The globe was shaken Thursday with the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. The complex and very private monarch’s seven-decade reign left a mark on the world, and millions are mourning her death. While some have tried to parse through her legacy in lengthy think pieces, and others have taken to Twitter to make memes and have discourse about her persona and the British monarchy’s role in colonization, celebrities like Elton John and Harry Styles have been making tributes. None of that is surprising, but what did seem a bit out of character was Kanye West being essentially born again through the news.
Ye, who has spent the better part of this year aiming at various targets in his music and social media, took to his Instagram to essentially start over. He scrubbed the account of all of his vitriolic posts, and put up one instead Friday morning that showed photos of the late Queen alongside a message of his own. “Life is precious,” he wrote. “Releasing all grudges today. Leaning into the light.”
