Rapper Kanye West has addressed the skepticism surrounding his recent public apology, which some speculated was a “PR move” ahead of his upcoming album. bully. The artist recently published a full-page apology letter earlier this week addressing “the people I have hurt.”

The apology follows West’s anti-Semitic comments and actions, which led to a backlash and the end of several business partnerships.

In a recent interview with Vanity FairWest clarified that his apology was not intended to generate publicity or commercial gain for his album.

He wrote, “It is my understanding that I was in the top 10 most listened to artists overall in the US on Spotify in 2025, and also last week and most days. My upcoming album, ‘Bully’, currently has one of the most anticipated pre-saves of any album on Spotify. My 2007 album, ‘Graduation’, was also the most listened to and streamed hip-hop album of 2025.”

He added, “This, for me, as evidenced by the letter, is not about reviving my professionalism.”

West emphasized that the apology stemmed from genuine remorse. “These feelings of remorse weighed heavily on my heart and weighed heavily on my soul. I apologize once again for what I said that particularly hurt the Jewish and Black communities. This all went too far.”

He continued, “I look at the remains of my episode and realize that this is not who I am. As a public figure, a lot of people follow and listen to my every word. It’s important that they realize and understand which side of history I want to stand on. And that’s one of love and positivity.”

The rapper revealed his regrets surfaced after recovering from a four-month manic episode in early 2025. During that period, she made inflammatory social media posts, sold swastika-emblazoned T-shirts, and released a song called “Heil Hitler”. These actions contributed to the decline of his reputation and corporate collapse.

He also revealed that at the end of his manic episode, “my medication was changed,” and “the antipsychotic medication took me into a really deep depressive episode.” West credited his wife Bianca Censori for encouraging him to seek treatment at a rehabilitation facility in Switzerland.

When asked about his experiences with mental health treatment, West wrote, “The African American community has a disproportionate sensitivity to antipsychotic medications compared to most groups. It is difficult to find the right dosage, but it is important and critical to find the right balance with the illness.” He added, “I’m just trying to figure out what works for me so I can continue down this positive path.”

Some questions from the interview, particularly about the origins of his anti-Semitic sentiments and how he has improved his personal life, were marked as “refusal to answer” by the artist.

his latest album bully, Ready for release on Friday.