After the Grammy Awards announced that rapper Ye will be banned from performing in its upcoming telecast, the show's host Trevor Noah is speaking out against the move and in defense of Ye.
The Grammys' decision comes just days after Ye lashed out at Noah for doing a segment on The Daily Show in which he cautioned people to take seriously Ye's erratic behavior towards ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend Pete Davidson, which some have called stalking, harassment or a form of domestic abuse.
In a tweet over the weekend, Noah criticized the Grammys' move.
See his tweet below.
I said counsel Kanye not cancel Kanye.— Trevor Noah (@Trevor Noah) 1647791461
On Friday, Ye's reps confirmed they had been contacted by the Recording Academy, which presents the Grammys, and notified that Ye would be barred from performing due to his "concerning online behavior."
Ye's recent online interaction with Noah following his The Daily Show segment was cited as being part of the Recording Academy's decision. In that interaction, Ye directed a racial slur at Noah used by some Black people to accuse other Black people of being traitors to their race.
It resulted in a 24-hour suspension for Ye from Instagram.
But the interaction with Noah is just one chapter in a long-running saga of erratic and often disturbing recent behavior from Ye. He has repeatedly harassed Kardashian and Davidson on social media, posted screenshots of their private conversations, urged his fans to harass Davidson in public and released a music video in which he kidnaps a Davidson lookalike and buries him alive.
Given all of that, it's easy to see why Ye's team reportedly "isn't surprised" by his ban from a live broadcast like the Grammys—even with a delay to allow censoring of unacceptable content.
But some on Twitter agreed with Noah the ban goes too far.
Definitely hope and pray for counsel. But i\u2019m more concerned for the safety of Kim and Pete at this point. And for the well-being of those kids stuck in the middle.— kimber \ud83d\udc9c\u2728 (@kimber \ud83d\udc9c\u2728) 1647791629
Kanye definitely needs an intervention not to be cancelled. You don't write people off when they are not mentally ok.— Kgomotso Tlhapane (@Kgomotso Tlhapane) 1647801306
It\u2019s amazing to me that in this age of reduce, reuse, and recycle, we are all so quick to throw away a human being. Life is tough for everyone, we all need a little help sometimes.— T Adam Groce (@T Adam Groce) 1647792692
Trevor, your response to Ye was beautiful. People should learn how to handle things with grace. You done did it well.— Caroline Kautsire (@Caroline Kautsire) 1647791557
But many others felt Noah was being far too lenient with Ye.
But we can do both at the same timepic.twitter.com/ubiwmfVpHA— \ud80c\udcf5 \ud835\udcdf\ud835\udcf1\ud835\udcea\ud835\udcfd\ud835\udcf1\ud835\udcfe \ud80c\udcf5 (@\ud80c\udcf5 \ud835\udcdf\ud835\udcf1\ud835\udcea\ud835\udcfd\ud835\udcf1\ud835\udcfe \ud80c\udcf5) 1647794378
He cancelled himself Trevor— MLP (@MLP) 1647791673
It's not our job to counsel a man who has more access to therapy than most people who are calling him out on his behaviour. It's our job to hold him accountable for his actions. I don't care what anyone says that man is an abuser and deserves absolutely no praise.https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/1505572630396559361\u00a0\u2026— Payton (@Payton) 1647880233
Counsel yes, but punishment for dangerous behavior isn't being "canceled". It's accountability. Just like the right doesn't get that they have equal freedom for hate speech as their opponents have to repel. Performing at the Grammys is not a fundamental right.https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/1505572630396559361\u00a0\u2026— Dr T, Ndlovu PhD (@Dr T, Ndlovu PhD) 1647802015
It\u2019s consequence, not cancel. I choose not to spend my money supporting an abuser. I choose not to spend my money in states that support anti-abortion laws (Texas), I choose not to spend my money on companies that are doing business with Russia (Subway).— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf3bJC_haz_thoughts (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf3bJC_haz_thoughts) 1647792212
No one is cancelling anyone,\nanything Kanye is experiencing\nis entirely of his own making.\nIf someone is behaving abhorrently,\nand people back away from that,\nit is not the people who are to blame.— \ud83d\udc7d (@\ud83d\udc7d) 1647832947
The Grammys will be held April 3.
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The Washington Post