Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa's impossibly dumb Twitter fight, explained
Decades from now, when historians go back to analyze this thing we call Twitter, they'll be able to point to one day that simultaneously exemplified the apex and the nadir of the medium: January 27, 2016, when an almost impossibly dumb tweet-feud broke out between rappers Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa.
The trouble began around 13 hours earlier, when Khalifa tweeted some fairly benign thoughts about the new title of Kanye's upcoming album, WAVES, arguing that Max B — a hip-hop artist currently serving a 75-year sentence for murder — is the true "wavy one." Seven hours after that tweetstorm, Khalifa tweeted this:
It's here that Kanye took objection — interpreting "kk" as a veiled reference to his wife, Kim Kardashian. He responded with his own long, angry tweetstorm, full of shots at Khalifa and his ex-wife, Amber Rose, who previously dated Kanye:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Khalifa quickly responded:
This might sound like an unconvincing dodge. But Urban Dictionary — surely the most authoritative source for such things — backs Khalifa up: The sixth most popular definition for "KK" is "Khalifa Kush." Khalifa Kush even has its own page on the marijuana review site Leafly, which calls it a hybrid with notes of "sour lemon and pine" that was bred specifically for Khalifa.
No matter. Kanye, perhaps sensing his mistake, pivoted by starting a hashtag for Khalifa's cool pants:
Kanye went on for another 19 tweets, and you can check them out here if you care, but trust me — it didn't get any better than that.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published