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Kanye’s back – labels might care about his misdeeds, but the public doesn’t seem to | Shaad D'Souza

The rapper seemed to have blown his career up two years ago with a string of offensive comments. But now he has another album at No 1, says culture journalist Shaad D’Souza

A large part of West’s celebrity for the past decade has been his sheer omnipresence: his music was everywhere, but so was his multibillion-dollar sneaker line; his collaborations with high-fashion labels and high-street brands alike informed the taste of millions. MJ, a new musical sanctioned by Jackson’s estate that’s currently playing in London’s West End, is a commercial success – suggesting that audiences aren’t exactly wringing their hands over celebrating the singer’s legacy. It’s not hugely surprising that a festival such as Rolling Loud would choose to swiftly book West after his chart success; when companies sever ties with their clients over alleged misdeeds, they’re responding to the cultural temperature to insure themselves against potential backlash from consumers.

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