Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’: Tribute or Travesty?

Last updated on: May 20, 2013 at 7:05 pm by Andre E. Johnson

Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’: Tribute or Travesty? 2013-05-20T19:05:00-05:00 Andre E. Johnson

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Kanye West’s new album, available June 18, is expected to be called “Yeezus.” The title may be a riff on the artist’s nickname, “Yeezy”, but it is certainly a play on the name Jesus as well, and will certainly raise questions as a result. Is this title a tribute or a travesty?

As a rabbi who is endlessly fascinated by the historical character called Jesus, and genuinely moved by some of the teachings attributed to him in the New Testament, I remain calm as these questions begin to swirl as whatever I think about Jesus and his story, he is not a divine figure for me. That said, the place of faith in popular culture, even other peoples’ faith, affects us all regardless of what faith or even no-faith we follow.

We have to wonder, is this artist’s work a tribute to Jesus, or is it irreverent to the point of being offensive? Could it actually be a bit of both? Could it be that what borders on the offensive, or even crosses the border, for some, is actually a deeply spiritual message for others?

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