Kanye West banned from performing at 2022 Grammys

21 March 2022, 11:41

Trevor Noah unpacks the Kim Kardashian/Kanye West/Pete Davidson situation

By Jazmin Duribe

Trevor Noah will be hosting the 2022 Grammy Awards.

Loading audio...

Kanye West will no longer perform at the 2022 Grammys, his rep has confirmed.

The rapper, who is nominated for five Grammy Awards including Album of the Year this year, was originally meant to perform at the award ceremony in Las Vegas on April 3. The performers include BTS, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow. However, the plan changed after Kanye attacked Trevor Noah, who will be hosting the Grammys, online.

In case you didn't know, last week Kanye's Instagram account was suspended for 24 hours after he "violated Instagram's policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying" by calling Trevor a racial slur. Kanye was hitting back at the South African comedian for commenting on his situation with estranged wife Kim Kardashian and her new boyfriend Pete Davidson.

Kanye West banned from performing at 2022 Grammys. Picture: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Trevor said: "You may not feel sorry for Kim because she’s rich and famous, because of the way she dresses, because she appropriates Black culture, because she tells women they’re lazy, broke the internet and then didn’t put it back together, whatever, you hate her. But what she’s going through is terrifying to watch, and it shines a spotlight on what so many women go through when they choose to leave."

Following their disagreement, The Blast reports that Kanye's team were informed that his Grammys performance had been pulled "due to what they deem to be concerning online behavior". The publication were also told that it's in part because Trevor is hosting and "there is worry about the two men’s interaction during the show". Kanye's rep then confirmed the reports to Variety.

Trevor also responded to Kanye's ban with a tweet, which read: "I said counsel Kanye not cancel Kanye."

I said counsel Kanye not cancel Kanye.
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) March 20, 2022

The news was condemned by rapper The Game, who collaborated with Kanye on his latest song 'Eazy', which received backlash for featuring Pete Davidson being decapitated and buried alive.

He wrote on Instagram: "Time & time again they show us that they only want to STEAL the culture, not allow you to ever be their equals. In a more than obvious move for reasons of minuscule actions…. The Grammys have at the last minute decided to pull @kanyewest from performing on the show as if we didn’t know it was coming. Could be because @trevornoah is hosting and there was a conversation held amongst his team & the academy that led to the decision or because Ye’s account was suspended just days ago for reasons unknown especially in a world where all the negativities of the world can be found on the same app with no repercussions or suspensions….

"We’ll just say it’s all of the above & a continuous disrespect for us & all that we have brought to the table in entertainment, media & sports over the last 100 years especially. Speak your mind in this country for yourself, family or your people & you're ostracised immediately & if you push them hard enough they will stop at no ends to try and put an end to you as a whole…."

He continued: "I for one, have never been scared to speak my mind even understanding what the consequences may be. I can’t sleep at night knowing I was quiet about issues burning holes in my heart or narratives incorrectly pushed by the mass agenda to create a mind set that the person at hand is krazy or has issues internally that are beyond repair.

"I say all this to say, I’M WOKE….. & while I am.. lemme remind you that Colin Kapernick still isn’t allowed in the NFL, lynching just became a federal hate crime in 2022 & you can now not be discriminated from employment because of the way you decide to wear your hair…. GEEZ thank you massa for allowing us to slowly progress as a race 100 years at a time after all that was STOLEN from us. I’m sure I’ll be the next account suspended for speaking freely on an app created for us to equally share as humans lol. Hella shit be a joke everywhere you turn these days… but let’s keep playing their game until one day somebody WAKES us ALL the f%#! up !!!"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Game (@losangelesconfidential)

Following Kanye's removal from the 2022 Grammys, fans are now calling on him to be removed from the Coachella line-up too. Almost 25,000 people have signed a petition to ban Kanye from Coachella following his frequent online tirades.