Kanye West takes aim at Taylor Swift (2024)

Kanye West appears to have reignited his feud with Taylor Swift.

The rapper, who changed his name to Ye in 2021, goaded the pop star in his latest Instagram Story.

The 46-year-old screenshotted a post by the Daily Loud. Originally posted to X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, the post shows that West overtook Swift as the most streamed artist on Spotify on Monday.

West has been in an on-again-off-again feud with the 34-year-old singer since 2009, when he interrupted her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).

Kanye West takes aim at Taylor Swift (1)

West hopped on stage after Swift, then just 19 years old, won the Best Video by a Female Artist award for "You Belong with Me."

West took the mic from the pop star and said: "Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!"

Newsweek has reached out to Taylor Swift and Kanye West for comment via email.

The moment went down in pop culture history, sparking a public battle between West and Swift that would last more than a decade.

After being shared to X, formerly Twitter, West's Story post quickly went viral, with people calling the rapper "obsessed."

"HE IS SO PETTY," said Onika Tingz.

"He knows she makes him famous that's why he keeps talking about her," wrote mo.

"All of this just for Taylor to go back to #1 as she has been for the past 293728373 days," said Steven.

"Why do all men suddenly hate a successful woman like taylor," commented lupic.

Kanye West's Feud with Taylor Swift Explained

Following the debacle at the 2009 VMAs, West referenced Swift in his song "Famous."

"I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex," the Yeezy founder rapped. "I made that b**** famous."

After facing backlash for the line, West claimed that Swift approved of the lyrics in a phone conversation.

"I called Taylor and had a hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings," he said in a now-deleted Twitter thread.

Swift's publicist contradicted West's claims, denying that the Grammy winner gave her consent.

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West's then-wife Kim Kardashian also got involved in the feud. Speaking to GQ in 2016, Kardashian insisted that Swift approved the lyrics and hit out at the "Anti-Hero" singer for causing her husband "so much s***."

The reality star later released a recording of the call between West and Swift, in which the rapper runs the "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex" line past the music icon.

"It sounds like a compliment," Swift replies. However, she never approved the addition of "I made that b**** famous."

Kanye West takes aim at Taylor Swift (2)

"Being falsely painted as a liar when I was never given the full story or played any part of the song is character assassination," Swift said in a statement at the time.

The full recording was released in 2020, vindicating Swift. West hit back at the pop legend, accusing her of lying, but the recording dented West's reputation.

Speaking to Time magazine in December, Swift shared how the "Famous" controversy impacted her mental health, describing the incident as a "career death."

"Make no mistake—my career was taken away from me," she said. "You have a fully manufactured frame job, in an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian edited and then put out to say to everyone that I was a liar. That took me down psychologically to a place I've never been before."

She continued: "I moved to a foreign country. I didn't leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn't trust anyone anymore. I went down really, really hard."

Swifties attacked Kardashian on social media, accusing the reality star of "bullying" their idol.

After West was knocked off Forbes' billionaire list, Swift fans compared the rapper's net worth with the "Blank Space" hitmaker's. Swift reached billionaire status this year thanks to her record-breaking Eras Tour, while West's net worth has dropped to $400 million since 2022.

Update 02/14/24, 5:28 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include further information on the feud between Kanye West and Taylor Swift.

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Kanye West takes aim at Taylor Swift (2024)

FAQs

Kanye West takes aim at Taylor Swift? ›

Kanye West appears to have reignited his feud with Taylor Swift. The rapper, who changed his name to Ye in 2021, goaded the pop star in his latest Instagram Story. The 46-year-old screenshotted a post by the Daily Loud.

Did Kanye West ever apologize to Taylor Swift? ›

September 2009: Taylor Swift says Kanye West apologized for VMAs incident. Two days after the VMAs, Swift appeared on ABC Radio to say West apologized for stealing her moment at the VMAs. “Kanye did call me and he was very sincere in his apology, and I accepted that apology,” she shared.

Did Kanye overtake Taylor Swift? ›

West shared a screenshot from The Daily Loud to his Instagram Stories. First posted to X, formerly Twitter, the post declared that West had overtaken Swift on Spotify's list of the most streamed artists globally.

