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Nick Cave defends 'fondness' for Kanye West's music amid antisemitism controversy

Nick Cave has defended his "fondness" for Kanye West's music following the rapper's recent antisemitism controversy.

The Australian singer-songwriter revealed in late January that he wanted the rapper's song I Am A God to be played at his funeral.

A few days later, the Stronger hitmaker embarked on an offensive X rant in which he rescinded his previous apology for his 2022 antisemitic remarks, called himself "a Nazi", declared he "love(s) Hitler" and began selling a T-shirt bearing a swastika on his website.

The Bad Seeds frontman has now responded to his fans' disappointment over his song choice on his Red Hand Files blog.

"Numerous letters have come in expressing, in no uncertain terms, disapproval of my fondness for Kanye West's music," he wrote. "A lot of time and energy has been spent explaining the evil of Nazism, the harm of antisemitism, why it is wrong to sell t-shirts emblazoned with swastikas and why it is unacceptable to coerce one's girlfriend into standing naked on the red carpet at the Grammys. On that matter, it seems, we can all find some common ground. I agree."

Cave challenged the notion that art can be separated from the artist, adding that the "idea of an artist being divorced from their art is absurd".

"However, the great gift of art is the potential for the artist to excavate their interior chaos and transform it into something sublime. This is what Kanye does," he continued.

"In his brokenness, Kanye is an exemplar par excellence of this notion, the braided dance between sin, transcendence and genius."

Once again condemning West's comments, he concluded his post, "As odious and disappointing as many of Kanye's views are, and as sickening as antisemitism is - in its sadly always-present, ever-morphing forms - I endeavour to seek beauty wherever it presents itself. In doing so, I am reluctant to invalidate the best of us in an attempt to punish the worst. I don't think we can afford that luxury."

West has since deleted his offensive posts. His Yeezy shop, which was shut down over the swastika T-shirt, now bears a message declaring that it's "coming soon".

Photo: Cover Media
Source: Cover Media
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