Kanye West has been criticised by Alex Skolnick, the lead guitarist of legendary thrash metal band Testament, after being spotted wearing one of the group’s t-shirts in public.
Posting what he later called “a wiseass comment” using his personal Facebook page, Skolnick said he thinks Kanye might be a little confused.
“Oh no he didn’t! Wait, yes he did…Goodness gracious. This whole decrepit clan must have picked up a pile of old concert t-shirts (the same pile Kourtney K’s Slayer shirt came from) which have somehow become a ‘thing’ in trendy fashion (who’d have thought?!!),” Skolnick wrote.
“Inconcevable [sic] that any of these pop culture vultures know who the heck any of the bands are. My guess is he thinks it’s a religious group (not the 1st time that’s happened) That is, if he thinks at all, which lately, seems unlikely. And I thought this time period couldn’t get any weirder…”
After making the “wiseass comment”, which was supposedly only meant to be seen by his friends, Skolnick took to his official Facebook fan page to make a longer statement, saying:
“If Kanye genuinely knows and likes Testament — and isn’t just wearing our shirt as part of this current bizarre fad among trendy fashionistas and Hollywood types to wear old metal concert Ts — then that’s great, more power to him and respect. However, I truly doubt that’s the case (and would love to be proven wrong).”
Skolnick goes on to call out the Kardashian clan (which he says Kanye is “a part of by marriage”) for creating “the lowest form of cheap entertainment, turning people into brainless nincompoops and slowly destroying the country”.
“It’s not the music/artist part of the equation I have a problem with – it is the Reality TV, publicity junkie part. Kanye may consider himself an artist, which I can accept (although an artist on the level of those he compares himself to? Pablo Picasso? Sorry, not feeling it).”
Skolnick’s statement comes after Justin Bieber pissed off the internet by wearing Metallica and Nirvana t-shirts late last year, Kim Kardashian caused controversy with a punk-style jacket and Slayer guitarist Gary Holt started helping sell those “Kill The Kardashians” t-shirts. Oh and Bieber has been flogging a Marilyn Manson shirt on tour this year as well, so there’s that.
Read Alex Skolnick’s statement about Kanye West in full, below.
Watch: Testament – ‘The Pale King’
Alex Skolnick Statement (Via Facebook)
Alright. So I posted a wiseass comment meant just for friends who tagged me on FB – wasn’t meant as an official statement but now it got picked up and is making news. Had I been asked to comment publicly I’d probably say something more like this:
I like hip-hop generally and while not a Kanye West fan, I recognize that Kanye is respected by some folks in the music industry whom I respect. Normally I’d be flattered and appreciative from 1 artist 2 another (those who follow me outside Testament know I’m very open musically & work with artists of many genres). If Kanye genuinely knows and likes Testament – and isn’t just wearing our shirt as part of this current bizarre fad among trendy fashionistas and Hollywood types to wear old metal concert Ts – then that’s great, more power to him and respect. However, I truly doubt that’s the case (and would love to be proven wrong).
It’s not the music/artist part of the equation I have a problem with – it is the Reality TV, publicity junkie part. Kanye may consider himself an artist, which I can accept (although an artist on the level of those he compares himself to? Pablo Picasso? Sorry, not feeling it). Artistry aside, the Kardashian clan (of which he’s a part of by marriage) are not doing art – it is the lowest form of cheap entertainment, turning people into brainless nincompoops and slowly destroying the country, a place that’s descended to the point of the majority now embracing anti-intellectualism, denying facts, disbelieving science, believing fake news, avoiding rationality, shunning critical thinking and no longer recognizing the difference between reality and reality TV (case in point: electing a Reality TV star as President, someone Kanye is now cozying up to). I find these offenses so unforgivable that I cannot find enjoyment in a major celebrity and artist I’d otherwise respect (musically, at least) wearing our shirt, much as I’d like to.
So my initial response, while admittedly less eloquent, it is still an honest reflection of the moment. For those interested, here was my original reply meant for just few friends online:
“Oh no he didn’t! Wait, yes he did…Goodness gracious. This whole decrepit clan must have picked up a pile of old concert t-shirts (the same pile Kourtney K’s Slayer shirt came from) which have somehow become a “thing” in trendy fashion (who’d have thought?!!). Inconcevable that any of these pop culture vultures know who the heck any of the bands are. My guess is he thinks it’s a religious group (not the 1st time that’s happened) That is, if he thinks at all, which lately, seems unlikely. And I thought this time period couldn’t get any weirder…”
