Organizers of July's Rubicon Festival, one of Europe’s biggest rap events, recently confirmed that Kanye West would headline the lineup. West originally advertised it as a "Yeezy Season" performance, not giving additional context. Unsurprisingly, that decision was met with significant backlash due to West's long history of public antisemitism.
As of this writing, nearly 5,400 people have signed a petition addressed to the mayor of Bratislava, Slovakia, calling for West’s removal from the lineup. “In his music, [West] glorifies the person of Adolf Hitler, the leader of the regime responsible for unleashing the largest military conflict in human history, responsible for millions of civilian deaths and the systematic extermination of nations, including the genocide unleashed against the Jewish population around the world,” says the petition (translated from Slovak).
The petition further noted that Bratislava appears to be the only European city willing to host West, calling it unacceptable. “Not because of his musical expression,” the petition continued, “but because of his dangerous public attitudes, which are in direct contradiction with European memory and historical responsibility.”
On May 8, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Kanye West released a track titled "Heil Hitler." The song was banned by streaming services. West's track was completely banned in Germany because of their strictly enforced laws around the usage of Nazi imagery. West also sold shirts with a swastika design on them earlier this year. That decision led to Shopify banning his online store.
Kanye West Rubicon Festival
Despite growing backlash, Rubicon Festival organizers have stood by their decision to feature West. “We just want to bring in big names, not praise Hitler,” they said in response to criticism. Acknowledging the petition and previous statements made by West on social media, organizers stated: “[He] subsequently deleted his comments, publicly apologized and admitted he needed time for self-reflection and professional help.”
The announcement polarized Slovakians. Beata Balogová, editor-in-chief of the outlet SME, criticized the move. “'Culture should unite, not divide,' say the organizers of the Rubicon Festival after they crossed the Rubicon and invited a man to Bratislava who also says good things about Hitler,” she wrote in a scathing op-ed. Others seemed more enthusiastic, and the initial Instagram post announcing West’s booking currently has over 49,000 likes. It will be interesting to see how West's performance plays out when he takes the stage next month.
