(Credits: Far Out / Raph Pour-Hashemi)
Tue 21 October 2025 21:45, UK
When a figure whose influence is still a mainstay of modern pop culture suddenly turns problematic, it sparks that familiar separate the art from the artist debate. But one with an especially disgraced reputation was praised by many of the biggest names in the business – from Axl Rose to Nick Cave.
There are a handful of names that come up when discussing controversial figures whose art we adore. People have tried to regard it intellectually, as well, and see if there’s any way we can actually separate the art from the artist when our favourites become monsters. Face to face with our society’s most controversial figures, we’re constantly asking ourselves what sorts of metrics we can use to decipher when someone’s choices are enough for us to call it quits.
Which, in the age of the internet, often turns into a cyclical rabbit-hole trip in the quest to bargain for those who still deserve our attention. Some people don’t care; they’ll listen to Kanye West and watch The Ninth Gate without a care in the world. But the crux of the debate centres around the fact that these figures have had such an immense impact on culture that their downfall means something, and what we do with that something somehow speaks to our morals, too.
Naturally, this all becomes more black and white when it becomes too vicious to ignore. Again, Kanye West is a prime example. His unfiltered antisemitic tirade on social media earlier this year was a major turning point, sparking another cultural debate about whether it’s actually acceptable to listen to his music. But his impact is indisputable, even now. On Spotify, he’s the 23rd most listened to artist in the world. He’s a billionaire. His impact is so broad it explodes beyond the world of hip hop and into almost every genre.
He knows it, too. As he himself once claimed, “I invented every style of music of the past 20 years. I created The Weeknd’s genre, Trav, Drake. It’s called ‘making your own money’ genre.” He sort of isn’t wrong, either. Which, in turn, makes the artist debate even more difficult.
Some artists, like Nick Cave, argue that it’s possible to ignore West’s controversial actions and focus solely on the art. As he explained, “It’s a personal choice as to whether you can go on and listen to that person’s music. I personally can. I love Kanye’s music. I feel that he’s done the best music of anybody in some time, the most interesting, challenging, bold music.”
Cave isn’t the only voice in rock who has been impacted by the rapper’s music. Axl Rose also praised his work back in 2008 after an interviewer asked how he felt about West outselling him. “I met Kanye at the Versace awards, he recalled. “He was very gracious. I love ‘Gold Digger’ and told him so. I’m a big fan of his stage performance, as he seems to go for it physically, which I relate more to. Before our release I sent him a message that any nonsense from the media had nothing to do with us and wished him the best.”
While Rose doesn’t have the most polished track record when it comes to landing in hot water, his comments came long before West’s most polarising comments. But this also goes to show how long he’s been influencing every corner of the music industry, and why many defining figures struggle to look past his more recent controversies. The reality, therefore, might just be that someone with a legacy that’s deeply hooked into society has given themselves immunity from anything close to real accountability.
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