Kanye West brought out DaBaby and Marilyn Manson at tonight’s Donda show
Manson has been accused of sexual assault and domestic abuse by multiple women.
Music News Donda
Signs were already trending “not great” in regards to Kanye West’s latest Donda listening party in Chicago tonight, with reports circulating that the musician—who’s been promoting his new album in typically Kanyesian fashion of late, through a series of elaborate live shows and apparently deliberate delays—would be skipping vaccination requirements or COVID tests for the jam-packed event at Soldier Field. West managed to limbo under even those low expectations tonight, though, when he decided to bring two of his many musical friends out in front of the crowd to celebrate the occasion: Rapper DaBaby, and musician Brian “Marilyn Manson” Warner, in a gesture that is very hard not to read as the latest raised middle finger in a career that has featured them in abundance.
For his part, DaBaby has been facing controversy for the last few months, after homophobic comments made at a concert caused him to lose a set at Lollapalooza in Chicago. (Other festivals later followed suit.) DaBaby not only appeared at the show, actually, but apparently featured; Pitchfork reports that his new verse on the album appears to have replaced one from Jay-Z that was heard at earlier shows. (The politics of that particular movement being both labyrinthine and petty in a way we don’t feel qualified to fully explore.)
It’s Warner’s presence, though, that is the clear and obvious “Fuck you” here. Warner has, of course, been the subject of a series of allegations of sexual assault and domestic abuse since February 2021, when Evan Rachel Wood named him as her long-time abuser. (Several more women, including actress Esmé Bianco, have since come forward with similar allegations against the musician.) He’s since lost contracts, TV gigs, representation, and more, even as more allegations have come to light. Per Pitchfork, both men joined West out on the field tonight, hanging out outside a replica of the musician’s childhood home, awkwardly milling about, and presumably serving as a statement of some kind of intent from West, who does not appear to care that Warner is facing sexual assault allegations and lawsuits from multiple women related to incidents stretching across decades of his career.
118 Comments
Could this guy BE any worse? Apparently, yes.
My scone! MY Scoooone!
Let’s see, those with mental something shouldn’t be something something. Taken advantage of something, not responsible something actions something.Also, I know this comment sucks but please ungray me already. I’ll hold off on posting nothing but rapture threats for at least 2 weeks.
He’s bipolar and refuses to treat it? We should be giving him sympathy and encouraging him to seek help instead of mocking him like he’s Trump?I’ll be here in the grays if you need me.
That’s basically the new conservative grifter tactic. Step 1, find someone objectively terrible, step 2, proudly associate yourself with them, step 3, complain you’re being ‘cancelled’ whenever anyone brings it up, step 4, get elected president and profit.
Don’t forget, West is supposed to be a born again christian, and now he his hanging with Manson?
Fucking gross.
Fuckin’ Kanye: thirsty for attention, by any means available.
Kanye bringing a sex predator onstage doesn’t really surprise me, but wasn’t “Jesus is King” his last album? Ethical repugnance aside, this is an incredible commitment to a sort of nihilist cult of his own celebrity.
Yeah, I mean ultimately even Jesus Is King wasn’t really so much about Jesus, and more about the one Kanye actually worships: Kanye. He will do outrageous things for attention.We all know that by now. And he keeps finding new ways to stump us, which from a standpoint that’s divorced from ethics speaks for a really unique kind of genius.
Me, I just care about the music. I could do very much without the erratic public persona, because without that, it’d be a lot easier to just focus on that.
see i’m half with you in terms of caring just about the music. Kanye, specifically, hasn’t done anything of actual consequence that compels me to stop listening to his music (though: bringing marylin manson out last night is pretty egregious).my thing is, with all these delayed releases, the spectacle of delaying the release, to me, is just so unserious it does end up impacting my enjoyment of the songs. there’s just too much other noise around DONDA’s non-release to give those songs a fair shake, but check back in with me in 3 months when he finally fuckin releases it.
No one who worships Jesus could be an evil man!
Well he got a reaction out of you you’ve got to give him that, you gave him exactly what he wanted, you played right into his hands.
Hopefully a tiny percentage of his dwindling fanbase has seen the light and dropped this utter, utter schmuck like a bad habit. I doubt it though.
LOL at you thinking he’s some kind of evil genius who tricked us all.
He did exactly what I expected him to do.
We eventually become who we are.
Galaxy brain take here
This is true. However, it would also be true if he got up on stage, sat down to a set table, and ate a 20 pound bucket of fresh elephant shit. That would get our attention also.So it’s like… congrats??? You… got our attention by eating 20 pounds of fresh elephant shit… you really pulled a fast one on all of us, I guess…?
its just a reference mate
he wants me to ignore him? Ok.
DaBaby made a single ill-advised AIDS joke and has apologized multiple times. If his apology is too free-wheeling then it’s not remorseful enough. If his apology is too good then his publicist wrote it. There was never any winning for him. The vitriol against him has been at a ludicrous fever pitch for weeks. I’m not for taking away someone’s career for single fucked-up jokes. Do you guys want accountability culture or disposability culture?Manson is indefensible. I’ll say this. I remember when AV Club was a pop culture blog and not just a performative outrage factory. They used to care about heralding the artistry and inherent worth in pop culture, not just tearing it down for being problematic. The old Club would have mentioned how this album is an astonishing and complete return to form for Kanye musically. It would have mentioned the insane and ambitious imagery of Kanye lighting himself on fire and remarrying his wife. It would have mentioned the up-and-coming rappers Ye is trying to spotlight on this album (Rooga, Baby Keem, Fivio Foreign)With this performance Kanye was attempting to raise a giant middle finger to the modern-day AV Clubs of the world. He has my support.
kill yourself
It wasn’t a fucking joke and his apologies were obviously total bullshit.Oh, just read that even though the Manson thing is indefensible, he has your full support. So you’re completely disgusting anyway
reading that i’m ‘completely disgusting’ obviously hurts my feelings, sends a weird unpleasant shock through my body, makes me feel little tears start to build behind my eyes. i wouldn’t call you ‘completely disgusting’ though, i think you’re one of millions of people who have become addicted to being self-righteously, aggressively vitriolic on the internet, and i think there’s woefully little awareness on the drastically negative mental health effects this has on all parties.
Out of curiosity, have you ever spoken to a human being in real life like how you just spoke to me?
Hop down off that cross, chief. Yeezus needs the nails for the next leg of his revolting apologist tour.
Lol…you realize you replied to yourself here, right?
Haven’t you? If not then what a marvellous, delightful, rose-petal festooned life you’ve lived! Hey everybody! We’ve got a saint here! A SAINT!!
I’m curious: why do you feel that DaBaby saying disgusting things about gay people on a stage in front of thousands of people can easily be justified as a “joke”, but being called “disgusting” by someone in a comments section leads you to an emotional breakdown?
Do you use the f-slur with regularity?
‘reading that i’m ‘completely disgusting’ obviously hurts my feelings, sends a weird unpleasant shock through my body,’ Then you better start getting used to it.
Hes using sarcasm but he or she knows that they’re craving the attention.
I’m not a huge fan of canceling people forever for their mistakes, but this is a weird place to put your support. One abusive boyfriend, an ignorant homophobe (I know a “joke” when I hear it, and that clown wasn’t joking) with no self control, and a mentally deranged narcissist are your symbols of injustice? Cool, man. Please continue to stand up for the little guy.These are all remorseless assholes who need to go sit down and live their entirely comfortable lives in silent contemplation, not just as punishment, but for their own good. All of them are repeat offenders who have doubled down on being terrible people. I believe people can change, but currently: fuck them. They’ll be fine without your whining tears.
It was not at all close to a joke and his apology was utter garbage and then he deleted the apology post a week later. Plus he has a whole bunch of violent incidents against him. Dababy seems like a real piece of shit. Marilyn Manson can fuck off forever.And hey no the album is not astonishing and a complete return to form for Kanye. It’s mostly boring and the songs are too long and repetitive. The only form it’s returning to is the form he’s been in for his last few disappointing and mediocre albums.
Do you think the environment he was raised in could have had any bearing on his penchant for violence? I know I’m going to be drowned out with downvotes and whatnot, but the context a person grew up in matters. Each person is a complex tapestry of problematic and merit. Any psychological study will tell you people change their behavior when they have love and support, not vitriol and hate. Not that we should unconditionally love *all* people regardless of behavior, obviously, but anyone can see the climate right now is inclined too much toward vitriol. Anyone can see it’s the social media algorithms whipping us up into these furies.
