Kanye West is learning first hand he has the right to exercise his freedom of speech, but that doesn’t rid him of the consequences of doing so.

West loses another partnership: Kanye West’s ties have been cut loose with another business partner. This time, Balenciaga is the next in line to tap out, WWD reports.

No tolerance for hate speech: The fashion label’s decision was led by West’s repeated use of hate speech.

“Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” said parent company Kering, according to WWD.

More On Ye's History With Balenciaga

After forming a partnership in June 2020, Ye and Balenciaga appeared to be a match made in heaven at one point when the Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga products hit store shelves.

The catalyst: According to Complex, Kanye West made his runway debut as he opened for Balenciaga’s Summer 2023 collection show recently at Paris Fashion Week. The following day, West showcased controversial t-shirts reading “White Lives Matter” during his event, which was also held in Paris.

 

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Early signs of trouble: Following the aftermath, Balenciaga removed all images of West from their runway and later removed YEEZY GAP ENGINEERED BY BALENCIAGA from all retailers globally, Hypebeast reports.

Evidently, West’s use of hate speech has outweighed the merits of their partnership.

West To Acquire Free Speech Platform

West does not appear to be showing any regrets about how he is moving. Instead, he seems to be seeking to empower his voice further. As AfroTech previously told you, West is now working to acquire Parler, a free speech platform.

“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” said West, according to a press release.

West Is Working On Creating His Own Universe

That’s not all. West is also working to create his own universe, a decision that has been in the works for the last two years, according to Rolling Stone.

West is seemingly looking to be on the same playing field as Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos.

Photo Credit: Victor Boyko

“He’s trying to do sh-t that people couldn’t even conceive of and he’s trying to make it happen,” according to a statement from West’s team, Rolling Stone reports. “He comes from a good place. It’s definitely his goal that everything that people touch that’s his is a good thing and has a good impact on the world.”

Yecosystem

West’s team seems to already be getting the ball rolling, having already registered a website domain that will be called “Yecosystem.” In addition, trademarks have been filed to support Ye’s quests, including:

  • Yzyverse
  • Yxyverse
  • Yeezyverse