Ye Returns To IG To Call Out Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted For "Blatant Copying"

BYHayley Hynes14.3K Views
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Kanye West & Kasper Rørsted
"These shoes represent the disrespect that people in power have to the talent," the father of four wrote of a new Adidas model.

It's been a while since Kanye West logged into Instagram and expressed himself on his feed, but on the evening of Monday, June 13th, the father of four had a few words to share with his 16.1 million followers.

"THIS IS YE," he began writing in the caption of a TikTok screenshot modelling a pair of Adidas Adilette 22's, which retail for $55. "Driving down the same street Kobe passed on, maybe I feel that Mamba spirit right now."

Ye Returns To IG To Call Out Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted For "Blatant Copying"
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The 45-year-old then directly addressed the streetwear company's CEO, Kasper Rørsted. "To Kasper, I'm not standing for this blatant copying no more," he wrote, calling out the Adidas head for selling products similar to ones that West previously designed.

"To all sneaker culture, to every ball payer, rapper, or even if you work at the store – this is for everyone who wants to express themselves but [feels] they can't cause they'll [lose] their contract or be crazy. Bravery is not being afraid, bravery is overcoming your feat for your truth."

The Yeezus artist told readers, "This Ye with the blue paint on my face," also adding of the Adidas knockoffs, "These shoes represent the disrespect that people in power have to the talent. This shoe is a fake Yeezy made by Adidas themselves."


West said that he wouldn't be talking to DC about his issues, and instead, wants to speak with Rørsted himself directly. "Happy Monday," he concluded his post.

The last time the rapper began calling people out on social media, things became pretty messy (particularly for names like Pete Davidson and Kid Cudi), so time will tell if he has more to say, or if he simply needed to get his Adidas beef off his chest.


In other news, we recently analyzed Kanye West's birth chart, breaking down everything from his relationship with his late mother to his constant need for control in his love life – read more about that here, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.


About The Author
Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.
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