Kanye West debuts Yeezy line with controversial ‘White Lives Matter’ T-shirt

The controversial rapper’s latest Yeezy line debut has been met with fierce backlash, thanks to a baffling phrase on one of the T-shirts.

Kanye West has copped intense backlash after debuting a shirt from his latest Yeezy line emblazoned with the words, “White Lives Matter”.

The US rapper staged a surprise fashion show for his label on Monday in Paris, where he showcased his season nine collection, New York Post reports.

West, 45, donned the controversial T-shirt as he posed for a photo alongside right wing political commentator Candace Owens, 33, who was also wearing the shirt.

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Kanye West and right-wing commentator Candace Owens, pose while wearing a Yeezy ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt.

“I am Ye, and everyone here knows that I am the leader,” West said as part of his speech at the show. “You can’t manage me.”

Some of the models in the show also wore the shirt down the runway, as furious fans took to social media to dub the piece “disgusting”.

Kanye West decision to wear a “White Lives Matter” shirt is disgusting, dangerous, and irresponsible. Some of y’all will rush to defend him. You should ask yourselves why… pic.twitter.com/YT4a6c9tKI

— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) October 3, 2022

Kanye west making Black models wear “ white lives matter” shirts is a culmination of his anti blackness and his immersion in white supremacy ideologies and methods. Disgusting pic.twitter.com/yIaVKPYEBB

— ꧁༺ӄɛɛք ȶʀɨɢɢɛʀɨռɢ ʀǟƈɨֆȶֆ ʍɛɢɦǟռ༻꧂ (@Blu_Alexia_) October 3, 2022

kanye west going from “george bush doesn’t care about Black people” to kanye west not caring about Black people is wild. wishing him nothing but the worst.

— 5hahem aka Dr. Durag (@shaTIRED) October 3, 2022

Kanye West and Candace Owens have to be the 2 stupidest individuals on earth. The fact that they are using racism directed also to them, to get attention, is just on a whole new level of pitiful. This is not even pathetic. This is embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/jSKpHb7j0j

— 🇮🇹🇺🇸 Anis Jerbi 🇺🇦🇹🇳 (@ArtistAJ17) October 3, 2022

What #KanyeWest is doing is not only intellectually dishonest it’s irresponsible and borderline dangerous.

— Dr. Wendy Osefo (@WendyOsefo) October 3, 2022

Others recalled his infamous trip to the White House, in which he wore a “MAGA” hat.

West has also previously caused controversy wearing a jacket with the Confederate flag on it in 2013.

“There’s just people. From the same planet. And sometimes, in high school, it feels like we don’t fit in. And in a situation like this, we have the opportunity to come together to express who we are,” West told Vogueof his vision for the runway ahead of the show.

“It’s leaning into the shape of how I see this future world … this alternate world. But in high school. It’s focused on curriculum because both my parents are educators.”

White Lives Matter is often used among white supremacists as a racially driven response to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.

West earlier attended the Givenchy spring-summer 2023 fashion show. Picture: Julien de Rosa/AFP

Meanwhile, West has been attending fashion shows in London and Paris over the past week, even making his runway debut as a model, opening the Balenciaga fashion show on Sunday. Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and his daughter North West sat in the front row for the star’s walk through the muddy runway.

Previous Yeezy fashion shows have been marred by disaster, having made guests wait for hours in the hot sun, fainting models and more. However, this is the first time West is taking his designs to Paris Fashion Week.

This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission