Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, has released a statement regarding the booking of Ye (FKA Kanye West) at this year’s Wireless Festival.
The statement comes after main sponsor Pepsi pulled out of the festival, while politicians and public figures made statements condemning the decision to bring Ye to London this summer.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said it is “deeply concerning” that Ye will perform at Wireless this summer, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan stated that the Grammy-winning artist’s past comments were “offensive and wrong.”
Melvin Benn has since defended the decision in a press release statement. In it, he states that Wireless will not give Ye a “platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions.“
Since Melvin’s announcement, made public on 6 April, Ye has added in his own statement through Festival Republic: “I’ve been following the conversation around Wireless and want to address it directly.
My only goal is to come to London and present a show of change, bringing unity, peace and love through my music.
I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the UK in person, to listen. I know words aren’t enough – I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”
The full statement from Melvin Benn reads:
“I am a deeply committed anti-fascist and have been all my adult life. I lived on a kibbutz for many months in the 1970’s that was attacked on October 7th, am pro Jew and the Jewish state, while being equally committed to a Palestinian state.
Having had a person in my life for the last 15 years who suffers from mental illness, I have witnessed many episodes of despicable behaviour that I have had to forgive and move on from. If I wasn’t before, I have become a person of forgiveness and hope in all aspects of my life, including work.
What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community, the Prime Minister and others that have commented and – taking him at his word – to Ye now also.
Ye’s music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country. He is intended to come in and perform. We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions.
Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world and I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.“
