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Kanye West responded to the ‘White Lives Matter' backlash he has been receiving over the last few days, after his exhibition show at this year’s Paris Fashion Week.
He made his runway debut in Balenciaga’s show, but more noteworthy than that was the “White Lives Matter” he had emblazoned on his shirt during the YZY Season 9 show.
Most people didn't take kindly to this act, including Jaden Smith and former TMZ live host, Van Lathan.
Posting on Twitter, after walking out of the show, the rapper and actor Jaden wrote that he “had to dip lol”, adding: “True leaders lead.”
He added: “Black Lives Matter”. He also posted: “I don’t care who it is if I don’t feel the message I’m out.”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) categorized the “White Lives Matter” slogan as a “white supremacist phrase that originated in early 2015 as a racist response to the Black Lives Matter movement”.
However, the 21 time Grammy Award winner was not at all phased by the backlash.
His unapologetic response was an indication of how far removed he felt from all of this.
On October 4, he shared his sentiment via a simple Instagram story - some white text on a black background.
“Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now it's over. You’re welcome”, said the 'Good Life' hitmaker.
The showcase of West’s season nine collection also saw models walk the runway in white versions of the “White Lives Matter” shirt.
Conservative Black pundit, Candace Owens was also present at the event and was photographed smiling as she posed next to Kanye in a matching shirt but in white with bold black writings.
Balenciaga's creative director, Denma Gvasalia, maintains the notion that, “One needs to have courage and persistence to truly assume their identity and who they really are.”
He added: "Every day becomes a battlefield to defend this unique identity.”
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