Controversial rapper Kanye West has ignited a heated debate within the music industry after advising his fellow American rappers to emulate the business acumen of their Nigerian counterparts. In a recent interview with DJ Akademiks, West labeled many American rappers as “clueless” and lacking financial and legal awareness, sparking intense discussion.
West asserted that many US artists rely heavily on external figures, specifically Jewish lawyers and investors, to manage their careers. He challenged his peers to break this dependence, stating, ‘None of these n****s [rappers] are as smart as me. I can’t say for the tech dudes… But artistes are dumb, bro. It’s like, they can’t even f***ing count, bro.’ He further posed the challenge, ‘Go and ask them to run a whole record label without a Jewish person… Go and set up your whole TV network, make it run, no Jewish investor, let me see how that works.’
Kanye West specifically highlighted the business savvy and independence of Nigerian rappers, alongside other entrepreneurial groups like the Chinese and Indians. He urged American rappers to take greater control of their own careers, citing these examples of successful self-management. ‘Until motherf***ers can really get their stuff together like the Nigerians, the Chinese, the Jewish or like the tech Indian or some sh*t, everything I’m saying counts,’ he declared.
