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Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign are close to releasing their collaborative album Vultures and hosted a listening party in Miami this week. What has some people talking is the moment when Kanye West came onstage donning a Black hood stylized like the white KKK hood.
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign, collectively known under the ¥$ moniker, appeared together in Miami’s Wynwood Marketplace for an outdoor listening party according to a report from Variety.
The event got a late start and there were some technical issues with audio assistants having a time trying to connect West’s phone to the audio system at the venue. The event was also streamed on YouTube with fans at home experiencing viewing issues as well. According to the outlet, tickets for general admission for the event were listed at $200, $600 for VIP, and $10,000 for tables.
The pair played 10 tracks from Vultures with notable features from Lil Baby, Charlie Wilson, Lil Durk, Bump J, Nicki Minaj, Kodak Black, and more. Joining West and $ign on the stage were Chris Brown, Offset, the aforementioned Kodak Black, Lil Durk, Bump J, Freddie Gibbs, and more.
During the album’s controversial title track where West decries being antisemitic in a vulgar fashion, the artist came onstage wearing the Black hood and stared at the crowd for effect. Instead of shying away from the heat sure to come from the song and the image, West reportedly paused the song after the line in question from the song.
On X, formerly Twitter, fans are chiming in with their thoughts on the album, Kanye West himself, and more.
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Photo: Gotham / Getty
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Broadway actress Denée Benton added more surprise to the Tony Awards as she blasted Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis onstage.
The veteran actress from Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Hamilton, and Into the Woods, was presenting the Excellence in Theatre Education Award from Carnegie Mellon University during the live broadcast of the awards on CBS and Paramount+ Sunday night. “Hi, I’m Denée Benton, actor, and proud CMU alum,” she began after taking the state at the United Palace Theatre in New York City. The awards were held without writers due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, leaving presenters to sculpt their remarks.
“Earlier tonight, CMU and the Tony Awards presented the 2023 Excellence in Theatre Education Award,” The Gilded Age actress continued. “And while I am certain that the current Grand Wizard… I’m sorry, excuse me – governor of my home state of Florida will be changing…. I am sure that he will change the name of this following town immediately. We were honored to present this award to the truly incredible and life-changing Jason Zembuch Young, enhancing the lives at students at South Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida.”
Benton’s words left some shocked with their mouths open while the audience cheered mightily. Those at home watching also took note, including veteran reporter and entertainment correspondent Bobby Rivers, who tweeted: “I bet DeSantis will try to get the Tony Awards telecast canceled. He’s probably watching and stomping the ground like Mr. Applegate at the end of DAMN YANKEES.”
The “Grand Wizard” reference comes from the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan organization, which bestows that title upon its top leader. Since being elected as governor in 2019, DeSantis has actively made policy decisions that have angered civil rights advocates such as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill targeting educators trying to aid LGBTQ teens and their parents in addition to openly fighting the Walt Disney Company as it voiced opposition to his policies. He has also targeted Black students through the state’s educational board and their refusal to implement an advanced AP course on African-American studies in high schools. There was no immediate response from DeSantis or his representatives, as he is currently out at the beginning of his campaign for president on the Republican ticket.
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