Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, is coming to Tampa at the end of the month, and different communities in the Tampa Bay area are speaking out against his appearances.<\/p>\n
It began with Sen. Rick Scott sending a letter<\/a> last week asking the Tampa Sports Authority, which operates Raymond James Stadium, to cancel<\/a> the June 26 and 28 concerts.<\/p>\n Now, the Florida Holocaust Museum, the Tampa Jewish Federation<\/a> and the Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW) have all released statements against the rapper\u2019s performances.<\/p>\n In early 2025, Ye made statements on the social media platform X claiming to be a Nazi. He also alluded to Nazism in one of his songs\u2019 lyrics and music video, and promoted the sale of a T-shirt stamped with a swastika through a Super Bowl ad.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, Ye apologized for the comments and actions in a Wall Street Journal advertisement, blaming his behavior on a bipolar disorder<\/a> and frontal lobe injury from an accident.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: A music festival booked Kanye West, now known as Ye, and lost major sponsors<\/a><\/p>\n Still, his words continue to have an impact on members of the Jewish community who say they don\u2019t see the truth in his apology.<\/p>\n Eric Stillman, president of The Florida Holocaust Museum, is one of the people who don\u2019t believe Ye\u2019s remorse is genuine.<\/p>\n \u201cTo say he was sorry and to say it was based on a manic episode and not to take any actions after that, to demonstrate that this was a sincere change of heart, is really what is so hard for the members of the Jewish community in Tampa, and throughout the region and throughout the world to take that as sincere,\u201d Stillman said.<\/p>\n The museum released a statement<\/a> Monday saying hosting someone with such a history of antisemitism sends a message that \u201canti-Jewish bigotry can be accepted or overlooked for the sake of something as simple as a concert.\u201d<\/p>\n The museum also announced it will offer free admission<\/a> from June 26-28 \u2013 the days Ye will be in Tampa to perform.<\/p>\n Stillman said opening the museum to a wider audience on those days gives an opportunity for those who are unhappy about the concerts to further educate themselves about the Holocaust.<\/p>\n \u201cThey can demonstrate through their own actions that they want to create something positive from this situation as opposed to what is happening, which is that someone who’s said very hateful and very hurtful remarks against the Jewish people is getting a very big platform here in our area,\u201d Stillman said.<\/p>\n The Tampa Bay Times reports<\/a> the Tampa Sports Authority issued a statement<\/a> acknowledging the concerns about the concerts.<\/p>\n