Kanye West's manager talks about future after anti-Semitic statements
Music manager Scooter Braun, 45, said he was open to talking to Kanye West, 48, now known as Ye, and said he believed in the possibility of the rapper's "redemption and growth", despite the anti-Semitic statements that marked the separation between the two.
Scooter, who managed the "Stronger" performer's career between 2016 and 2018, admitted that he hasn't spoken to the artist in a long time and said he was shaken by Kanye's comments about Jews in recent years.
In an interview with the podcast "Second Thought", presented by Suzy Weiss, the executive explained that he tries to keep good memories of the period in which they worked together.
"We broke up and obviously the situations he went through and the things he said were very upsetting to me. But I look back on those years as an important period for which I have affection and gratitude," said Scooter, whose Jewish family was marked by the Holocaust.
The distance between the two occurred after a series of controversial statements made by Kanye, which provoked a strong public reaction and led several brands to end their partnership with the musician. In 2025, the star had his show at the Autódromo de Interlagos, in São Paulo, canceled by the City Hall.
After numerous controversies, the artist - who was married to businesswoman Kim Kardashian - published a public apology in an ad in the Wall Street Journal. The text attributed part of his attitudes to a phase of mania associated with bipolar disorder. Scooter believes that the outburst about his mental health condition opened up space for reflection.
"If we ever talk again, we will have our own conversation. I always want to believe that people have an opportunity for redemption and growth. I was very shaken, because my family lived through the Holocaust, and some of the things he said were unacceptable and very frustrating," he said.
"That's probably the reason we haven't talked in a long time. I know I've matured in certain situations and I've wanted people to offer me empathy and an opportunity to evolve. I don't think it would be right to deny that to someone else," he added.
Scooter recalled the mental health issues Kanye faced during the period they worked together.
"From my personal experience, he was dealing with a lot of mental health issues. Do I truly believe this apology is genuine? I haven't experienced this myself, but I want to give anyone the benefit of the doubt," he said.
Retired from artist management since 2024, the mogul praised Kanye's creative process.
"Kanye taught me to see colors and design differently. I witnessed some of the most brilliant moments of my life; of inspiration, the way he works and the way his mind works", he pointed out.
Kanye West publishes letter of apology in support of Nazism
Source: CNN