Kanye West rings in his 43rd birthday after a massive donation to George Floyd’s daughter, going out to protest in Chicago, and topping Forbes rich list.
Happy 43rd birthday to rapper, producer, philanthropist and fashion mogul Kanye West. 2020 has been truly taxing and bizarre, but with his responses to all that’s happening, Kanye has at least three exceptional reasons to celebrate this year. First off, he’s among the list of African American celebrities who have joined the nationwide protests since George Floyd’s untimely and unjustified death. The show of solidarity is a bolstering move on his part even as many, including CNN’S Don Lemon, called out those stars “sitting in their mansions and doing nothing.”
Not Yeezy. In the past, he’s been outspoken against the treatment of Black people, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating hurricane Katrina when responses were slow and lacking for Louisiana’s predominantly Black population. Stepping out on Chicago streets last weekend, Kanye’s show of solidarity added steam to the Black Lives Matter movement, which has successfully agitated for the Minneapolis Police Department to be disbanded. Considered to be not only a controversial but conscious icon, his presence was welcomed on the front lines.
The second big win for Kanye West is his new place at the top of the Forbes annual Highest-Paid Celebrities List. The Gold Digger hitmaker is now the highest-paid musician/ male celebrity and second on the overall list, coming in behind in-law Kylie Jenner. This isn’t Kanye’s first time landing on the esteemed list — he out earned big brother Jay Z last year with his combined efforts in business, music, and fashion. With so much purpose and payoff leading up to his Birthday, it’s no surprise that Kanye West has found ways to pay it forward.
Yeezy has donated $2 million each to the families of not just George Floyd, but Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, whose young lives were also senselessly cut down by US police in March and February of this year respectively.
The ‘Heartless’ hitmaker proves he’s anything but that, starting a college fund for George Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter Gianna, and paying off all of Taylor and Arbery’s legal fees. This assistant would be the latest in several 2020 acts if kindness, including help for Black owned businesses heavily affected by Covid-19. West, who officially became a billionaire this year, has been using his initiative and influence for good, coming through with a silver lining for many in these cloudy, uncertain times. For all that, he really is our favorite ‘American Boy.’
Social media has been reacting all day to the birthday boy’s new milestone, most notably his wife—model, entrepreneur, and TV star Kim Kardashian-West who wrote, “Happy Birthday to my King.”
