Kanye West is no stranger to controversy, and his new album has just been leaked online in a politically motivated hack that comes on the back of growing outrage over West’s recent antisemitic comments and incendiary content, including a music video called “H**l Hitler.”
The unofficial release of West’s new album leaked on social media platforms this week, allegedly starting on Discord before it reached other platforms. The leak contains songs such as “Bianca,” “WW3,” “Cousins,” and others that will be featured on his new project.
Hacker Targets Kanye West Over Antisemitism, Vows Profits to Holocaust Museum
What makes this leak unique among typical music piracy is the apparently ulterior motive behind it. The hacker who infiltrated the breach staged the act very clearly as revenge against West’s inflammatory comments, labeling the rapper a “Nazi B***h” and other name-calling.
Most strikingly, if so, the hacker vows that any profits generated from the leak will be donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum—a pointed rebuke to West’s antisemitic rants that have increased in recent months.
This album leak is another career faux pas for West, whose own planned album listening party in Korea has been canceled. The rapper’s business empire has been crumbling since the latter months of 2022, with major brands like Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga abandoning him after he was caught making antisemitic remarks.
Music industry watcher Jordan Cohen encapsulates the unusual character of this phenomenon: “We’ve had leaks in the past, but never with so much explicit political motivation. This is a new breed of digital activism where hackers are targeting artists precisely because of their provocative views and not because of the value of their unreleased material.”
The leak challenges the overlap between art, politics, and internet security. West’s provocative music video “H**l Hitler” had already drawn heavy criticism for its imagery and messaging, with many viewing it as an extension of his past history of antisemitic statements.
Kanye West Album Leaked Amidst Antisemitism Controversy
Social media response to the leak has been varied. Some have celebrated what they see as karmic justice, and some have complained at the normalization of hacking as a protest, sympathetic target or otherwise.
“There is a perilous precedent being created here,” warns cybersecurity expert Aisha Williams. “While many will think that West’s remarks need to have implications, vigilante hacking opens a door very difficult to shut. It’s the person whose views are usually derided today, but tomorrow it will be whoever holds unpopular views.”
West is reported to have responded to the leak on Twitter, but his remark was not obtainable.
The hack is occurring at a time when the music industry itself continues to struggle with digital security. Artists have long been plagued by big-name leaks, but the explicitly punitive tone of this hack suggests that the motivations behind such actions are changing.
Jewish organizations have refrained from making direct comments on the leak so far, though a number have criticized West’s antisemitic imagery and language in the past.
Throughout the course of the story, there are concerns about the actual impact of the leak on West’s album release plans and whether or not the hacker’s offer of making a donation to the Holocaust Memorial Museum will materialize.
Meanwhile, this incident is just another installment in the increasingly notorious public career of West, where his work continues to be overshadowed by incendiary comments and the public outcry they provoke.
West’s camp has yet to call back for comment regarding the security breach or possible alterations to the official release of the album.
