Apple has cut the performance of Kanye West from the QuickTime stream of its special event in San Francisco.
In the original QuickTime Stream, Kayne West’s performance was included along with its attendant explicit language. The total run time (TRT) of the QT stream was originally 1:04:57. Now it clocks in at 48:15.
We’re not sure if Apple cut it becaus of the explicti language, because it just plain sounded so bad, or because West has been critical of the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts during a national telethon broadcast and then again on the U.S. daytime show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, or for some other reason.
The link revised QuickTime stream is here.
[Attribution: MacNN]
A note about the aftermath of hurricanes: MacDailyNews and iPodDailyNews staff weathered four hurricanes between 1996-1999 (Hurricane Bertha, Hurricane Fran, Hurricane Bonnie, Hurricane Floyd) while living in Wilmington, NC and Surf City, NC. Direct hits, all of them.
In each case, people would get all fired up about the “slow” response, start screaming about why they couldn’t go back to their homes, etc. We did the same thing after our first hurricane. Until we learned a few simple rules:
• You can’t go back to your house if there are no roads leading to it and/or there is water where there wasn’t before.
• Bureaucracies are slow, love to wrap themselves in red tape and, if there are no roads for you, there are no roads for them, so it takes awhile to get assistance back into the damaged area.
• Get a generator if you want electricity immediately.
• Things cannot be instantly fixed.
• You won’t have Internet access or cable TV for quite some time. Count yourself among the lucky ones if you still have a roof over your head.
• The initial reports of lives lost were always too high.
• Get used to hearing bulldozers and dump trucks because they’ll be driving around while you’re trying to sleep for months.
• Don’t try to ride out a hurricane if you live on a sand bar (or in a bowl below sea level).
• People make mistakes, but generally, the government officials were trying to help the best they knew how before, during, and after each hurricane.
• We learned how to do it better each time. Louisiana will, too.
After each hurricane hit, new people would move in and the next hurricane would hit and they would start screaming about “slow” response and yelling to go back to their house via washed out roads and the rest of us would look at them and try to explain, usually unsuccessfully. Then they would learn and look at the next batch of newcomers and try to explain to them.
When the next hurricane hits somewhere, the government response won’t be instant, electricity won’t come back on immediately, and people who haven’t been through it before will begin to scream about “slow” response.
As for Katrina, response has been slower before: http://www.charleston.net/stories/default_pf.aspx?newsID=38758
Related articles:
Donate to The American Red Cross Hurricane 2005 Relief fund to help Hurricane Katrina victims – September 03, 2005
Actually, I was quite surprised that they originally INCLUDED the Kanye West performance. The last special event in San Jose, as you may recall, featured Bono and The Edge doing an acoustic performance that was also edited out. So while I watched the S.F. feed with West, I was pleasantly surprised to see both of his songs being performed.
Probably because they did not have the rights to show it
when i first saw the stream – i always thought it quite bizarre to have kayne west perform for a media event with yo yo ma in the audience.
his performance did not fit the style of event. it was embarrassing to watch.
glad they cut it. now, let all the rap fan/conspiracy therist flames begin!!!
That is because it sucked
I heard he hates white people. And midgets.
scottm4321: that was seriously funny
MDN Magic Word: “minutes” as in, “I have been rolling on the floor laughing my ass off for the last ten minutes.”
I caught the unedited feed as well and was also pleasantly surprised the artist’s performance was included. Complete with his ‘dis’ of George Bush (and his ilk). Talk about “edge”.
Rock on Kanye West!
I would have rather heard & seen Madonna doing something a cappella over iChat, like “Ode To My Broken Arm, dance dance dance”. At least M has a well-developed sense of humor.
Kanye West’s performance was embarassingly horrific. I’d say, on par with something you’d expect to see in a highschool gymnasium. His people probably requested it be removed so that no one will remember it or have proof that it occured. Egad.
‘webbyswim’ wrote: “when i first saw the stream – i always thought it quite bizarre to have kayne west perform for a media event with yo yo ma in the audience.
his performance did not fit the style of event. it was embarrassing to watch.”
