Kanye West’s fame gives his unrepentant antisemitism a powerful, troubling megaphone

LOS ANGELES — As the United States increasingly grapples with racist and bigoted rhetoric entering the mainstream — accompanied by a rise in hate crimes, the extremism has tended to come from the margins of political life.

But for the last few weeks, a series of antisemitic and conspiracy-soaked rants have emerged not from dark corners of the internet, but from one of America’s most renowned rap artists and fashion icons: Kanye West.

The ugly, unrepentant nature of the comments by West, who now goes by Ye, present challenges in fighting hate, experts said.

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal