Kanye West Claims He Got Idea For Swastika Shirt '8 Years' Ago Amid Backlash For Antisemitic Comments

Kanye West has revealed that his controversial Swastika t-shirt wasn't a spontaneous creation but a concept he had been planning for eight years.

The rapper made the claim upon his return to X after initially deleting his account following an antisemitic rant.

Kanye West also shared that he had lost some staff since the controversy, including the designer behind the now-viral explicit dress worn by his wife, Bianca Censori, at the Grammys.

West has responded to recent backlash over his Swastika t-shirt, which he listed for sale on his Yeezy website during an antisemitic rant.

"No one seems to wanna produce me wittle t-shirt," West said of the shirt, which was designed in white and emblazoned with the controversial swastika symbol.

The rapper then went on a rant in which he claimed that the swastika symbol is viewed differently in other places while referencing a trip to Japan.

"I remember going to Japan and gasping when I saw what is known as the swastika on clothing. It felt illegal to even look at it [but then] I found out that swastika had many different meanings and many different names," West added, per the Daily Mail.

Although many believed the rapper created the shirt impulsively to target Jews, he revealed that it was actually an idea he had been developing for nearly a decade.

"I've had my swastika t-shirt idea for over 8 years," the rapper continued. "It was so intriguing to me that a symbol had so much programming in it."

Shortly after West put the shirt for sale on his Yeezy website for $20, Shopify took the site down.

The platform then later released a statement explaining why it took the decision to take down the website.

"All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform," the company remarked, per Page Six. "This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms, so we removed them from Shopify."

In response to the decision, West claimed it was a "major victory," adding that he "hates" the company.

He then warned other brands about the alleged risk of using the platform to sell their products.

The "Stronger" crooner continued, "Anyone who's on Shopify just know they control your market and they have all of your data which raises the value of Shopify while excluding the brands from that upside. (sic)."

Back in 2022, West posted a tweet claiming he wanted to go "death con 3" on Jews. The tweet sparked major backlash and led to several businesses cutting ties with him.

As a result, he lost millions of dollars, which ended his billionaire status at the time.

Now, the rapper claims he didn't suffer any financial consequences after his most recent antisemitic rant.

He wrote, "I said all these politically incorrect things and nobody was able to stop me extort me threaten me to change anything and I made 40 million the next day between my different business."

However, he did admit that some of his staff left after his rant, including the designer who made his wife Bianca Censori's explicit Grammy dress.

"In war you take a couple losses," West revealed. "I lost one of my favorite Yeezy designers named Simon. He tailored the Grammy dress. This was a major loss."

He added, "We lost Malcolm who was our lead stylist and shopper who also found Simon."

Following West's earlier antisemitic rant, Daniel McCartney, who acts as the talent manager for the rapper, revealed that he and the talent agency 33&West would no longer represent him.

"Effective immediately, I am no longer representing Ye (F/K/A Kanye West) due to his recent harmful and hateful remarks that myself nor 33 & West can stand for," McCartney wrote on his Instagram Stories, per The Blast.

Since the disclosure, West has yet to address the matter on social media. He also hasn't revealed if he has secured the services of a new talent manager or agency.

West's recent confession about his shirts comes amid reports that he and his wife Bianca Censori have called time on their marriage following a scandalous appearance at the Grammys.

According to Page Six, a source shared that Censori was "exhausted" from West's antisemitic comments and that his decision to sell swastika merchandise on his website was the breaking point.

"She's been an awesome wife and awesome collaborator, she's been through so many crazy moments, but this one may be unsurvivable," the insider said.

The insider explained that the former Yeezy architect was "upset" that West had referred to himself as a "Nazi" and also claimed to "love Hitler."

"To embrace Hitler is a Satanic move," the source explained, adding that the situation has become "so extreme" for her as she's unsure how to bring the rapper back "to earth" but knows she "has to move on."

However, since reports of divorce made headlines, West and Censori's rep has shut it down, branding it "tabloid rumors."