Rapper Kanye West has added eight new shows to make up for sets the United Kingdom and others made him scrap — including one in San Antonio that’s drawing criticism from some who don’t want him performing here either.
Facing continued backlash for his antisemitic and Nazi-sympathizing comments, West — now known as Ye — lost his travel permits to the United Kingdom and was forced to cancel stops on his “Ye Live Concert Tour.”
Now he’s supposed to hold a concert at the Alamodome on July 4, after two shows in Tampa, Florida on June 26 and 28.
The tickets are currently selling on Ticketmaster from about $127.50 to more than $1,460 per ticket.
But this week community groups, including leaders from the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, are urging local leaders to shut down the San Antonio show as well.
They would need a City Council vote to overrule a decision made by city staff, said Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, who is taking up their cause.
“I support canceling the Ye concert,” Jones wrote on social media on Saturday. “Military City USA should not host someone with a record of hate speech and antisemitic comments in a city-owned facility like our Alamodome.”
Jones’ post has drawn fierce backlash from those excited about the concert, commenting that they don’t see the rapper’s comments as a big deal and accusing her of trying to silence free speech.
Jones said in an interview on TPR’s “The Source” on Monday that she wasn’t sure whether support exists on the council to cancel the show. It would bring a major revenue-generating event to the Alamodome, at a time when the city faces a serious budget deficit.
“I understand some of my colleagues feel differently about this — some of them have cited the economic considerations,” Jones said. “But when you look at history … some of the worst things that have happened have been enabled by silence.”
On Monday, Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody (Pct. 3) joined those willing to forgo a revenue-generating event due to the severity of West’s comments.
Last year West, who had already made some shocking comments about Jewish people in the past, started selling swastika T-shirts and released a song called “Heil Hitler.”
The blowback was swift and Adidas even canceled his lucrative clothing partnership.
“We should never provide a public platform to, or allow the use of public property by, a Holocaust denier and well-known antisemite like Kanye West,” Moody said. “Our Jewish community deserves to know that we stand with them.”
West has chalked the moves up to his struggle with bipolar disorder, and in January, purchased an ad in The Wall Street Journal apologizing to the Jewish community before launching another concert tour.
But the United Kingdom said it wasn’t enough, and a major music festival had to be canceled and tickets refunded.
Italy also barred West’s concerts, amid pushback from members of the Jewish community.
West is a best-selling artist with 24 Grammy Awards who floated running for U.S. president in 2020 and 2024.
