Kanye West Faces Costly Fallout From His Allegations of Rape, Assault
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Kanye West’s career took off almost immediately after he dropped an album that made him a star: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, a breakthrough success he has since maintained. His music has a unique mix of R&B, hip-hop and dancehall-influenced beats, with references to American pop culture and a tendency to veer into political commentary that frequently strays from the mainstream.
West also has become a lightning rod for his critics, who have drawn a wide range of different allegations from women in the past, with some more serious than others. A recent article in Rolling Stone alleged that West had a sexual relationship with the pop star Rihanna, who has also accused him of harassment. He has also frequently drawn criticism for making jokes that could be considered offensive: Earlier this month, he told an audience at the MTV Video Music Awards that he would “beat the hell out” of rappers Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar after they performed.
“I mean, come on dude, you don’t even know rap,” he said, according to a recording of the incident, which appeared on TMZ. “I literally would beat the hell out.”
It’s not just West, though. Rapper Cardi B is facing accusations of sexual assault from at least three women, including allegations that she had a child out of wedlock with a friend of hers during their relationship. Her lawyer, Curtis Parker, says his client has provided her phone records to authorities.
“As a mother, I would be devastated by that. Honestly I would be devastated,” she said in a video statement she posted to Instagram. “If it were to happen to anyone in my family, I would be devastated and would not be able to continue. I am not going to make that mistake and I’m not going to be that person. I’m going to be myself. And if I can’t be you know what, then I’m not here, I hate to be a hypocrite but I am myself. And I love my child.”
The cases of both West and Cardi
