Spotify, SoundCloud struggle to remove Kanye West song glorifying Hitler, which has racked up millions of views on X
Rapper Kanye West dropped an antisemitic song that has amassed millions of views on X as music streaming services Spotify and SoundCloud struggle to remove the hate-filled track.
West, who lost his lucrative Yeezy-brand contract with Adidas after a series of vile antisemitic rants, glorifies Adolf Hitler in his new song, titled 'Heil Hitler.'
It was first shared on X (formerly Twitter), along with a companion track called 'WW3,' on Thursday. As of Monday morning, a video for the song has amassed over 8.2 million views on the Elon Musk-owned social media platform.
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5 Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, released a song praising Hitler.
Corbis via Getty Images
The clip of West, who has changed his name to Ye, was widely amplified by a network of users and right-wing influencers, Some posts merged the song with archival footage of Hitler.
Meanwhile, a clip of controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate playing it in his car has garnered over 3 million views on X.
5 As of Monday morning, the song 'Heil Hitler' amassed more than 8.2 million views.
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Despite the song's overt references to the Nazi leader and the Holocaust, Ye's posts remained active on X, which has scrapped its content moderation policies since Musk acquired the company in late 2022.
Ye's X account is verified as an 'organization,' potentially granting it monetization privileges. It remains unclear whether West is profiting from these posts.
The Post reached out to X, Spotify and SoundCloud for comment.
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The track's reach highlights the fragmented and inconsistent state of content moderation in today's digital landscape.
While platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud initially hosted versions of the song, both appeared to remove it following public backlash.
Still, users found ways around those efforts — re-uploading cover versions or embedding the music within podcasts.
5 West also released a companion song called 'WW3' which was available on Spotify.
Spotify
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NBC News identified 27 alternate versions of the song on SoundCloud and noted that 'WW3' remains available on Spotify as of Monday — despite its similarly inflammatory content.
On Reddit, versions of both songs were shared in subreddits devoted to Ye and other rappers.
A Reddit spokesperson told NBC News the platform is actively removing uploads and related posts, stating, 'Hate and antisemitism have absolutely no place on Reddit. We have strict rules against hateful content… In line with our sitewide rules, we are removing the song and any celebration of its message.'
The Anti-Defamation League also intervened, launching a petition urging Spotify to remove the track.
'Spotify has been mostly radio silent to outreach from ADL for the majority of 2025, so we felt it was important to activate our volunteer base,' said Daniel Kelley, the ADL's director of strategy and operations.
5 Platforms like Spotify have banned the song — only for it to crop up after being uploaded by users.
REUTERS
While Spotify did not respond, Kelley noted that the song appeared to have been taken down from the platform — though alternate uploads persist.
Platforms including Meta, TikTok and YouTube — all of which have policies prohibiting hate speech and the glorification of genocide — also saw reuploads of the track.
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'We removed the content and will continue to take down reuploads,' a YouTube spokesperson said, adding that Ye's affiliated accounts are not eligible for monetization.
On Friday, Ye announced that the song had found a new home on an obscure music app called Scrybe, which promotes itself as a platform for indie artists.
The app now lists Ye's music as 'trending.'
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5 Ye has made several antisemitic statements in recent years, leading to a loss of sponsorships.
Instagram/@piersmorgan
Scrybe did not respond to requests for comment.
Since 2022, Ye has made a series of antisemitic remarks — triggering global backlash and the loss of major business partnerships.
His controversies began with threatening to go 'death con 3 on Jewish people' on social media, followed by a series of interviews in which he praised Hitler and made conspiracy-laden claims about Jews controlling media and finance.
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In 2023 and 2024, Ye continued posting antisemitic content, including memes and statements downplaying the Holocaust.
He was banned or restricted from several platforms but often returned or found alternative venues to share his views.
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