A London tattoo removal studio is offering to remove Kanye West-inspired tattoos free of charge as the rapper continues to share concerning anti-Semitic remarks.
The rapper, who has legally changed his name to ‘Ye’, appeared on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Infowars show over the weekend, and said he had “love” for Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
“I love everyone, this guy invented highways, the microphone, every human has something of value they brought to the table, especially Hitler,” he said.
When Jones remarked that Ye had a “Hitler fetish”, he responded: “I like Hitler … [The Nazis] did good things, too. We’ve got to stop dissing the Nazis all the time.
“The Jewish media has made us feel like the Nazis and Hitler have never offered anything of value to the world.”
Ye has long been an inspiration for tattoos, with fans getting ink of the rapper’s face or lyrics.
But in light of his concerning fresh tirade, fans are now doing whatever they can to distance themselves.
One tattoo studio has started offering complimentary tattoo removal for anyone with Ye-inspired tattoos.
NAAMA Studios, based in London, announced its ‘Yeezy come, Yeezy go’ initiative on Instagram last month, the name inspired by Ye’s nickname and 2013 album Yeezus.
CEO Briony Garbett told CNN that the initiative has had a “great response”, with multiple former fans already in the process of removing their Kanye-inspired ink.
Three clients have already begun lasering away all traces of their Kanye tatts, while 10 more have booked consultation appointments.
Fans ‘embarrassed’
“When you have a tattoo inspired by someone you admire and they start making headlines for all the wrong reasons, it’s not exactly something you want to wear on your sleeve that you are or were a fan,” she said.
“With that in mind, we wanted to come to the aid of those who are embarrassed about their Kanye West-inspired tattoos and are offering complimentary treatment for all UK fans that want them removed.”
Tattoo removal can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the piece.
This isn’t the first time NAAMA Studios has been charitable with its tattoo removals.
It already runs its ‘Second Chances’ project, which provides free tattoo removal for clients with gang tattoos, hate symbols or other “triggering” designs.
Back in the doghouse
Ye has once again found himself in the internet’s doghouse after his most recent tirade.
Ye, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was one of many to have their Twitter accounts reinstated after the platform was purchased by Tesla boss Elon Musk in October.
But after using Twitter to share shocking anti-Semitic rhetoric, his access was once again revoked.
Shortly after his Infowars appearance, Ye took to the platform to tweet an image of a swastika blended with the Star of David.
“YE24 LOVE EVERYONE #LOVESPEECH,” the rapper tweeted alongside the image, seemingly referencing his intent to run for the US presidency in 2024.
Musk, who has proclaimed himself to be a “free speech absolutist”, publicly condemned Ye’s actions.
Many meltdowns
“I tried my best,” he wrote. “Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended.”
Musk did not clarify whether the suspension was temporary or permanent.
The controversy also caught the attention of US President Joe Biden.
“Instead of giving it a platform, our political leaders should be calling out and rejecting anti-Semitism wherever it hides,” he tweeted on Saturday.
“Silence is complicity.”
This is just the latest of many public and hatred-filled meltdowns by the Grammy Award-winning artist.
Ye appeared at Paris Fashion Week in October alongside right-wing figure Candace Owens wearing ‘White Lives Matter’ shirts.
This was followed by more anti-Semitic rants, in which he said he was going “death con 3 on Jewish people”.
Ye’s shocking outbursts spurred both Adidas and Balenciaga to part ways with the rapper, reportedly costing him his billionaire status.
