(AllHipHop News) The ever outspoken Kanye West has weighed in on the recent racial profiling allegations leveled at luxury designer store Barneys New York in his own way. While performing during his Yeezus Tour stop in Las Vegas, Kanye went on one of his infamous rants. This time the Chicago rapper/producer focused his verbal wrath at what he sees as the hypocrisy and racism of the fashion and entertainment industries.
During his speech Kanye referred to the cases of Trayon Christian and Kayla Phillips. The two Barneys customers were stopped by police and accused of using fraudulent credit cards to purchases items from the store. West tied the incidents in with lines from his song “New Slaves”:
That’s that broke n*gga racism. Don’t touch anything in the store. Excuse me that’s that, “can I help you sir?” That’s that racial profiling out in front of Barneys and sh*t. Talking about, “did you steal that?” And it’s that rich n*gga racism, that’s come in… come in Ye please buy more, please buy more… I know you just got some money and can’t wait to spend it n*gga.
Street wear designer Derick Bowers also used “New Slaves” as inspiration to start a petition to get Kanye’s frequent collaborator Jay Z to cut ties with Barneys.
“Just piggy backing off what Kanye [West] said in his song ‘New Slaves.’ Lines in that song were a direct correlation to what’s happening right now,” Bowers told AllHipHop. “Either you’re too broke to go in the store according to them, or if you got money we’re going to use you, and that’s Jay Z. I just hope he sees that.”
Jay Z released a statement addressing calls for him to sever his business relationship with Barneys on his Life + Times website saying he is “waiting on facts and the outcome of a meeting between community leaders and Barneys” to comment on the situation. The Brooklyn legend did receive support from Rev. Al Sharpton who believes the focus needs to be on Barneys first and not Jay Z.
[ALSO READ: Jay Z Receives Support From Al Sharpton In Barney’s Profiling Case]
Watch Kanye go off on high fashion, Hollywood, racism, and corrupt leaders below.
