Kanye West Documentary Shelved as Rapper Reportedly Dropped by Talent Agency

Rapper Kanye West has sparked an avalanche of criticism and was locked out of his Instagram* and Twitter accounts in recent weeks for a plethora of “anti-Semitic” comments online and in TV interviews. J.P. Morgan, the Gap and Balenciaga are just some of the bigger names that opted to sever ties with the Grammy winner and fashion mogul.

Kanye West is continuing to reap backlash over his recent remarks, which have been denounced as anti-Semitic.

After the rapper’s relations with some of the most prominent players in the fashion industry soured in the aftermath of the musician’s recent outbursts on social media and in interviews, MRC Entertainment decided to shelve a recently completed documentary about the "Donda" artist. Studio executives Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu and Scott Tenley from the documentary's production company said in a statement on Monday that they "cannot support any content that amplifies his platform".

"Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3000 years - the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain," MRC said in a letter cited by media outlets.

MRC Entertainment continued:

"This song was performed acapella in the time of the Pharaohs, Babylon and Rome, went acoustic with The Spanish Inquisition and Russia’s Pale of Settlement, and Hitler took the song electric. Kanye has now helped mainstream it in the modern era."

Hollywood financier/producer MRC says it won't proceed with a Kanye West documentary. pic.twitter.com/cR0FiLDOmT

— Lucas Shaw (@Lucas_Shaw) October 24, 2022

Earlier, leading talent agency CAA dropped the singer, who formally changed his name to "Ye", from its client list, US media reported.

Kanye West has faced growing backlash after making controversial claims on social media and in TV interviews. The rapper alleged that Jewish people make up a majority of music executives, and try to control the culture, ostensibly trying to supress anyone who opposes them. He also tweeted that he was going to go "death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” in a likely reference to US military defense readiness condition - DEFCON.

Amid the ensuing scandal, which resulted in the musician's social media accounts being frozen, a chorus of public demands urged that the rapper be stripped of lucrative endorsements.

Ari Emanuel, CEO of talent firm Endeavor, last week wrote an op-ed urging all enterprises to stop working with Ye.

“Those who continue to do business with West are giving his misguided hate an audience. There should be no tolerance anywhere for West’s anti-Semitism,” Emmanuel wrote.

He also urged Apple and Spotify to stop streaming Ye’s music. Emanuel noted that WME clients LeBron James and Maverick Carter had canceled an episode of “The Shop: Uninterrupted” because Ye “continued to repeat dangerous stereotypes during filming.”

Since then, French fashion house Balenciaga curtailed its partnership with Ye, as did JPMorgan Chase and the Gap, according to media sources. Adidas has also been taking flak for not severing its ties with the 'All of the Lights' rapper. The billionaire musician - who was diagnosed as having bipolar disorder in 2016 - earlier stirred controversy by showcasing a 'Yeezy' T-shirt with the slogan 'White Lives Matter' during Paris Fashion Week. The move was denounced by the Anti-Defamation League, as the phrase emblazoned across the shirts, which reframes the Black Lives Matter phrase, was deemed a hate statement.

*Meta (Facebook, Instagram) is banned in Russia as an extremist organization.