Chicago-based charity Donda’s House plans to change its name after Kim Kardashian got into a fight on Twitter with its co-founder, Che “Rhymefest” Smith, about whether Kanye West has “abandoned” Chicago.
The charity was co-founded by West and named after his late mother, Donda West, who opened up a recording studio in her own home to nurture and support young artists, according to its website.
The non-profit provides access and education from leading experts in the entertainment industry to Chicago’s creative youth and young adults ages 14 to 24; curates music festivals, artist lectures and workshops to provide showcasing opportunities for artists; and provides professional development for creatives to enhance skills and help them “close the gap between their reality and their dreams.”
The feud began after Drake invoiced G.O.O.D. Music Records (West’s record label) for $100,000 in the midst of a diss track exchange between himself and Pusha T, who negatively references Drake in a song in the album he released on Friday. Drake told Pusha T in his own diss track, “Tell ’Ye we got an invoice comin’ to you/ Considering we just sold another 20 for you.”
Rhymefest used this moment on Saturday as an opportunity to call out West for his alleged lack of support for his own charity and asked Drake to send him the $100,000 to help rebuild West’s mother’s house.
“@Drake when G.O.O.D. Music sends the money they owe you, will you please help us rebuild Kanye’s mothers house for the youth of Chicago,” he tweeted. “I spoke to Kanye about it. His response was “fuck the youth of Chicago.”
https://twitter.com/RHYMEFEST/status/1000407022960029696
https://twitter.com/RHYMEFEST/status/1000407777288781824
Kardashian did not take kindly to seeing her husband’s name tarnished online and attacked Rhymefest in a series of tweets. She said she would make it her mission to take the Donda’s House from Rhymefest and let her children run the organization.
“I saw you at our studio a few weeks ago so why didn’t you bring this up then @RHYMEFEST ? You were trying to get Kanye to listen to your sub par beats,” she tweeted. “You have the audacity to use Kanye’s mom name to try to shed a negative light on Kanye.”
https://twitter.com/KimKardashian/status/1000518355571298304
I saw you at our studio a few weeks ago so why didn’t you bring this up then @RHYMEFEST ? You were trying to get Kanye to listen to your sub par beats. You have the audacity to use Kanye’s mom name to try to shead a negative light on Kanye.
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) May 26, 2018
You didn’t say this when Kanye paid you up front then you disappeared during Pablo #RealFriends @RHYMEFEST
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) May 26, 2018
You better believe I will make it my mission to take Donda’s House from you and let my children run it the way it should be run! @RHYMEFEST
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) May 26, 2018
https://twitter.com/KimKardashian/status/1000520710060560387
Kardashian’s statements online caused the charity to tweet out its own statement and announce it would be changing its name.
“This has been an incredibly difficult decision but the social media quotes from Kim Kardashian West, as well as the expressed interest of her family running the organization, has brought us to this decision,” the statement said. “Over the last five years we have put our students and our community first…We encourage Kim and Kanye to indeed pick up the baton of service.”
Please read the attached final statement regarding the future of @DondasHouse, effective immediately: @kanyewest & @KimKardashian. pic.twitter.com/aNVWbJ1h49
— Art of Culture, Inc. (@ArtofCultureInc) May 27, 2018
Rhymefest also put out his own statement in response to Kardashian and explained that he was in the studio with West because West requested his help. He said when he approached West about the state of the charity, West was more interested in discussing his own record.
“At this point, if you and Kanye want us to dissolve the organization so that you can do the work, we welcome that,” he wrote. “As we will continue from our home on the South Side of Chicago, to do what we can to support the community we’ve worked five years to build in spite of you and Kanye’s lack of interest or support.”
https://twitter.com/RHYMEFEST/status/1000537937434562560
Not one to miss an opportunity to have the last word, Kardashian responded to the statement to explain this history of Donda’s House.
“I have and will always applaud any efforts to give back to the community,” she tweeted. “To fight for justice and to help uplift the youth. But I will never tolerate someone who was close to Kanye who attempts to use his late mother’s name to publicly shame him while pretending to do good.”
Kanye and Donda started a charity called Loop Dreams. When Donda passed, they changed the name to Donda’s House. Kanye paid Rhymefest a salary to run it.
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) May 27, 2018
After several years of lack of performance from the organization and Kanye going through personal financial issues, he could no longer fund salaries. Rhymefest asked to take it over and Kanye agreed with no financial strings attached.
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) May 27, 2018
Kanye gave his “friend” an opportunity to run an organization on his own. So now that Kanye is being publicly shamed for not being involved makes no sense and, at this exact time, just seems very calculated.
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) May 27, 2018
I have and will always applaud any efforts to give back to the community. To fight for justice and to help uplift the youth. But I will never tolerate someone who was close to Kanye who attempts to use his late mother’s name to publicly shame him while pretending to do good.
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) May 27, 2018
West himself has not yet commented on the situation.
