Kanye Apologizes To Jewish Community In Hebrew

Kanye West is back on Instagram with an important message. The controversial rapper took to the social media platform on Tuesday (Dec. 26) to apologize to the Jewish community for his antisemtic words over the years. In an attempt to calm the tension he posted the apology in Hebrew.

"I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions, it was not my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused," West wrote in translation from Hebrew.

Kanye continued, "I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity."

Ye's apology follows Israeli MMA fighter Haim Gozali posting a missile with the rapper's name on it. "Kanye West Flying to Gaza Haim Gozali," the missile read as the athlete posted it to X (formerly known as Twitter).

However, many fans just urged him to drop Vultures, the joint project set to arrive on Jan. 12 while other fans called him out for his lackluster apology.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," one Instagram user wrote in the comment section. "For more than a year you shoot anti-Semitic and offensive statements for no reason and out of complete ignorance! Is this the legacy you want to pass on to your children???"

"Now post it in English so that not only we (Hebrew speakers) will understand," another fan wrote.

This is not the first time Ye has apologized to the Jewish community. A week after brands such as Balenciaga, Adidas, and more dropped the rapper for his antisemitic rant, he joined Piers Morgan on his show last year to apologize.

"I will say I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the 'Death Con,'" he said, regarding a tweet where he threatened to go "death con three" against the Jewish people (he likely meant "defcon three"). "I feel like I caused hurt and confusion and I’m sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I’d been through. And I used my platform where you say, 'Hurt people, hurt people.' And I was hurt."

Hip-Hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. While the genre is one of the youngest, it is not short on its impact on the culture.

The genre originated in the early '70s in New York in African-American communities in the Bronx. There are several aspects to hip-hop in regard to music making, such as rap, djing, and freestyling. Those created other avenues in the art form, such as breakdancing and graffiti art.

Hip-hop has been in the mainstream in ways that were never thought possible by its early adopters of the craft.

"When we started on this journey decades ago, we were often told, 'No'. No, you won't be able to leave New Jersey. No, if you rap, you can't sing. No, singers can't become actresses. No, actors can't also produce," Queen Latifah said to Entertainment Weekly in a statement as she is set to become the first female rap artist to be celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors.

"To now be recognized amongst so many multi-hyphenates feels unbelievable, not for just me and my team, but for our community. The work the Kennedy Center does is immeasurable so I'm beyond grateful for this recognition."

Throughout this year, hip-hop has been celebrated in performances by some of the greats. At the 2023 BET Awards, there were performances by MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, The Sugarhill Gang, D-Nice, Warren G, Yo-Yo, Trick Daddy, Trina, Uncle Luke, Redman, Erick Sermon, and Keith Murray -- also known as "Def Squad," and more highlighted rap on Culture's Biggest Night.

Earlier this year, Questlove curated a hip-hop tribute at the 2023 Grammy Awards where Missy Elliott, Run DMC, Salt n Pepa, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Ice-T, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, Nelly, GloRilla, Lil Baby, and more took to the stage.

If you have been a fan since the beginning or you've just begun listening, you'll learn more from these projects. Take a look at five documentaries on these hip-hop artists:

Biggie and Tupac is a full-length documentary on the lives and tragedies of the hip-hop greats. Besides footage of Biggie and Tupac, you will also see appearances from Snoop Dogg, Lil Cease, and more. You can stream Biggie and Tupac on Amazon Prime Video.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14867972/

Jay-Z is regarded as one of the best rappers to have touched a mic. The New York native's 2020 documentary titled The Story of Jay-Z shows fans how he got to where he is now. You can stream The Story of Jay-Z on Amazon Prime Video.

Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy takes us back to where it all began for Kanye West: The Southside of Chicago. Kanye West's artistry has impacted hip-hop like no other as his diverse skills in producing and designing put him in a league of his own. You can stream Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy on Netflix.

Nas: Time Is Illmatic takes a deep dive into Nas' iconic debut album Illmatic. In the New York native's documentary you will also hear accounts from Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and Pharrell. You can stream Nas: Time Is Illmatic on Peacock.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24514002/

Eminem has had quite a career in hip-hop and this documentary takes a look at many of his accolades. In 2022 he performed at the Super Bowl alongside Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent. He was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year for his contributions to hip-hop. You can stream Eminem: Count Me In on Amazon Prime Video.