Support The Moscow Times!

Kanye West Tweets Putin Photo While Arguing for Artists’ Rights

Kanye West railed against the music industry in a series of tweets early Wednesday morning. Michael Wyke / AP / TASS

Kanye West has tweeted a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin in an early Wednesday barrage of tweets advocating for artists’ rights.

The 2020 U.S. presidential candidate railed against the music industry and vowed in a deleted post to stop releasing new music until he is released from his contracts. 

In one of his last tweets of the day, West, 43, shared a photo of Putin in a kimono wrestling a sparring partner to the ground. 

Putin, 67, a black belt in judo, is shown throwing a young sparring partner to the ground during a training session last year. 

“Rule number one,” reads the caption. “Listen to Ye.”

More than 26,200 users “liked” West’s Putin tweet and over 3,000 users retweeted it. 

Forbes estimates West’s net worth at $1.3 billion from sales of his fashion brand Yeezy in 2019.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more