Kanye West jumped on Twitter and posted a thumbnail of XXXTentacion's online store. The intentions of his post are fairly suggestive, but why not explore what the gesture is symptomatic of in itself. On one hand, the gesture is a sign of goodwill towards XXX's family and their estate. It also demonstrates a willingness to seek a fortune out of tragedy.
The Twitter thumbnail directs you straight to XXXTentacion's online store where a Kanye-designed t-shirt depicting the late rapper is being sold. The concern is that Kanye nor XXX's estate has offered any information with regards to how the proceeds are being handled. As our very own Milca P stated off the record, "the situation (the aftermath of an untimely death) is too delicate to be cryptic." For that, I (personally) reserve judgment for what remains unsaid. My hope is that the initiative is being done in good faith.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1043527734234820608
Furthermore, the topic of posthumous praise has become a big part of the conversation around hip hop, along with the pervasiveness of drug culture, and the notion of a generational divide. Soon after XXX's death, Master P called out a handful of industry types for exploiting the issue, then Young Dolph followed suit with more generalized comments concerning the issue of "posthumous praise."
Not everything in life requires us to plan an adjacent merch run unless of course, the proceeds go to a good cause (100%). Like I said before, I hope this is and future endeavors within the culture, will be done in good faith. The t-shirt-hoodie-pullover XXX merch is viewable in the link provided within Kanye's Tweet.
