Kanye West Under Fire for Parkinson’s Lyric
Kanye West has drawn sharp criticism from the advocacy group Parkinson’s UK, whose head said the rapper showed an “inexcusable level of stupidity” with a lyric from his latest record, Yeezus, according to The Guardian.
The rhyme in question appears on the album’s opening cut, “On Sight,” in which West spits, “A monster about to come alive again / Soon as pull up and park the Benz / We get this bitch shaking like Parkinson’s.”
In a statement, Parkinson’s UK’s Chief Executive Steve Ford said, “People with Parkinson’s have to cope with intolerable social discrimination on a daily basis – often to the point where they are afraid to go out in public – and this sort of thoughtless, callous comment can only serve to make things even worse for them.”
A neurological condition caused by the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, those with Parkinson’s typically suffer symptoms including pain, stiffness and body tremors. Though there are treatments, there’s no cure.
The U.S. group American Parkinson Disease Association also put West on notice, with Vice President Kathryn Whitford telling TMZ, “We find these lyrics distasteful and the product of obvious ignorance.”
West – who has also been accused of blatant, if not grotesque displays of misogyny on Yeezus – has yet to respond to any of the comments.