Famous rapper Ye, aka Kanye West, and extreme conservative commentator Candace Owens sparked a massive controversy by wearing “White Lives Matter” t-shirts at a surprise fashion show for Yeezy’s during Paris Fashion Week. Recently, the family of George Floyd announced a plan to file a $250 million lawsuit after Ye claimed Floyd died of a fentanyl overdose on Drink Champs. He’s also posted antisemitic and controversial comments, resulting in him being dropped by his talent agency and major collaborators, including Adidas and Balenciaga.

After his separation from Kim Kardashian last year in February, Ye launched multiple tirades on his Instagram account, mainly against Kardashian’s new boyfriend, Pete Davidson. The straight-up cyber bullying left Davidson mentally damaged.

Admittedly, Ye is a genius with music. I listen to at least two of his songs every day. His lyrical expressions combined with his captivating melodies have revolutionized the rap industry. But, his recent behavior has transformed many of his listeners’ opinions about him, including mine. Products from problematic artists like Ye are disregarded or belittled by fans simply because of the artist’s reputation. For example, many of Rex Orange County’s fans are burning their merch and boycotting his songs after he was recently accused of six counts of sexual assault.

Major artists, like Michael Jackson, who was accused of being a sexual abuser, is a prime example of separating art from artist. Despite the numerous accusations of sexual abuse on minors, there’s still a show using his catalog of music called Michael Jackson ONE, just on the edge of the Strip. It goes to show that Jackson’s controversies haven’t stopped the fans around the world from enjoying his legendary music.

It should be worth noting that although listening to Ye’s music through streaming apps, like Spotify, supports him financially, boycotting his music won’t really impact the 51 million streams he already receives monthly. Plus, it would be virtually impossible to convince millions of his fans to stop listening, considering his major impact on the industry. So if you ever feel guilty of supporting him through streaming apps, you’re doing a minuscule amount by not listening.

But, it’s completely appropriate for Twitter and Instagram to immediately ban his accounts for problematic posting. When Ye posted several pictures of Adidas board members after his business deal went wrong, many of his followers called for their removal and excessively targeted them on several platforms. Banishment from social media wouldn’t affect his creativity, nor his musical abilities. It might even add the benefit of clearing distractions away from Ye.

It’s tragic to see Ye fall from the grace and glory he’s created for himself. His music is spectacular and game-changing, and he’s created an empire based on that. It’s clear that Ye needs immediate help.