Ye is defending the integrity of his recent public apology, despite the letter’s timing, which falls amid an upcoming album release.
The artist formerly known as Kanye West spoke to Vanity Fair about his decision to publish the letter now. In an ad in The Wall Street Journal paid for by the Yeezy brand, the remorseful rapper directed his apologies to the Jewish and Black communities. Ye garnered a lot of backlash for his anti-semitic and anti-Black rants over the past years.
As the letter gained traction, some questioned Ye’s motives as he plans to release a new album,” Bully,” this week. However, Ye denied claims of his inauthenticity, noting how his artistic success never wavered throughout the controversies.
“It’s my understanding that I was in the top 10 most listened-to artists overall in the U.S. on Spotify in 2025, and last week and most days as well,” wrote Ye. “My upcoming album, ‘Bully,’ is currently one of the most anticipated pre-saves of any album on Spotify, too. My 2007 album, ‘Graduation,’ was also the most listened-to and streamed hip-hop album of 2025.”
He further explained that his past words weighed “heavy on my heart,” leading to his public statement.
ad width="320" height="250" type="doubleclick" data-slot="/21868623726/site264.tmus/amp3" data-multi-size="320x50,300x250" data-multi-size-validation="false" rtc-config='{"vendors": {"prebidappnexuspsp": {"PLACEMENT_ID": "27198239"}}, "timeoutMillis": 500}'>“This, for me, as evidenced by the letter, isn’t about reviving my commerciality,” he continued. “This is because these remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit. I owe a huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular. All of it went too far. I look at the wreckage of my episode and realize that this isn’t who I am.
Outside the interview, West further defended his actions in a public forum. He denied the critics’ claim that the apology was a publicity stunt.
“This is not a rollout,” West said in a written message shared online. “I’m not asking for streams or forgiveness for sales.”
While Ye hopes to find a new path, he believes the public acknowledgment of his wrongdoing is the next step. He also emphasized his responsibility as a public figure to remain faithful to certain values, which do not align with his previous stances.
“As a public figure, so many people follow and listen to my every word,” he told Vanity Fair. “It’s important that they realize and understand what side of history that I want to stand on. And that is one of love and positivity.”
RELATED CONTENT: ‘The Blind Side’ Star Quinton Aaron Fighting For Life After Sudden Collapse