Kanye West ‘Didn’t Mean What He Said’ About Jews According To Adidas CEO

Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden spoke about how he believes Kanye "didn't mean what he said" about Jewish people last year. In a recent podcast interview, the sportswear company CEO said that he doesn't think Kanye is a "bad person." He believes that the rapper's messages, which many viewed as antisemitic, were misconstrued.

"As creative people he did some statements which wasn’t that good," Gulden told host Nicolai Tangen. "Very unfortunate because I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person it just came across that way."

Last year, Adidas dropped Kanye after his antisemitic posts. Adidas is where Ye created his Yeezy brand that housed his popular sneakers, slides, and clothing.

"Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness," Adidas said in a statement. "After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products, and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect."

Back in June, it was announced that Adidas would be reselling Yeezys and donating a part of the proceeds to George Floyd's brother's foundation Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change. They will also be donating to the Anti-Defamation League.

"The release will mark the first time that products have been available to consumers since Adidas terminated the YEEZY partnership in October 2022," the company wrote in a press release. "The products will be existing designs and designs initiated in 2022 for sale in 2023. Additional releases of existing inventory are currently under consideration, but timing is yet to be determined."

Hip-Hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. While the genre is one of the youngest, its impact has been massive. The genre originated in the early '70s in New York in African-American communities in the Bronx. Hip-hop starts with the music: rapping, DJing, and freestyling. But those elements led to others, including breakdancing and graffiti art.

Hip-hop has been in the mainstream in ways that its founders never would have dreamed.

"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. 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. That led to a summer tour featuring the Roots and LL Cool J where they were joined by different hip-hop legends at each stop on the tour.

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 icons, both of whom were taken from us far too soon. 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.

Jay-Z is one of the best rappers ever. The New York native's 2004 documentary Fade to Black shows fans how he got started. At the center of this film is Jay-Z's sold-out Madison Square Garden concert in 2003... which, at the time, were supposed to be his final shows. There are appearances from his wife Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and more. It took about 15 years for this documentary to be available to stream and it is worth the wait. You can stream Fade To Black on Tidal or Amazon Prime.

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.fuse.tv/v/eminem-count-me-in/b068fe5935e445f144177ad06023ac7b

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.