Kanye West has revealed the extent to which his anti-Semitic controversy truly cost him.
Amid praise of his Super Bowl Yeezy ad, the rapper revealed he was “two months” away from filing for bankruptcy after losing over $2 billion in a day.
He shared that Yeezy made millions from the ad, and his new album, “Vultures,” is topping charts worldwide. Fans also heavily praised West, calling the ad a pure marketing genius and one of the “greatest” Super Bowl commercials. West himself was also at the game with his wife Bianca Censori and was clad in a black outfit from head to toe.
Kanye West Claims He Was Months Away From Bankruptcy
MEGA
West recently revealed that he was just “two months away” from declaring bankruptcy after his massive anti-Semitic scandal in 2022.
At the time, the scandal got so big that Adidas terminated their partnership with his Yeezy company, which cost West $2 billion and his billionaire status.
During his conversation with a news outlet, West said he put “everything [he] had” into his Yeezy Super Bowl ad for the brand’s new collection and his new album, “Vultures.”
The rapper explained that as the financial blowback from his anti-Semitic scandal began, he decided to move away from America with his wife, Bianca Censori.
He said, “We moved to Italy. We moved to the factories, and we survived. We survived through the cancellation. We’re back number one.”
West has indeed slowly built his way back into the music and business scene despite multiple mini controversies surrounding his choice of dressing for him and Censori and his anti-Semitic remarks.
Yeezy Made Millions From The Super Bowl Ad
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During the interview, West also revealed that Yeezy had generated $ 19.3 million from the Super Bowl ad, and Vultures was holding down the number-one spot in 100 countries. When asked if he believes the scandal actually “helped” him, the “Praise God” rapper said, “It Wasn’t about the controversy. It was about being able to say how you felt out loud.”
He explained, “If I didn’t have the various skill sets of music and clothing and the fanbase, they would have been able to destroy me. But because we had all those skill sets, somehow I’m here inside of this universe able to fight.”
The rapper was also asked if he regrets making the controversial anti-Semitic statements, and he said that everyone has “got the right to their opinion.”
West’s acclaimed Super Bowl ad was actually a very simple promo for his brand and music and was filmed in the back of a car.
In it, West said, “Hey y’all, this is Ye, and this is my commercial … (my team) spent all the money on the commercial spot (so we) actually didn’t spend any money on the actual commercial. But the idea is I want you to go to Yeezy.com. Imma write it at the bottom of the screen … and I got some shoes, and ummmm … that’s it.”
Fans Praised Kanye West’s Ad On Social Media
KANYE WEST SUPERBOWL AD 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/oe1a4XkKp7
— Ye Saints (@yesaints) February 12, 2024
While West’s ad may have seemed bizarre, especially in comparison to the glossy, big project ads other brands did, tons of fans appreciated the simplicity. After it aired, many took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their opinions, calling it a stroke of marketing genius.
One fan wrote, “The genius that is Kanye West. Put a commercial on the Super Bowl that will trend beyond the Super Bowl.”
Another person tweeted, “I didn’t watch the Superbowl but I have seen this ad 3 times. Pretty genius of you actually.”
West himself was also at the Super Bowl to cheer on the Kansas Chiefs as they claimed victory again. The “All of the Lights” rapper was in the same arena with two famous women from his past, music rival Taylor Swift and ex-wife Kim Kardashian.
West remained in complete disguise as he walked into the stadium hand-in-hand with Censori. The Grammy Award-winning rapper wore a black crucifix mask by Alexander McQueen, a black leather jacket, and glossy leather trousers. Censori was also dressed in black, wearing a jacket and glossy hooded accessory.
After the Super Bowl event, the rapper took to his social media page to share multiple identical racy videos of his Censori. Later, he slammed fans questioning his reason for sharing the video clips, noting that his wife “makes him happy.”