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Ye is attempting to set the record straight after critics claimed his recent apology letter was part of a publicity stunt to sell his upcoming album.
The beleaguered artist appeared to issue a sincere apology to the Jewish and Black communities for his hateful behavior over the past several years. In the open letter, Ye said he "lost touch with reality" and blamed his type-1 bipolar diagnosis for the numerous instances in which he embraced the Swastika, praised Adolf Hitler, and threatened to go "DEFCON 3" on Jewish people. His letter seemed sincere, but critics were quick to point out that he shared it just days before his BULLY album's previously scheduled release date.
"This, for me, as evidenced by the letter, isn’t about reviving my commerciality," Ye told Vanity Fair in a new interview. "This is because these remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit. I owe a huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular. All of it went too far. I look at wreckage of my episode and realize that this isn’t who I am. As a public figure, so many people follow and listen to my every word. It’s important that they realize and understand what side of history that I want to stand on. And that is one of love and positivity."
BULLY has been in the works for quite some time. Journalist Touré said Ye produced the concept album in 2024 while he was living in Japan. After experiencing a series of delays, Ye recently confirmed that the album would arrive on January 30. The tracklist for the LP surfaced online earlier this month, featuring 13 tracks, including previewed songs like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Preacher Man." Mike Dean, who reportedly resolved his past issues with Ye, confirmed the tracklist and said he co-produced all the songs on the album.
The timing of Ye's apology prompted many to believe he was attempting to clean up his image ahead of the album's release. However, according to The Breakfast Club, the album is now scheduled to drop sometime in March. Despite the chatter, the Anti-Defamation League, which has criticized Ye's every hateful move over the past several years, responded to his open letter.
"Ye’s apology to the Jewish people is long overdue and doesn’t automatically undo his long history of antisemitism – the antisemitic 'Heil Hitler' song he created, the hundreds of tweets, the swastikas and myriad Holocaust references – and all of the feelings of hurt and betrayal it caused," the ADL said in its statement. "The truest apology would be for him to not engage in antisemitic behavior in the future. We wish him well on the road to recovery."
See what The Breakfast Club had to say about the situation below.