Do people who believe that the AV Club is a “performative outrage factory” believe that this website somehow used to stand outside of the general cultural zeitgeist at some point in its past? Do you think that the very first writers for this publication did not luxuriate in the jaded irony of the 90s? Do you think they didn’t join in the post ironic pessimism of the Bush years before moving into the post ironic optimism of the early Obama era? What exactly are you accusing the AV Club of here? Surely you see the same outrage happening all around you. The reason you might notice that all of these sorts of websites are all following the same general trends is that all of these sorts of website literally always followed the same general trends. The only difference is you were probably too young and naive to appreciate just how annoying those trends were. If this era’s habit of trying to hold people accountable is too much for you to handle, you could always slake your thirst for happy days by watching old episodes of Daria.
Hey I’ve been following this site for a good 20 years, I agree it’s changed dramatically and largely for the worse, but holy shit your take sucks. This is an example where clearly, CLEARLY Kanye West is doing something tone-deaf and stupid to get attention. It’s not the ridiculous Ellie Kemper story or some article trying to convince us Marvel’s royally fucking up now. Your take is honestly problematic and I encourage you to reconsider it.
Featured fucking comment. Jesus christ.
Why not just say that you have no problem with homophobia and sexual assault? It would save so much time.
You created a Kinja account just to post this vile stupid drivel. Who ungreyed this idiot?
We get it, you’re a pretentious asshole
“Kanye sh*tposted his way through 2018.” – Todd in the Shadows…And evidently, he never stopped. And there are still suckers buying into his sh*tposting. I mean, I can sort of buy DaBaby, but Marilyn Manson?? F*ck you, Kanye.
Ah, Kanye fully steps into it again and willingly… Dude’s a multi-talented mad genius, but he’s also a top level shit flinging troll too. I liked and like much of his music, especially when he first came out with his early stuff, but damn, this was yet another idiotic AF move again on his part. He’s capable of building up a massive empire of music and art around him, but then (I think) his mental issues and anger just gets the best of him and he takes a blow torch to what he’s worked hard to create. I don’t know much about DaBaby, but he sounds like another homophobic and violent dumbfuk, so of course he’ll be handed a Yeezy branded blow torch, too. But good ol’ Brian Werner? Yeah, if you want to torpedo your hard work into a shitshow of nothingness, pick that asshole up and parade him around. I bet they all sit around and talk about how they’re all just ‘misunderstood’ great people. Kanye’s so radioactive that even the K-clan can’t figure out how to deal with him and those fools could supposedly weave fresh turds into beautiful golden strands of fame and wealth. I loathe to say this about anyone’s mental issues, but he supposedly refuses to take what could be some very helpful meds and counseling and he probably seriously needs to. Damn, what’s next? Self injury on stage? And just for the hell of it and since someone else mentioned it, William, is it possible to get ungreyed here? I’m already literbox trained in Kotaku, Takeout, Lifehacker, Jalop, and I can always get shoved back into the greys if needed. Thanks!
Kanye West Now Going Door-To-Door Trying To Shock People
Fucking beautiful.
Ah yes, this is why I still keep reading these threads.
I sent an email to The Onion in 2002 and asked them to use my name in a story for my birthday and they did. That’s not my picture though. It’s also not a great story.https://www.theonion.com/man-knows-just-what-hed-say-if-he-met-christina-ricci-1819566577Your headline reminded me of the couple years I read The Onion. No other association.
Seems like Kanye is assembling his own rogues gallery of shitbags.
career suicide squad
Unfotunatley probably not. There’s a lot of trash people out there who actively dismiss any of these dude’s issues or Kanye’s flirtation with white supremacists, and Kanye knows it.
I don’t understand what is going on w/kinja. I mean, I know commenting sucks, but I keep seeing longtime commenters in the grays. You, recognitions, bfred. The fuck is going on?
Yeah, kinja sucks & continues to be hobbled by Jim Spanfeller’s cadre of pigfuckers, but if recognitions has been demoted to the greys, maybe it isn’t entirely bad.
