- Rolling Stone interviewed staffers at Yeezy, Adidas, and Gap who worked with Kanye West.
- Staffers reported working 12-15 hour workdays in a chaotic, ever-changing work environment.
The recently disgraced rapper, Ye — also known as Kanye West — fostered a "cult-like" workplace where staffers' jobs were constantly in peril, Rolling Stone reported.
The outlet interviewed almost two dozen individuals who worked with Ye at Yeezy, Adidas, and Gap. The staffers reported working 12-15 hour workdays in a chaotic, ever-changing work environment where "you have to constantly agree with him."
"His anger at us in everyday interactions was just inappropriate, and honestly an HR nightmare," an Adidas Yeezy designer told the outlet.
"How he is on social media is exactly how he's like with employees," an Adidas Yeezy senior staffer added.
One staffer recalled being fired for suggesting they play Drake, who West used to have rap beef with. Multiple staffers also reported West's criticism of their outfits created a culture where most people dressed in Yeezy apparel. One creative was fired after wearing a yellow sweater when West told them to "dress for the palette or you dress in black," according to the Rolling Stone report.
"We [didn't] leave unless Kanye leaves," one employee told the outlet. "Nobody wanted anything to go wrong while Kanye was there because your job obviously could be in jeopardy if a mega-superstar is there and the printer doesn't work."
West reportedly told staff that his Yeezy fashion show was inspired by "skinheads and Nazis." At the show, he wore a "White Lives Matter" shirt, prompting backlash from fans and critics. In other recent instances, West made antisemitic and other harmful remarks in interviews and on Twitter. As a consequence, he lost many of his business connections and subsequently, his billionaire status.
Adidas, Gap, and Yeezy Mafia did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Insider also reached out to two representatives for West.