Yo Yo Ma is quoted as saying he hates R&B, Rap, Alternative and generally anything that sounds very “rhythmic” because in his words, “He is basically a one dimensional Gumbie”.
So ‘webbyswim’ I guess you are right.
I remember hearing several expletives during his performance (from Kanye, not the audience). Maybe that is why it was cut? Not “family-friendly” enough?
Good Kanye West is not a great ambassitor for Apple. He has made some great comments like “George Bush hates black people” afte rthe New Orleans disaster. Not to mention his “Jesus Walks” song he performs along side his other trash.
I don’t care that he may or may not be on one side of the fence. I just want him to pick a side and stay there.
MDN: makes
Well folks, that’s what happens in the media when you let an uneducated racist imbesil speak his opinions.
And they say whites are racist!
Thanks for the hurricane POV, MDN.
they probably didn’t have the rights to it, or the feed wasn’t drm. i did see the orig, and i’d like to hand it too apple for not cancelling that portion, as did kanye. it wasn’t the best venue for a solo hiphop performance anyways, kanye’s performance at live aid was better. there’s an article on slate about kanye that has some free downloads off his new album. they’re .asf so if your on a mac you’ll need easywma to convert.
I’m not at all surprised it was cut – as others have said before me – it just plain sucked and being the person he is – West probably demaneded it get cut so he doesn’t look bad – not that it hasn’t been hard for him to do lately….
I have very eclectic tastes and so sometimes even like hip hop or rap a bit but I thought it sounded bad too, I am sure his studio performances or performances before an audience that is more into this kind of music are better. Also I was kinda phreaked that it was left in when the language was pretty graphic and young kids that are into Apple products could be watching it with their parents having no hint as to what was on the video. I am sure somebody complained.
Since Apple was officially linked to it I guess they could have put an “explicit” sticker on it and left it they way it was but I think it was better for all involved that it was edited out.
It was a pretty bad performance and a waste of bandwidth.
I seem to recall they cut U2’s performance as well last year, because of concerns of piracy of the recording.
It’s “imbecile”, actually, but point well taken. I noticed that he didn’t get too worked up over that group of young men that gang raped a 10 year old girl so violently that they broke her ankles. No, he’s more upset about pictures of blacks stealing televisions being called “looters”.
NEWS FLASH: Anyone, of any color, stealing televisions is, by definition, a “looter”. But thanks for polarizing the viewing audience Kanye, keep those donations rolling in.
Since the iPod & iTunes are “about the music’ according to Steve Jobs, removal of offensive ‘rap’ makes perfect sense.
RAP IS NOT MUSIC.
I thought it was good Apple included Alicia Keys and then U2 in some recent announcements, but seeing Kayne West’s performance suggested Apple are trying to appear hip and “with it” with whomever is currently popular or at the top of the charts. Hip hop at that venue?
Unfortunately, Kayne’s performance was marred by poor audio probably due to the venue acoustics (I ended up fast forwarding it was so bad). To hear it’s gone from the video isn’t something I would lose sleep over.
Heh. By any standards, response was slow. People weren’t getting food days after the disaster.
It may not be race, but it certainly is poverty that’s the issue. George Bush doesn’t care about the poor, that much is obvious.
Thus, as he refuses to exempt Katrina survivors from the draconian Bankruptcy legislation, which makes it more difficult for them to escape their debts from this disaster, George Bush and his cronies are working to repeal the estate tax on the richest 1%.
Ridiculous.
That’s what I get for letting some foul-mouthed RAP hack flavor of the month get up and sing for so long. What was I thinking? I should have had someone with more staying power than him. Like William Hung or something. At least people could laugh at Hung and let their kids watch.
If he’s critical of George Bush, though, he’s not a total loser. But I think that’s just posturing to get attention. Most rap crap singers are nothing but thugs who couldn’t care less about another human being’s welfare. Kind of like I was in my early days. (I still haven’t apologized to the poor guy I asked about his sex life in a job interview, but I do feel bad.)
From now on, no more RAP bozos at keynotes. I’d rather hanve Sliim Whitman.
no REAL talant anyway!