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Kanye West
Festival Boss Defends Ye’s Headlining Spot
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After Kanye West was named headliner of this year’s Wireless Festival in London … sponsor after sponsor has been pulling out. But it seems Ye doesn’t have to worry about losing his top-billed slot.
Melvin Benn — managing director for Festival Republic, which puts on Wireless — is standing by Kanye in a statement, multiple outlets report.
He believes people need to move on from the controversial comments Ye’s made in recent years, saying … “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world.”
Melvin noted he wasn’t initially pro-Kanye, adding … “I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.”
The festival boss feels it’s the rapper’s “legal right” to take the stage at Finsbury Park this July.
Melvin insists the festival is “not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature” … just to play the hits.
But big brands aren’t seeing it that way — PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, PayPal and Diageo have all pulled their sponsorships after learning Ye would close out all three nights of the festival.
