It’s almost inevitable for Kanye West not to cause controversy. The rapper has been accused of ignorance and stupidity after mocking people suffering from Parkinson’s disease on his new album. The track ‘On Sight’, from ‘Yeesus’, features the lyric: “Soon as I pull up and park the Benz / We get this bitch shaking like Parkinson’s.”
Steve Ford, Chief Executive at Parkinson’s UK, said: “Kanye West has shown an inexcusable level of stupidity and cruelty towards people living with an incurable condition. “Life with Parkinson’s is difficult enough without becoming fodder for insensitive celebrities, who should know better, looking for their next big hit.
“People with Parkinson’s have to cope with intolerable social discrimination on a daily basis – often to the point where they are afraid to go out in public – and this sort of thoughtless, callous comment can only serve to make things even worse for them.”
According to midweek figures released by the Official Chart Company, Yezzus is currently battling with Kodaline for the UK No.1 spot.
Facts about Parkinson’s
- Every hour, someone in the UK is told they have Parkinson’s.
- It affects 127,000 people in the UK – which is around one in 500 of the population.
- One in 20 people are under 40 when they are diagnosed.
- Parkinson’s is a degenerative neurological condition, for which there currently is no cure. The main symptoms of the condition are tremor, slowness of movement and rigidity.