February 11th 2024.
Legendary rock star Ozzy Osbourne, known for his time as frontman for Black Sabbath, recently made a bold statement on social media. He revealed that he had denied rapper Kanye West's request to sample Black Sabbath's 1983 live performance of "Iron Man" from the US Festival. The reason behind Osbourne's refusal was West's history of making derogatory and antisemitic remarks.
In a tweet, Osbourne stated that West had asked for permission to use a section of the live recording without vocals, but was denied due to his past actions causing "untold heartache to many." Despite this rejection, West went ahead and used the sample at his album listening party, much to Osbourne's dismay. The rock star made it clear that he did not want any association with the rapper and even sent him a cease-and-desist order.
According to reports, West played the unauthorized sample at his album release party on February 8th, despite not receiving permission from Osbourne. Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife, spoke out about the incident, stating that "Kanye f—ked with the wrong Jew this time." She also mentioned that Black Sabbath usually allows requests for samples, but this particular situation was an exception due to West's history of antisemitism.
West has faced consequences for his antisemitic remarks in the past, including the halting of production on his popular Yeezy line by Adidas. His history of offensive comments also led controversial talk show host Bill Maher to cancel an interview with West on his podcast. Maher stated that West's lack of knowledge and understanding about the Middle East and Jews made him a spreader of harmful ideas. He also called the rapper a "charming antisemite," adding that he was not the only one in America who held such views.
In an effort to make amends, West issued an apology on Instagram in December, and later followed up with a 40-minute apology video in January. In his post, he expressed regret for any pain caused by his words or actions and promised to educate himself to be more sensitive and understanding in the future.
The controversy surrounding West's actions has caused a stir in the music industry, with many condemning his behavior and refusing to support him. Osbourne's strong statement against West's sampling of Black Sabbath's music serves as a reminder that actions have consequences, and that hate speech will not be tolerated.
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