I recently wrote an article called, « Harry Belafonte Was Right About Jay-Z. » The article went viral, generating a huge response from the Black community and beyond.  A few readers were puzzled when I stated, « Kanye West…often laments about racism but strives to uphold the same materialistic values that help drive economic disparities. » Now, I will explore this more thoroughly.

There is no denying that Kanye West has had a tremendous impact on the music industry and pop culture. From the beginning of his mainstream career, Kanye has been critical of issues dealing with racism and the structures within it. His infamous, « George Bush doesn’t care about Black people, » statement caused a media frenzy and solidified the general sentiments of the Black community during the Hurricane Katrina tragedy.

Yet it seems with more fame and popularity, Kanye’s commentary has shifted from calling out racism because it’s wrong, to calling out…