What did Kanye West say about Taylor Swift in 2024? ›

To all Taylor Swift fans, I am not your enemy uuum I'm not your friend either though lol.” West then addressed the rumors that he and his wife, Bianca Censori, 29, were allegedly kicked out of a suite by Swift during the 2024 Super Bowl on Sunday.

Did Kim Kardashian respond to Taylor Swift's song? ›

Kim Kardashian hasn't personally commented on Taylor Swift's two new songs seemingly about her, “thanK you aIMee” and “Cassandra.” Sources close to her spoke about her thoughts though, telling People and Entertainment Tonight that Kardashian doesn't get why Swift is still bothered by their 2016 drama.

Are Beyoncé and Taylor Swift friends? ›

As two of the biggest names in the music industry, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have a unique bond that has created a lasting friendship. In addition to mingling at award shows and hanging out at parties together, the two have cheered each other on in their career endeavors.

Did Kim Kardashian edit Taylor Swift's phone call? ›

“Make no mistake—my career was taken away from me,” Swift recently told Time magazine of the ordeal in her 2023 Person of the Year interview. “You have a fully manufactured frame job, in an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian edited and then put out to say to everyone that I was a liar.

Who is richer, Kanye or Taylor Swift? ›

Kanye West vs Taylor Swift Net Worth 2024: 'Almost Billionaire' Tay, With 125% Higher Fortune, Is Silently Ruling Amid The One-Sided War Of Words!

How much is Taylor Swift worth? ›

She also owns numerous pricey properties across the U.S. Both Bloomberg and Forbes pin her net worth at an estimated $1.1 billion on the low end, based on analyses of her fortune. Swift first achieved billionaire status in October when she released a re-recording of her nine-year-old album "1989," Bloomberg reported.

How many Billboard #1 hits does Taylor Swift have? ›

Taylor Swift recently earned her 12th leader, tying Madonna and The Supremes for fifth place. The Beatles have the most No. 1 songs (20), followed closely by Mariah Carey (19).

Why do Kanye West and Taylor Swift not get along? ›

The infamous feud between the duo began when West shockingly ambushed Swift during the 2009 MTV VMAs. While Swift was giving her acceptance speech after taking home the trophy for Best Female Video, West took the stage to interrupt her and let the world know that Beyoncé should have won instead.

Are Kanye and Taylor Swift friends? ›

The feud between them, stemming from the 2009 VMAs incident and the release of the song "Famous," seems to persist, as evidenced by Taylor Swift's reaction during her concert. Therefore, it is not clear that Taylor Swift has forgiven Kanye West.

Why did Taylor Swift have Kanye West kicked out of the Super Bowl? ›

The newly minted 14-time Grammy winner, 34, allegedly got the embattled “Heartless” rapper, 46, booted from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas after learning he'd bought seats in front of her suite for the showdown between her boyfriend Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.

What is Kanye West doing now? ›

Rapper Kanye West is enjoying his time in Dubai with his new wife Bianca Censori and has no plans to return to the US. They have been seen partying at a pop-up fashion event and Kanye was spotted at a club.

How did Taylor Swift get famous? ›

How did Taylor Swift become famous? In 2004, at age 14, Taylor Swift signed a music publishing deal with Sony/ATV, thereby becoming the youngest signing in the company's history. In 2006 Swift signed with Big Machine Records and scored her first Top 40 hit with “Tim McGraw.”

What age was Kanye West in 2009? ›

“Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish. But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!” a 32-year-old West told a shocked 19-year-old Swift at the time, after hopping onstage and grabbing the microphone.

Why did Kanye apologize to Taylor? ›

It all started when the rapper ambushed Swift's acceptance speech for Video of the Year at the 2009 MTV VMAs — for which he later apologized. Then, in 2016, West released the track "Famous" with the controversial lyrics, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex.

What did Kanye say to Taylor Swift? ›

West took the mic from the pop star and said: "Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!"

What did Taylor say back to Kanye? ›

A year later, Taylor took the same stage to perform a song, 'Innocent' that would be on her album 'Speak Now' coming in October. The lyrics, which fans believe Taylor addressed to Kanye were: “It's OK, and life is a tough crowd / 32 and still growing up now / Who you are is not what you did / You're still an innocent.”

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