Not so ‘Eazy’: Kanye West Slammed After Releasing Video Targeting Pete Davidson
Kanye West is well-known for stirring controversy. From his comments in support of former president Donald Trump to comparing himself
Ellie Mason
Kanye West is well-known for stirring controversy. From his comments in support of former president Donald Trump to comparing himself to Jesus, it’s never a dull day in Ye-land. But recently, things with West have taken a dark turn. In early 2021, it became obvious that West’s marriage to Kim Kardashian was falling apart. What has followed has been a worrying and at times frightening glimpse into an unwell person losing control of something they assumed they’d always have – and West has just taken it to another level. Just hours after news dropped that a judge had ruled in favor of a request by Kardashian to end their marriage, West dropped a new video – and let’s just say…Ye-ikes.
‘Eazy’ – Yikes
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If you haven’t watched the new video titled “Eazy” yet, be warned – it’s highly disturbing. The lyrics may be well-known by now, “Eazy” having dropped in January. However, the video escalates things to a level that many would consider criminal. So what’s all the furor about? We’ll break it down:
- “Eazy” starts with the lyric, “he was once a thug from around the way – my life was never easy.” Right off the bat, people questioned this lyric. West, after all, grew up in a solidly middle-class environment. While that doesn’t necessarily preclude him from a challenging life, from the outside looking in it’s pretty clear that West’s life has been affluent.
- But of course, the lyrics are the least of the head-scratchers in the video. The video features claymation representations of Kardashian’s new beau Pete Davidson.
- In the video, West is shown holding what appears to be a severed head, and a claymation representation of him kidnaps Davidson.
- The clay avatar of West then buries clay Davidson neck-deep in the desert and covers his body in rose seeds.
- After roses sprout from Davidson’s dead and decaying head – the only part still visible above the sands – a black pickup drives across the screen bearing roses.
- The video ends with the words “everyone lived happily ever after / except s̶k̶e̶t̶e̶ you know who/ JK he’s fine.”
Does that part about the truck sound familiar? It should. West had a black pickup truck full of roses delivered to Kardashian for Valentine’s day, ostensibly in an effort to win her back despite her concerted effort to ignore him and move on.
In the lyrics, West even directly mentions Davidson, at one point suggesting that God saved him from a severe 2002 car crash so he could survive to “beat Pete Davidson’s a–.”
Even if you could write off West’s lyric targeting Davidson as braggadocio, the video itself pulls no punches and clearly shows the kidnapping, murder, and burying of Davidson. Is it time for a restraining order?
The Los Angeles Times shares, “Not long after the video came out, Twitter users condemned Ye for taking his public disdain for Davidson too far. Some even interpreted the claymation slaying as a serious threat against the actor, deeming the visual ‘weird and scary on so many levels.’
‘If I were Pete I would get a restraining order on [Ye] ASAP,’ tweeted writer Meecham Whitson Meriweather, ‘it’s BEEN weird, but this is a whole new level. … Like imagine doing ALL THIS because you’re upset about a PR relationship.’
‘All this violence for Pete shows that Kanye never viewed Kim as a human being but property,’ wrote @black_isallgold.”
Kim is a Free Woman
This isn’t the first of West threatening and harassing his now-ex-wife and her new boyfriend, but it’s certainly the strongest escalation to date. From the outset, it was clear West did not want his marriage with Kardashian to end. Even to this day, he maintains that they will reunite, despite the fact that Kardashian scored a victory in court yesterday.
People reports, “This isn’t the first time West has shared concerning images about Davidson, who has been linked to Kardashian since October. The SKIMS founder filed for divorce from West in February 2021 and was declared legally single Tuesday, just before West released the video.
As Kardashian’s romance with Davidson flourished before the public eye, the Yeezy designer launched several attacks on social media and in the press. He shared screenshots of texts he’d received from both Kardashian and Davidson, along with memes that he captioned with harassing messages.”
Earlier this year, West apologized and said he was working on communicating better. However, the online harassment of Kardashian and Davidson has continued. Is it time to hold him accountable and realize that his mental health has placed him in a position too precarious to ignore any longer?
Is musical genius, as many call him, worth letting someone run free who is directly threatening the life of another? Most people would have been arrested for this behavior by now – leading to questions about double standards and the protected freedoms of the affluent. This also highlights how poorly the justice system handles domestic violence and abuse. Kardashian may be famous and wealthy, but she faces the same challenges being protected by the law as anyone else it would seem. Luckily for her though, she and Davidson have private security – which they may need to make use of it West continues to escalate.
The Controversy of Kanye West
To many, West is a genius. To others, he’s a danger. To most though, Kanye West is probably their favorite train wreck. West has over the years displayed impulsive and reckless behavior. At one point, West declared that he would be running for president – and then at a rally, got on stage and wept and yelled as he shared private information about his life with Kardashian including the fact that he considered aborting one of their children.
West has long been open about his battle with bi-polar depression, but it would seem that whatever he’s doing now isn’t working. In “Eazy,” West at one point wittily quips, “‘Mr. Narcissist,’ tell me ’bout my arrogance/ No more counselin’/ I don’t negotiate with therapists.”
We obviously don’t know the state of West’s mental healthcare, but for those in charge of his treatment – we’d say that’s a clear sign of intent not to comply. For Davidson and Kardashian, the newest video just cements how dangerous and reckless West has become. For the rest of the world, it’s a wake-up call that when people show you who they are – believe them. Not all people who are mentally ill are violent, and not all violent people are mentally ill – but in Kanye, the intersection could turn tragic if intervention isn’t provided.