If you’ve even been peripherally aware of rap superstar Kanye West and his doings over the past few years, one question has surely bubbled to the surface of your mind more than once: what the hell’s going on there?
Well, now we’re getting an answer—of some sort, at least—as a new documentary about the troubled icon is released. The Trouble with KanYe hits Binge on August 9.
The latest documentary from award-winning journalist Mobeen Azhar, The Trouble with KanYe traces the star’s weird AF 2024 presidential election campaign, using that as way to explore how the star went from a revered cultural figure to someone currently better known for frequent outbursts of antisemitism, praising Hitler on conspiracy nut Alex Jones’ Infowars, palling around with white supremacist Nick Fuentes (“I believe organised Jewry is an extreme influence in the USA” being a direct quote from that guy), and snapping selfies in the Oval Office with Donald Trump.
Whatever the cause, it’s cost West a fair whack of cash, including an extremely lucrative Adidas sponsorship, and his marriage to Kim Kardashian—the Grammys dropped him as a performer after he lashed out at his ex-wife and her then-paramour, comedian Pete Davidson.
Azhar interviews a range of the hip hop legend’s associates, collaborators and colleagues in order to build up a more complete picture of his subject, all of whom express dismay at his increasingly erratic behaviour. Naturally, the subject of mental health is raised, West having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016, but poet Bassey Ikpi, a mental health activist, notes that his behaviour and diagnosis don’t track: “I’m not making the case that he’s a lovely guy if he takes his medication.”
Whether you’re a fan or not, KanYe’s impact on the world is unarguable, and this should provide some valuable insight into what makes the man tick—even if his mainspring seems to be broken.
