Like Marmite you may love him, or you may hate him, but you cannot disagree that Ye has made an impact on the music industry.

After producing for Rock-A-Fella Records, Kanye West’s artist break through happened when he collaborated with rapper Twista and singer Jamie Foxx in 2003 on the song”Slow Jamz”, which became West’s first single to top the US Billboard Hot 100. Following this, West released his first album in 2004 “The College Dropout” which was a huge success selling 440,000 units in its first week.

So…I bet you’re wondering when the controversy started. On national television in 2005, West stated “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” this was in response to the way the President handled Hurricane Katrina which although controversial at the time for some it was very on the mark. Next, at the 2009 VMAs Kanye interrupted Taylor Swift’s speech stating Beyonce should have been the winner of the “Best Female Video” award. Then, 4 years later Ye released the unorthodox album “Yeezus” which was filled with claims of Ye being a God “I am a God”. However, it still debuted at number one. Also, the rapper posed for Rolling Stone with a crown of thorns and fake blood, claiming that he can make a direct comparison between himself and Jesus. In 2016, Kanye did his most controversial thing yet as he shows his support for Trump. We would be here forever as the list goes on but here are a couple of more recent comments. Kanye declares he’s pro-life, has made antisemitic comments, harassed ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her ex-partner Pete Davidson and wore a White Lives Matter t-shirt.

Should an artist be separated from their music? Should we remove songs by Michael Jackson, Chris Brown and Kanye West off platforms? As one of Kanye’s top 1% listener last year I may be bias when I say his music is genius and a well-crafted expression but, I struggle to remove Ye’s recent comments from my mind when listening to his music.

Kanye was diagnosed with bipolar in 2016. Can his erratic behavior be a result of this disorder? Can a disorder really cause people to make racist statements or behave in ways that many others find offensive.

I think it’s disappointing that after Ye’s religious awakening he has spun into this dark cycle. With social media platforms banning him is it time we did the same?

As humans we are used to constantly adapting to fit into to social norms by changing our appearance or altering our personalities based on who we are with, so why is changing accents a step too far?

Would it be wrong to modify your accent to abandon stereotypes, to be treated equally?! If your accent had negative labels attached to it surely you`d change it. Accents can be tweaked to achieve a different opinion. Like putting on a different pair of shoes every day we can wear a different accent every day. Like putting on a figurative mask before leaving the house to face the world-dramatic, right?

For example, research from Howard Giles, in the 70s, where respondents rated each accent for how prestigious and pleasant they think it sounds. Standard English accent’ received the highest ratings for prestige and pleasantness (oh I say!), while various non-standard urban vernaculars (Liverpool, Cockney, Birmingham) were rated lowest (nah bruv that aint it!). Ethnic varieties were also rated low for prestige, while non-native varieties were rated highly.

Potentially times have moved on. Have they? A recent survey done by AceentBiasBritian showed that listeners who were over 45 show a dispreference for Southern vernacular accents such as Estuary English (Think Jamie Oliver) and Urban English (think Stormzy), rating them significantly lower. Younger listeners, however, make no such distinction and rate all 5 accents approximately equally. An urban accent unfortunately is a disadvantage when wanting to be seen as intellectual or presentable. This provides evidence for accent bias and demonstrates that certain accents are perceived as ‘higher’ than others. Does this all just route back to a culture obsessed with class or is it discrimination and stereotypes that wrongfully drives judgement of accents?

Dr Sol Gamsu, professor of Sociology at Durham University, thinks that classism is more present today than you might think. “Accents are tied into uneven regional geographies of economic and cultural power,” he says. “The associations between intelligence and forms of middle-class and elite speech and accent are deeply woven into British class structures.”

Let`s be clear accents can create a power dynamic. Similar to specific pragmatism, accents and those with that accent can be segregated and discriminated against causing a contrast in authority. British class structures are still apparent today and are embedded into our views on intelligence, wealth, jobs, dialect, and political views therefore a higher class is associated with a ‘posher’ accent.

Accents within many occupations are looked down on. A quarter of British people feel discriminated against because of their accent (ITV/Comres survey). Which doesn`t surprise me when in a recent Guardian article 8 in 10 employers admit to doing so no less the law firm, Peninsula, stated. Why can`t we be judged on our experience and intelligence instead of the way I pronounce scone and bath!

It seems ridiculously unfair that your career choices could be hindered due to where you grew up. Should anyone with a ‘Non-Standard’ accent just give up all together then? Not achieve their dream job, because of an accent. No. People use a different lexis to present themselves as more formal, perhaps when speaking to authority, which really is no different to people changing their lexis phonologically to present themselves as formal as well. Should it even have to come down to that!

The language we use has always been subject to change. An individual may either make the unconscious or conscious change to weaken their accent if it is believed to be ‘less professional’ in a work environment. Dissimilar, someone might want to strengthen their accent to be seen as an individual and to hold their identity or to represent where they come from and be proud of their accent. We`ve probably never been so aware of identity as we are now due to modern technology.

