €250 million on the company’s net income in 2022”. According to CNN Business, the German sportswear brand has warned that it could suffer “an operating loss of €700 million ($736 million) this year— [the] first in 31 years— because of a potential €500 million ($527 million) hit related to unsold Yeezy stock”. Since the end of the commercial relationship with Kanye, adidas has shifted its focus to heritage silhouettes, such as the Samba and Gazelle, enabling them to work on new collaborations and partnerships.
Balenciaga and Other Fashion Fallouts
In another blow to Kanye’s fashion influence and income, Ye’s high-profile partnership with Balenciaga ended due to his controversial actions. West’s association with the Parisian fashion house stemmed from his relationship with creative director and fashion designer Demna Gvasalia. Demna’s connection to Kanye was through the rapper’s appreciation of his work at the French label Vetements before he became Creative Director of Balenciaga in 2015.
According to Complex, this admiration led to the designer being tapped to work on the Yeezy Season 1 collection. In February 2022, the two extended their commercial partnership, announcing the Yeezy and Gap collaboration engineered by Balenciaga, launching a successful collaboration that would far exceed predicted profits. More recently, Kanye made his modelling debut for the Parisian fashion house, opening Balenciaga’s Summer 2023 collection. A week later, Balenciaga severed ties with Kanye following his hateful outbursts on social media.
The termination of these brand deals has resulted in a loss of earnings for West, with his net worth taking a significant hit. According to Forbes, the end of his adidas and Balenciaga partnerships has left his net worth at $398 million after being valued at $2 billion before his hateful comments.
Is Kanye West going to make a comeback?
The question of a comeback currently hinged on a pretty large assumption. That assumption being that West actually wants to come back. As of the current day, 2025, West has shown little to no remorse for his actions to date. Some would even make the argument, and perhaps rightly so, that he has continued to burn bridges in the fashion industry and even with some of his most loyal fans. Earlier in 2025, he was again in the media spotlight for releasing a controversial track entitled “Heil Hitler” riddled with Nazi references, leading to more backlash and culminating in Australia cancelling his visa in response to its promotion.
In a notoriously tough market, Kanye’s rants filled with hate speech and anti-Semitic remarks have left him isolated. The most head-scratching element of this all is that it seems almost entirely self-inflicted. While West once regularly attended New York fashion shows, virtually everybody who previously supported him has now dropped him. With former friends Kid Cudi and John Legend publicly ending their association with him. Fortunately for him, his wife, Bianca Censori, seems currently to serve as his port in the storm and one of his few allies in recent times. Not that Ye has ever admitted to needing anyone but himself.
Where next for Kanye West?
In an article published by CNN, the possibility of a comeback is assessed. Referring to Ye’s lyrics in the 2004 hit, ‘Through the Wire’, where he raps, “They can’t stop me rapping, can they”. The power of his music is something people return to, and while nobody can stop the rapper from creating new songs, with a vastly reduced net worth and a series of hateful outbursts that have led to a downfall of his own doing, it is unlikely the former billionaire will scrape back the respect he once had.
West remains an enigma, and his fall from grace is like nothing we have seen previously. What we can only hope is that the forthcoming documentary “In Whose Name?”, which is due to release this year and spans 6 years of Ye’s life, will potentially illuminate more of his recent rationale. Early indications are that the film will centre around his mental health struggles, refusal to medicate, bipolar disorder and his ongoing emotional deterioration. Will it redeem all that he has done? I doubt it, but it might give us more of an indication of what happened to Kanye West.