Kanye West’s controversial behavior seems to know no bounds, as new claims have emerged that the rapper once considered changing his name to a swastika. This shocking revelation comes from Nick Fuentes, a known white nationalist and former member of Kanye’s inner circle during his brief exploration of a 2024 presidential run.
In a live stream on August 21, Fuentes, who has gained notoriety for his far-right views and participation in the 2017 Charlottesville rally, claimed that Kanye seriously entertained the idea of adopting the Nazi symbol as his new name. According to Fuentes, the conversation took place in December 2022, when Kanye allegedly called him with the bizarre proposal.
“He told me he wanted to change his name to a swastika,” Fuentes said during the stream on Rumble. “I’m not making this up. He called me up out of the blue one afternoon and said, ‘So what if I changed my name to a swastika?’ He was laughing, and I thought he was joking, but he was dead serious.”
Fuentes recounted how Kanye believed that by changing his name to the symbol, it would force media outlets to display a swastika whenever they mentioned him. “He said his name wouldn’t be spelled out in letters—it would be the actual symbol. And he was serious about it,” Fuentes added. Although the idea never materialized, it was one of the many controversial thoughts Kanye reportedly entertained during this period.
This isn’t the first time Fuentes has made eyebrow-raising claims about Kanye. Earlier this year, he alleged that Kanye would “tone up” his Blackness when around other Black people but acted differently when he felt safe among those who wouldn’t judge him. Fuentes described Kanye as a misunderstood genius with a “white autist” soul, attributing his creative talents to his upbringing in Hyde Park, Chicago, rather than the tough streets often associated with his image.