Received Pronunciation is the standard form of British English pronunciation, based on educated speech in southern England, widely accepted as a standard elsewhere. Is it intelligent and reliable? Or haughty and unfriendly? The idolisation of accents results in a rise of accent softening. A removal of part of your identity to fit in makes you uncomfortable, right? Well for some this is their only option to be taken seriously. Lessening an accent when surrounded by people with the same predominant accent but strengthening it when visiting back home just goes to show how suggestive and conforming we are. We all know a friend or maybe you are the friend that is known for changing the way they speak or behave depending on who they are with. It`s a natural instinct to fit in but what if I challenged you to step outside of the box society pushes you in and to embrace your accent! Or change it! Why do I care!

Angela Rayner, the shadow secretary of the state for education, who has a strong Northerner accent has been criticised relentlessly by the public and media for her accent and grammar rather than being listened to for her political views. It could be assumed that some people care more about how things are said rather than what is being said. Angela herself said that she had to work twice as hard to get to where she is today because she is a woman with an accent. I wonder if she`d get an equal amount of hate if she was a man speaking The Queen`s English from the Tory party…but let’s not start that now shall we…

Accents is just the tip of the iceberg so changing it really doesn`t impact anyone other than the person changing it. It is a human right to express yourself however you want. If you want a different accent, use a different accent. Whether it is for occupational purposes, abandoning stereotypes, to fit in socially(jargon), or even just because you take a strong favour towards a particular accent, it is down to you and is utterly your choice. SO, WHO CARES!?

You’re all probably aware that The World Cup is being held in Qatar this year. This controversial decision has divided nations since it was agreed 12 years ago.

Not only were there issues surrounding how Qatar gained hosting rights with allegations from the U.S. Department of Justice that bribes were paid to secure votes. There also are major implications with the construction of the Stadiums, more than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died.

Qatar is a conservative Muslim country where Homosexuality is illegal. This has worried many LGBTQ+ fans who were wanting to travel however, World Cup organisers have repeatedly said that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome during the tournament but do their actions say otherwise? Khalid Salman, a Qatar World Cup ambassador and former international, told German broadcaster that homosexuality was “damage in the mind”. As well as, Captains being fined by FIFA or issued a yellow card for wearing a OneLove armband to protest the discrimination.

Qatar also has strict rules on alcohol. The country said it would let ticketed fans buy beer at matches starting three hours before kickoff and for one hour after the final whistle, but not during the match. This is confusing since one of The World Cup’s key sponsors is Budweiser.

Overall, the majority of countries in the competition are unhappy with the running of this tournament, including the fans. However, it could be said that some fans are more provoked at the idea of The World Cup being on in the Winter than the thousands of lives lost.

On a positive note, for the 2026 World Cup human rights were a core element of the host city selection process, with candidates required to “develop detailed human rights plans”.

The first death sentence was issued yesterday to a woman for taking part in the protests of discriminatory rules and calling for change to achieve their fundamental rights and freedom. 

The killing of Mahsa Amini while in custody for allegedly “wearing her hijab improperly” has outraged Iranian women and sparked a new round of nationwide protests. The women are then being persecuted for protesting. As a result, there have already been 341 deaths (according to a human rights organisation, HRANA) and 15,800 innocent people detained. 

I spoke with a Christian Iranian woman who shared her story with me. For security reasons she will be named Sara. “I was in an accident and saw a physio who was very nice to me and was a Christian. This made me interested in the faith and I then became a Christian”. Sara then proceeded to tell me about where she would worship and pray. “I would go to a home of a Shephard and his wife with others to praise God”. A Shephard is what we would refer to as a Pastor or Vicar. Sara and her group were then found, however she managed to escape. “I don’t know what happened to the Shephard and his wife, but I heard they died, and I assume they are either in jail or were executed”. A relative helped her get

to Europe, but she is unsure where. “I don’t know where in Europe I was, but I travelled to England and now I am here”. Sara is just one story. Thousands of women are being shamed for simply wanting free will.

It’s understandable that the Media has a lot of issues to cover more now than ever. However, the raw truth needs to be shown. Thousands of innocent women are due to meet death unless some serious action is taken. The foreign secretary James Cleverly said, “Together with our partners, we have sent a clear message to the Iranian regime – the violent crackdown on protests must stop and freedom of expression must be respected,”. This is a well-rounded statement however, movement is required in this extreme case rather than just words. 

So, what can you do to help these women? The Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran is raising funds to support their continued work against the gender-based inequities in Iran. United for Iran is an independent nonprofit organisation based in San Francisco, is working for civil liberties in Iran and accepting donations. Or you could simply do something that costs nothing… be welcoming to Iranian Refugees.