Kanye West, a name known around the world.

The bright lights of countless venues from New York to Shanghai shined bright as he enthralled millions. His music was untouchable, his shoes were sensational and his charisma was undeniable. Whether he was the main architect or the man in the background, everything he touched went big.

If you asked Kanye who he was, he would say he was the greatest to ever live. If you asked the world, you would end up thinking he was more of a myth than a man.

But myths are like dreams and dreams can become nightmares, nightmares that tear themselves apart.

For decades, West has been many things to many people. Whether he was thought of as a rapper, entertainer, spectacle, producer, weirdo, or the guy who made Yeezys, he was everywhere and was doing everything. But, soon after his infamous outburst of anti-Semitism and extremism last October, the vast and gleaming billion-dollar empire he had built fell to pieces. 

It seemed as if not a single soul wanted to have any sort of ties with him or even be seen as “platforming” his controversial ideologies. His social media was shut down and everyone who was even remotely in business with West severed deals practically overnight (including Adidas who produced his crown jewel, Yeezys). But the turmoil didn’t stop there.

After meeting some of the most radical figures in America, Kanye made an appearance on Alex Jones’ show ‘InfoWars.’ With his face covered in an ominous black mask, he said some of the most outrageous statements to ever be spoken.

“Well, I see good things about Hitler, also,” he said. “I love everyone… but this guy that invented highways and invented the microphone. You can’t say out loud that this person [never] did anything good and I’m done with that… I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis.”

But the worst statement of all was this: “Every human being has value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.”

This unhinged dumping of toxic, tone-deaf, and terrible blasphemies made Jones, a pompous conspiracy theorist who lost a billion-dollar lawsuit, look flabbergasted. 

Was Kanye going off the rails or was he just seeking attention? Why would he say such ridiculous things? Should he be condemned while his music is celebrated? Did he even know what he was saying risked the well-being of an entire population? These questions and others only became more and more prevalent as his reputation deteriorated before our eyes.

Furthermore, the public opinion of Kanye’s absurd downfall feels even more surreal when looking back at one of his past songs, I Love Kanye (2016).

“I miss the old Kanye, straight from the ‘Go Kanye. Chop up the soul Kanye, set on his goals Kanye. I hate the new Kanye, the bad-mood Kanye. The always rude Kanye, spaz in the news Kanye. I miss the sweet Kanye, chop up the beats Kanye. I have to say at that time I’d like to meet Kanye. See I invented Kanye, it wasn’t any Kanyes; And now I look and look around and there’s so many Kanyes.”

Unbeknownst to us all, it was a haunting prophecy that not only perfectly encapsulated today’s reality but perhaps establishes the future’s as well.

Plenty of rappers copy Kanye’s flow, vibe, and temperament, but none of them would ever say they love Nazis.

For the longest time, I believed that Kanye was a misunderstood visionary with generational talent. Yes, he has some unorthodox beliefs and a chaotic lifestyle, but his commitment to reaching the peak of greatness and never believing he wasn’t the best was surely commendable. His investments generated wealth beyond measure and he had it all.

But after his heinous actions, I looked deep into the mirror of my soul and tried to think of why he’d ever do the things he did and honestly, I still can’t find the answer.

I’ll never know what he was thinking at the moment, I’ll never know why he would ever praise Hitler, and I’ll never know how he determined that the advancement of anti-Semitism was a stance worth taking.

What I do know is this, everyone deserves forgiveness and everyone deserves a second chance. But at some point after you’ve crossed the line, there’s no turning back…