Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, has had a fascination with Adolf Hitler and reportedly wanted to name his "Ye" album after the Nazi leader, according to four sources who spoke with CNN.
The report comes two weeks after Ye was booted from Instagram and Twitter after he said he was going to go "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."
Ye's account was reactivated Thursday after he apologized for his statement.
According to one business executive who worked for West, Ye created a hostile work environment, partly through his "obsession" with Hitler. He said Ye also spoke openly about reading "Mein Kampf," Hitler's 1925 autobiographical manifesto, and expressed his "admiration" for the Nazis and Hitler for their use of propaganda.
"He would praise Hitler by saying how incredible it was that he was able to accumulate so much power and would talk about all the great things he and the Nazi Party achieved for the German people," the individual said.
Ye on Thursday told his Instagram followers that he lost $2 billion in one day "and I’m still alive."
In a post titled, "LOVE SPEECH," Ye, who on Tuesday was dropped by Adidas for making "hateful" antisemitic comments, wrote: "Ari Emmanuel. I lost 2 billion dollars in one day and I'm still alive. This is love speech. I still love you. God still loves you. The money is not who I am. The people is who I am."
Emanuel, a top entertainment industry talent agent, last week called on businesses to stop working with Ye over his antisemitic comments.
"West is not just any person — he is a pop culture icon with millions of fans around the world. And among them are young people whose views are still being formed," Emanuel wrote in an op-ed in the Financial Times. He also accused Ye's business partners of "giving his misguided hate an audience."
"There should be no tolerance anywhere for West's antisemitism. This is a moment in history where the stakes are high and being open about our values, and living them, is essential. Silence and inaction are not an option," Emanuel said.
Several companies have already cut ties with Ye and his Yeezy apparel brand, including Balenciaga, Gap and talent agency CAA.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.