Kanye West posts on Twitter for first time since Elon Musk’s takeover
It received more than 30,000 likes within 30 minutes of being posted
Kanye West has made his first post on Twitter since the social media platform’s takeover by Elon Musk.
The US rapper shared a captionless photo of NBA basketball player Kyrie Irving on Wednesday.
It received more than 30,000 likes within 30 minutes of being posted.
West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, was locked out of Twitter last month over antisemitic posts.
Musk previously said that the platform had restored the rapper’s account before he finalised his acquisition of the company – though it is West’s first post since that time.
Brooklyn Nets star Irving has also recently faced backlash for sharing a post about an antisemitic film.
Earlier on Wednesday, Irving released a statement saying he opposes all forms of hate, and he and the club would each donate 500,000 dollars (£438,000) toward groups that work to eradicate it.
— ye (@kanyewest) November 3, 2022
“I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalised and impacted every day,” he said, in a joint statement with the Nets and the Anti-Defamation League.
“I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility.”
West’s return to Twitter comes one day after his Instagram account was temporarily restricted for 30 days, after violating the platform’s policies.
He will not be able to post, comment or send direct messages during this time, and content was removed from the account.
The rapper continues to face a backlash over his antisemitic comments, having been dropped by several major brands including Adidas – a move that cost him his billionaire status.
West used the alternative messaging platform Parler, which he is in the process of buying, to announce he had once again been penalised on Instagram.
Other fallout from the rapper’s antisemitic comments have included being dropped by talent agency CAA and the Balenciaga fashion house.
Last week, Madame Tussauds in London said it had moved its wax figure of West from public view and into the museum’s archive.
West has long been an outspoken figure and was criticised last month for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to the showing of his latest collection at Paris Fashion Week.
Following the controversy, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and members of her family called for an end to the “terrible violence and hateful rhetoric” towards the Jewish community.
Demonstrators in Los Angeles unfurled banners on an overpass on Sunday, praising West for his antisemitic public statements.
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