‘Kanye Clone’ puts on a show that had the internet abuzz and people wondering if Kanye was doing ‘tshuva’ ahead of the High Holidays.
By World Israel News Staff
A 46-year-old Kanye West impersonator who’s real name is Barron Jay Littleton Jr. had the internet asking what was going on with the real Kanye, after Jay paraded a “Jewish Lives Matter” t-shirt at a fashion show in New York.
“I wanted to convey a message that Jewish lives matter,” he told the New York Jewish Week. “My intention behind it is that each culture can rally around each other.”
Jay, a native of Detroit now residing in Los Angeles, has made a business of impersonating Kanye West since 2004. “People hire me to do bar mitzvahs, birthday parties, corporate events, meet and greets,” he was quoted as saying. “Everywhere I go, I’m getting mistaken as Kanye West.”
“I’m at an advantage to spread his message”
As a day job, Jay serves as director of an organization that supports troubled children in the Los Angeles area. “I really am able to resonate with these kids more and get them to trust me because I look like Kanye,” he explains. The proceeds from his appearances as “Kanye” are channelled to his organization.
More of the same
Last week, Kanye made headlines announcing the release of a new single titled “Israel.” Reportedly, the song deals with “Yeezy’s” experience with the devil.
“Tell me right now is it real/ Y’all be talking about the devil I seen a close-up/ Every night I could’ve told everything they told us/ They was talking about the style I said ‘n___’ Moses/ Ain’t nobody pardon Hoover but we got the closest,” announces the song.
Kanye’s history with antisemitism
In 2022, West sparked controversy after tweeting comments appearing to threaten Jews, while claiming African Americans were also Jewish.
West took to Twitter, vowing to go “death con 3” against Jews, an attempted reference to the U.S. military’s defense readiness condition (DEFCON) alert system.
“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” West wrote, denying that his comments could be construed as antisemitic, claiming that black people are Jews.
“The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also.”
“You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda,” he added.
West’s comments came after his Instagram account was shuttered, amid accusations of antisemitism, after West uploaded screenshots of a conversation with fellow rapper-turned-businessman Sean Combs, better known by his stage name P. Diddy.
“Ima use you as an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me,” West threatened Combs in one text message he uploaded to Instagram before his account was frozen.
“I told you this was war. Now gone get you some business,” he wrote.
Under the screenshots of the texts, Kanye wrote the caption “Jesus is Jew.”
This is not the first time the 24-time Grammy Award winning recording artist and fashion designer has found himself embroiled in controversy.
In a an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, the 46-year-old rapper accused White House advisor Jared Kushner of pushing the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab states “to make money.”
The Anti-Defamation League condemned the comments, saying they drew on “white supremacist slogans.”
“The behavior exhibited this week by @kanyewest is deeply troubling, dangerous, and antisemitic, period,” the Anti-Defamation League tweeted. “There is no excuse for his propagating of white supremacist slogans and classic #antisemitism about Jewish power, especially with the platform he has.