SHITBAGS ASSEMBLE!
There was an idea … a really stupid one.
I heard he is bringing in R. Kelly and O.J. at the next show.
What, did Ron Jeremy have a scheduling conflict?
Topical!
Finger on the pulse.
No more Kanye coverage. Fuck this utterly vacuous, cynical supporter of homophobia and sexual assault. He is the Donald Trump of hip hop and you are a moral-relativist piece of shit if you continue to support him.
You clearly sound like you’re morally superior
well i was sad to learn something about myself today 🙁
I approve of this stance 🙂
Didnt Drake put Kanye in his place to begin with and his response was copying and pasting his address to social media? Kanye needs to go sit down we already know he lost it.
Lemme guess next will be Cosby then Don Jr and Eric Trump.
Don’t forget R. Kelly, because the odds are pretty high he’s going to weasel his way out of the consequences for his actions.
Hey! Don’t give a bad name to weasels by associating them with R. Kelly!
You’re right. I’m so sorry, weasel community. I know you have it hard enough with Foghorn Leghorn and Barnyard Dawg using you as a pawn in their rivalry when all you want is a meal. I humbly apologize.
Kanye West: “Urine for a treat ladies and gentlemen, it’s R. Kelly!!!!”
My money is on JK Rowling and Morrissey to add some British appeal.
His next music video will be an 8k, ultra-slow motion sequence featuring Rudy Giuliani shaving at his table in a gas station taqueria in Barstow, CA.
Next to a dildo shop and opposite a crematorium.
Chris D’Elia did a surprise gig last week, so I guess his agent will be on the phone…
All rise for our national anthem.
He wanted some attention and he got it.
Louis CK couldn’t make it, too busy with his li’l tour.
Kanye West is the troll hero the world may not want but desperately needs.
Can someone honestly explain the appeal of this guy anymore?What is it ?He’s an absolutely horrible human being, with limited musical talent. I seriously dont know what im missing here??
Does he even still make relevant music, or is he just an IRL shitposter now?
Does anyone really make relevant music today.
Such a good question, but yes, people do, they just get covered in shit like this before anyone realizes to look in their direction.
There is some really great music out there, just don’t look for it in mainstream outlets or algorithms.
I just can’t feign surprise any more.
Of course he did. Time for me to re-evaluate how much I really like his 2000s material.
no its not lol his 2000s material is unimpeachable
Me too. I mean before now I thought it was negligible but now I need to downgrade it to absolute dogshit.
Worst part of this is he’s going to continue to sell seats. He turned up as a surprise guest last time Chance the Rapper performed and that’s the loudest I’ve ever heard United Center get…*after* he went MAGA.
If R. Kelly were out on bail he almost certainly would have been there.
OJ Simpson and Ted Cruz weren’t available ?
Hey guys, I’m starting to believe this Kanye West guy might be problematic.
He’s bipolar and refuses to treat it. If you’ve ever dealt with someone in that condition, this behavior is 100% expected.
Release the damn album Kanye and remove these fools from the actual release.
Why Kanye West bringing a baby? Lmao
I move that we henceforth never speak of or acknowledge Kanye West again. Seconded?
Look: it’s no secret that Kanye is bipolar and refuses to treat it. When viewed through that lens, his behavior stops being Trumpian and quickly becomes sad. Is he being proactive and doing outlandish things to get attention? Yes. Is it the product of a reasoned decision? Probably not.I have never been a fan of Kanye, who was always been more self-important than he was talented. But having a survived a brutal marriage to someone who was bipolar and refused to treat it, he, and especially Kim Kardashian, have my sympathies, and I hope he (like all bipolar folks who refuse to enact a treatment plan) will get help.Until then, I really wish would stop giving him attention, it only feeds the cycle.
