Kanye West dons KKK-style mask at new album listening party

Miami, Florida - Kanye West is making his big return to music, but he, of course, had to do it in the most controversial way possible.

Rapper Kanye West held a listening party for his new album in Miami on Monday, where he boldly sported a black Klu Klux Klan hood on stage.
Rapper Kanye West held a listening party for his new album in Miami on Monday, where he boldly sported a black Klu Klux Klan hood on stage.  © Collage: Screenshot / X / @MarioNawfal & IMAGO / Cover-Images

Ye hosted a listening party during his appearance at Art Basil late Monday night, where he played and performed songs from his new joint album with Ty Dolla $ign titled Vulturs.

The event was plagued with technical delays in the beginning, causing the so-called "Vultures Rave" to not jump off until two hours after it was scheduled.

Nonetheless, West pulled out all the stops, hosting many of his friends on the album, including Chris Brown, Offset, and Kodak Black. He even had his daughter, North, on stage to perform a verse in one of the songs.

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But the biggest head-turning moment of the night may have been when West, who wore what seemed to be a black scarf over his head, pulled it down to reveal that it was actually an all-black Klu Klux Klan mask.

Images of him sporting the bizarre fashion choice have gone viral on the internet, with the rapper seen both on stage and in pictures with some of his fellow musicians.

West has now made it a habit of stoking the flames of racial discontent, but with his career in its current state, was the bold move really worth it? Kanye sure seems to think so.

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West's return comes after he sabotaged his own career last year by making a string of antisemitic statements — then doubling down on them in subsequent interviews and public appearances. His fall lost him many of his high-profile business deals, caused many of his friends in the industry to turn their back on him, and even cost him his status as a billionaire.

Despite this, Ye continues to lean into his now infamous image. In one of the leaked tracks from the new album, West raps, "How I'm antisemitic? I just f**ked a Jewish b***h."

According to Variety, the rapper repeated the lyric as the audience was on their way out the door and was grinning ear to ear as the show came to its close.

Vulture is expected to be officially released to the public on Friday.

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshot / X / @MarioNawfal & IMAGO / Cover-Images

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