Is the Middle Finger Gesture Offensive in China? Kanye West’s Controversial Gesture Towards Adidas at Vultures 2 Listening Party

Kanye West took the stage at the Vultures 2 listening party in Hainan, China, on September 15, 2024. During his performance, his ongoing conflict with Adidas came to the forefront. When Ye paused to hydrate, the audience erupted in chants of “F**k Adidas,”prompting the Runaway rapper to raise his hand and display his middle finger.

In both Chinese and Western cultures, showing the middle finger is regarded as an offensive gesture reflecting disrespect. According to The Chairman’s Bao, the middle finger ranks among the most disrespectful hand gestures in Chinese society.

After receiving cheers from the audience, Ye commented, “I hope that was okay,”likely referencing China’s strict obscenity laws. He then transitioned into performing “All Falls Down.”

The Kanye West and Adidas Feud: An In-Depth Look

Initially praised as one of the most lucrative partnerships for a non-athlete by The New York Times, Kanye West entered into a collaboration with Adidas in 2013. While their partnership started positively, Ye expressed his discontent with the brand in February 2024, announcing the termination of their collaboration due to insufficient creative control.

As reported by The New York Times, Adidas severed ties with Kanye in November 2022 in response to a series of inflammatory and antisemitic statements made by the rapper. The publication revealed that the brand had overlooked Kanye’s troubling behavior for over ten years.

The report highlighted that Ye had demonstrated erratic conduct, making sexually offensive and antisemitic comments while persistently making unreasonable demands. However, the rapper’s controversial actions were often overlooked because of the substantial revenue he generated for the brand.

According to Medium, Adidas faced challenges in compensating for Kanye West’s Yeezy line, which accounted for nearly 8% of the company’s total revenue in 2023. Consequently, the brand sought to fill the gap by collaborating with other notable designers and artists.

Moreover, the American Jewish Committee expressed its discontent regarding Kanye West’s antisemitic comments, which he attempted to justify in a now-deleted tweet on October 8, 2022, where he appeared to threaten the community:

“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also[.] You guys have toyed with me and tried to blackball anyone whoever opposes your agenda[.]”

However, on October 24, 2022, Kanye West issued an apology to the Jewish community during an interview on the Lex Fridman Podcast, expressing regret for the offenses he caused as “a Jewish person,”stating:

“I’m sorry for the way that made you feel. And I’m sorry for the entire population of a race that I feel is actually my brothers.”

The recent incident in China is not the first time Kanye West has voiced his frustrations with Adidas. In August 2024, during the Vultures 2 experience in South Korea, the Heartless rapper also instigated a “F**k Adidas”chant that the crowd echoed enthusiastically.

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