DaBaby made a single ill-advised AIDS joke and has apologized multiple times. If his apology is too free-wheeling then it’s not remorseful enough. If his apology is too good then his publicist wrote it. There was never any winning for him. The vitriol against him has been at a ludicrous fever pitch for weeks. I’m not for taking away someone’s career for single fucked-up jokes. Do you guys want accountability culture or disposability culture?Manson is indefensible.I’ll say this. I remember when AV Club was a pop culture blog and not just a performative outrage factory. They used to care about heralding the artistry and inherent worth in pop culture, not just tearing it down for being problematic. The old Club would have mentioned how this album is an astonishing and complete return to form for Kanye musically. It would have mentioned the insane and ambitious imagery of Kanye lighting himself on fire and remarrying his wife. It would have mentioned the up-and-coming rappers Ye is trying to spotlight on this album (Rooga, Baby Keem, Fivio Foreign)With this performance Kanye was attempting to raise a giant middle finger to the modern-day AV Clubs of the world. He has my support.(I posted this last night. It was the most-upvoted comment on here but was receiving ludicrous replies like ‘you sound like someone who uses the f-slur!’ ‘you really made a kinja account to post this hateful drivel you complete fucking garbage!?’ like… the culture that has been fostered here is undeniably toxic. then my comment was deleted?)
Give do you insist on giving assholes free publicity? You don’t have to write about any of these people.
And you don’t have to click and you don’t have to post, which is all Spanfeller cares about.
Nah, Spanfeller likes the clicks, but he could do without the posts.
They don’t have to write about it as if there’s a gun to their head, forcing them to, sure. They do need to write about it because it helps spread this information to people that might not understand how problematic it is.
Why, oh why, does this popular culture news site insist on reporting popular culture news?
Yeah. Honestly the guy is clearly mentally ill and while he may be an asshole I have mixed feelings about making fun of him. The best thing really is for everyone to stop giving him attention and those close to him to prod him to seek help.
At a certain point, it stops being about mental illness and crosses over into just being an asshole. I know plenty of people with Borderline Personality Disorder – which is supposedly Kanye’s diagnosis – they’d know that bringing someone out on stage who was credibly accused of sexual abuse and domestic violence is a bad thing.
His family tried to get Kanye help, he apparently refused because he felt the medication blocked his creativity and caused him to put on weight. Stories like this are sensational and designed to generate clicks but maybe a Kanye fan will read it and realize what they’re supporting when they buy his music and merchandise.
It is entirely possible for assholery to eclipse mental illness as someone’s most dominant feature, and Kanye is absolutely one of those cases.
Honestly the guy is clearly mentally ill and while he may be an asshole I have mixed feelings about making fun of him. You can call him an asshole without making fun of his mental illness. And having a mental illness doesn’t excuse him being an asshole. There are plenty of people will mental illness who aren’t assholes.
The best thing really is for everyone to stop giving him attention
I agree.
All of West’s actions need to always be seen in the context that this dude is somebody with serious mental health problems that doesn’t seem to be receiving any sort of treatment. Still an asshole, but I’m sure it doesn’t help him make good decisions.
this dude is somebody with serious mental health problems
Not an excuse. There are tons of people with mental health issues that aren’t assholes. You can be an asshole, and you can be mentally ill. They are entirely separate.
I thought he was a born again christian and loved Jesus? Two things I know for sure Manson hates. Didn’t he used to rip pages out the bible on stage?
I’m a gay man and Kanye brining up DaBaby is whatever – like yeah its a boys club and DaBaby is an asshole and an idiot (i think his targeted harassment of Meg at that festival is worse than any words that could have come out of his mouth, for example) but to bring up a sexual predator on stage who isn’t even in the music industry right now, that’s disgusting, unnecessary, and says more about his character than anything else he has done.
Alleged…and also Manson just put out an album last year.
People say Kanye is mentally ill. Maybe but he’s legitimately a bad person and we should stop paying attention to him.
At this point, you just have to assume that anyone who is still a Kanye fan is either stupid, or an asshole enabling his mental illness.
Errors in this article:celebrate the occasion: Rapper DaBaby —> celebrate the occasion: rapper DaBabyobvious “Fuck you” here —> obvious “fuck you” here
Narcissistic Trump supporter brings sexual abuser and gay basher on stage at self indulgent ego stroking event.
Also known, in this shit timeline, as “Friday”.
I mean, The guy has always wanted to find a way into the non-existent group – “The Illuminati,” and now that he’s coming to grips with the fact that the world won’t be handed to him through the masses following his worship of a non-existent “world-controlling” group, he’s lost his shit.It’s been going on for years now.I guess his back-up plan is to create an island of misfit toys: