London tattoo studio offers to remove Kanye West tattoos for free

15 November, 2022

Kanye West

A tattoo studio in London is offering to remove tattoos of Kanye West for free, following the recent controversies surrounding the rapper.

NAAMA Studios in London, which usually charges around £2,000 for removals depending on the tattoo, has made the move as a result of West’s offensive remarks in recent weeks.

Last month, West was banned from Twitter and Instagram after posting a series of anti-Semitic messages. He went on to say he didn’t believe in the term anti-semitism and that he’s “jealous” of Jewish culture.

Several anti-fascist groups spoke out against the remarks and many artists, celebrities, and politicians publicly condemned West over his remarks including Jack Antonoff, John Legend, David Schwimmer, New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and ex-Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Elsewhere, Adidas officially terminated their partnership with the rapper, calling his inflammatory statements “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous” in a statement and Balenciaga – who West walked the runway for at last month’s Paris Fashion Week – also cut ties. JPMorgan Chase decided to “end its banking relationship” with West, and he was also reportedly dropped by his lawyer and talent agency.

One former fan told NAAMA Studios (via the Evening Standard): “Having a tattoo related to Kanye isn’t exactly something to shout about given his hugely distasteful comments recently.

“When I found out I could get it removed for free, I was really pleased. NAAMA has a great reputation for tattoo removal, so I was super grateful to start my removal journey with them and put this behind me, so I look forward to having it done.”

Briony Garbett, CEO of NAAMA Studios, added: “We all hope that the tattoos we get will always have a special meaning to us, however, you can never predict the future and how that might affect your view of your tattoo.

“When you have a tattoo inspired by someone you admire and they start making headlines for all the wrong reasons, it’s not exactly something you want to wear on your sleeve that you are or were a fan.”

In other news, Israeli pop star Noa Kirel wore an outfit adorned with photos of Kanye West to this year’s MTV EMAs in a “message to the world”.

Kirel appeared on the red carpet in an outfit featuring many pictures of Ye’s face, with The Israel Times reporting the singer as calling the choice “a fashion item with a message for the whole world; an item that signals that I am both Jewish and Israeli.

“We have been experiencing a lot of antisemitism, especially in light of Kanye West’s statements. I am proud to be an Israeli artist who represents Israel in the world,” she said.

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