Multi-hyphenate artist Ye, formerly Kanye West, released a new song on Thursday that garnered massive attention on X. 

Titled “HEIL HITLER (HOOLIGAN VERSION),” the song features the repetition of the phrase “Nigga, Heil Hitler” along with other references to being a Nazi and a villain. 

The accompanying music video features a group of black men donning animal skins while chanting the central phrase of the song. 

The lyrics reference several public controversies Ye has faced in recent years. 

“With all the money and fame I still can’t get my kids back,” the rapper states, referring to his ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s alleged attempt to strip Ye of the joint custody he shares with their four children. 

“So I became a Nazi, yeah, bitch, I’m the villain,” Ye sings. “Nigga, Heil Hitler.” 

The song, released on X to Ye’s 33 million followers, concludes with a portion of a speech given by Adolf Hitler at the Krupp Factory in Germany in 1935. Ye posted an English translation of part of the speech to his X account on Wednesday. 

As of late Thursday morning, Ye’s official post of the music video has over 2.5 million views. 

The independent release of the song marks a climax of sorts following a number of viral moments in which the rapper made critical comments about Jews, appearing in a black Ku Klux Klan outfit, and revealing that he was sexually abused by his cousin until he was 14. 

“I got so much anger in me / Got no way to take it out,” Ye sings. “Think I’m stuck in the Matrix / Where the fuck’s my nitrous?”

The second line refers to a lawsuit Ye and his wife, Bianca Censori, have filed against Beverly Hills dentist Dr. Thomas Connelly, alleging he committed medical malpractice by supplying the rapper with nitrous gas.

A May 1 press release claims the $50,000 per month supply of the chemical compound caused “injuries and damages [that] include neurological and physical injury to Ye, psychological and emotional trauma, chemical dependency which requires ongoing treatment, financial harm and economic losses and loss of consortium.” 

In a response to separate lawsuit filed against Ye by “Jane Doe,” the multi-hyphenate is described by his legal team as “not merely a creator; he is art.” 

“Ye’s performative invocation of Nazism and Jewish tropes is no different than the boundary-pushing humor of comedians like Mel Brooks, Charlie Chaplin, Larry David, Ricky Gervais, and more, who have employed provocative references to Hitler, Nazism, or Jewish stereotypes as a form of artistic expression to challenge norms and spark reflection,” the filing states, referencing Ye’s speech as protected by the First Amendment and California’s free speech laws. “Ye highlights how certain slurs are commodified while others invite condemnation — exposing inconsistencies at the heart of free speech and civil rights debates.” 

SoundCloud reportedly removed the single within minutes of upload.