Category: Discourse on Digital

Posted on

Are Kanye West’s Tweets damaging his career or just a vehicle to promote his next album?

Kanye West
Kanye West

Recently hip-hop artist and fashion designer Kanye West re-emerged on Twitter.  The outspoken rapper has remained quiet on social media for almost one year until now.  Many have known West to have temper tantrums, be outspoken and stir headlines.  His latest press have alienated his public perception more than ever after praising US President Donald Trump in his tweets.  While many predict he is on the verge of a major breakdown, here are three reasons why I think Kanye is in promotion mode.

He is an artist

Mr. West’s body of work cannot be overlooked. He is a 21-time Grammy award winner and has provided countless hit songs and albums as a producer and an artist himself.  His artistry branched off into the world of fashion with his Yeezy line, including his partnership with adidas, who helped the three stripes brand over take Jordan Brand as the number 2 shoe company in the United States.  As an artist, he expresses his thoughts in music and his visuals through his clothing. With Twitter, he’s using the platform to create a dialogue and engaging others whether his opinion is popular or not.

He is creating a buzz for his new album

Kanye was not happy with the album sales of his 2016 effort, The Life of Pablo.  A lot of it stems from the album being only exclusive to TIDAL.  He has since had a falling out with the JAY-Z owned streaming service, which many claimed hurt his bottom line sales in term of availability to the rest of the Spotify’s and Apple’s of the music industry.  So what better way for people to get Kanye talking about him and his music through Twitter?  While his thoughts are free speech, what he’s really doing is to help build a promotional vehicle for his upcoming album Love Everyone, which is scheduled for a June 1st release.


Not even John Legend can stop Kanye.

He likes to feed his own ego

Nobody loves Kanye West more than himself.  He is a confident personality and is looking for approval.  What we know about ‘Ye is that he is a creator, a producer and designer by trade.  He believes in his own ideas so much, that he’s willing to defend them no matter how controversial they may be.  Even his own close friends disapprove of his alliance with Donald Trump, but he wants people to express their opinion just like he has.  It’s ok to agree to disagree with Kanye West. He has built a career on sheer talent.  And while his artistry cannot be questioned, he accepts that his own antics are always met with bi-polar results.

End Point

People tend to jump to conclusions and question why people do what they do.  What are they motivated by?  What causes them to react and behave the way they do?  Kanye West is no different.  Even if he never released any more music, he’ll be considered as one of the greatest music artists of all time.  Despite his current climate of controversy, Kanye is going to  be Kanye.  You can consume all the hype that makes him who he is…you can continue to buy into all the crazy stuff that he tweets.  Or you can see the bigger picture.  He’s here to create anticipation for his next album.  He is releasing product in his own way and is ok to trip and fall regardless of public perception.  A free thinker will take chances despite what others say because its their path and its their story to tell. This is the life of Kanye.

Kanye West  / Charlamagne Tha God interview (05-01-18)

Posted on

How social media helped create a dialogue on sexual assault/harassment with one hashtag

Illustration by Oliver Munday; source photograph by Raymond Hall / GC Images via Getty

In the wake of this past fall’s blockbuster story about movie executive Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault/harassment history, a delicate issue has been given a large spotlight.  It is a sensitive subject where recounting and expressing horrendous firsthand experiences are an extremely painful memory.   This day in age in social media where we are looking to post the best angle of our selves, the best destination we’ve traveled to or what our favourite foods are, all took a back seat when this became a major news story.  Here are three things we have learned from all of this.

Social media helped create an open dialogue on sexual assault

What was once a taboo subject to talk about it, was now put on an international scope with millions of people chiming in on this topic.  The October 5th article written by the New York Post and the October 10th investigation piece by the New Yorker helped bring attention to one individual but in essence, triggered a much larger effect.  It helped establish communication among society through multiple social media platforms.  A subject matter as delicate as this where people were afraid to come forward, opened a gateway for those to feel safe and not embarrassed to share their experiences.  As of this writing, 34 men from various public industries have seen their careers affected, majority by termination.


The tweet that started the #MeToo hashtag

Twitter is not dead

Some people who might have not use the micro blogging site anymore like they used to, as other social media apps occupy their interests.  But in this case, the subject matter of sexual assault/harassment was most detailed in 140 characters at the time.   It was the perfect platform for other users to read detailed accounts of others while a community engaged and exchanged support for one another.  Actress Alyssa Milano can be credited for her October 15th tweet that opened up the floodgates for millions to interact and discuss this subject matter.  For that entire week, 96.9% of the #MeToo hashtag trend came from Twitter.  With the recent increase to 280 characters, Twitter has demonstrated that their platform still has value and people still use the platform to share whatever is on their mind.

Social Media reaction to #MeToo

Sexual assault/harassment is never acceptable

We have seen a large group of brave women, no longer in silence recount and continue to share their horrific stories.   It takes a lot of courage for them to find the inner strength and share private details that are emotionally scarring.  In addition, even a few men have stepped up and shared their stories that have affected them for years.  It is a painful reminder that under no circumstance, should a woman’s safety, well being and emotional state ever be violated in or out of the workplace.   Regardless if you are a famous public figure, an entertainer, athlete, politician or even a regular Joe Schmo, everyone should be treated equally with respect.

The Aftermath

Thanks to social media, the subject matter of sexual assault/harassment was bright to light on a large scale in 2017.  How this news story broke out and caught steam among the masses could greatly be attributed to social media.  Was it a slow news week? Or was is just about time for this topic to no longer be considered taboo and given some serious thought?   Regardless, what came out of this was an overdue discussion on this sensitive issue.  People’s voices were heard, people’s personal guilt came forward and public shaming became more prevalent.  Ultimately, this could be just the beginning of other potential issues in the world that could spark international interest, stay tuned.

Pinterest