Kanye West disses Dancing with the Stars in his new album's song lyrics. This controversy is especially humorous considering his wife Kim and her brother have competed on the show in past seasons.
West has never shied away from controversy, but his new comments have attracted the ire of one community that seemed impervious to rap beef: the ballroom dancing crowd. The 42-year-old rapper, who has performed to sold-out audiences at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, is a staunch supporter of his wife and in-laws. So much, that when he went on a well-publicized rant on TMZ in 2018, he spoke of his disappointment in the media's fat-shaming of brother-in-law Rob Kardashian. Perhaps West feels that his lady and her baby bro were voted off the dance competition too quickly. Kim was eliminated in the third week of season 7; Rob made it to the finals of season 13. Kim was still a rising star at the time, working to rebuild her image after a leaked sex tape scandal. Rob appeared on the show shortly after his breakup with The Real's Adrienne Houghton (known then by her maiden name Bailon).
West's latest release, Jesus Is King, dropped in late October 2019. The incendiary lyrics appear on a track called, "Oh God," in which West justifies the high price for his shows, merch, and recordings. “That’s why I charge the prices that I charge/ I can’t be out here dancin’ with the stars,” he explains. Valentin Chmerkovskiy recorded a video of himself listening to the song and documented his own reaction to it via Instagram. Not only that, but the dancing pro altered a production still of Kim and her Dancing with the Stars partner Mark Ballas by superimposing West into the image. Then, while driving, he recorded himself giving West this warning: "Yo, Kanye, keep talking that smack about Dancing With the Stars. You gonna catch this diss track. With some rhinestones on."
Does Chmerkovskiy have a point about West's lyrics, or is this residual drama from the men's respective past relationships with Amber Rose? Fans of Dancing With the Stars will remember that Chmerkovskiy and Rose were paired in season 23. The two began dating soon after. That relationship came to an end when Chmerkovskiy realized that he and Rose led "very different lives." However, West famously dated the model and style icon - years before Chmerkovskiy. Much of Rose's notoriety stemmed from the exposure she received while on West's arm.
Maybe both of these men are seriously concerned about the other's views. Maybe this is just silly nonsense taken a step too far. Either way, West is once again drumming up attention for his word play. Now that Chmerkovskiy is off Dancing With the Stars for the rest of season 28 (following his elimination with partner Sailor Brinkley-Cook), perhaps he feels the need to feign concern over these lyrics to remain relevant until next season. Either way, people are talking about this new rivalry. It also goes to show that West's reach as a provocateur truly knows no bounds.
Source: People, Valentin Chmerkovskiy