Music fans are still wrapping their minds around Kanye West’s newly-released gospel-themed album, but the similarly devout merchandise has people either up in arms or down in stitches.
On Wednesday, Kanye dropped a set of t-shirts, shorts, crewneck sweaters, sweatpants, hats, and socks. Piety is a recurring motif in all of the pieces, which will run you from $60 to $260.
What’s drawn increased attention to the merch – apart from the usual lamentation about the prices – was the somewhat sloppy graphic design.
A handful of pieces feature stretched-out images of black and white Jesus Christ, complete with low-resolution prints and 90’s-style graphics. The whole line was apparently designed by AWGE, A$AP Rocky’s creative agency.
The ‘Jesus is King’ merch has come in for a lot of stick online. “This made me even more atheist,” one user wrote.
This made me even more atheist
— Bat (@_ayyyyyyyyylmao) October 30, 2019
I cannot stress enough how all of this is very real & actually Kanye's official merch. The grift has reached heavenly heights, my brethren. pic.twitter.com/xBNdk00o3S
— jordan (@JordanUhl) October 30, 2019
Kanye personally designed them if it makes any sense. Lol
— Stop, You Sound Stupid!!! (@Joeyboystylez) October 30, 2019
Another said the clothes looked like “satire merch.”
WAIT THIS ISNT SATIRE MERCH?!?
— Avantist (@avantistmusic) October 30, 2019
A number of people jokingly suggested the whole line was made in Microsoft Word.
Why did Kanye make the Jesus is King merch in Microsoft Word pic.twitter.com/JW8eaIVZpd
— Shammy (@ShammyTV) November 1, 2019
— 🌼lili q não canta🌼|| 🇵🇸 (@quepenaamor_) October 30, 2019
The wave of criticism then entered the meme territory – and became unstoppable.
i made my own JESUS IS KING merch pic.twitter.com/sV2IK1aIiJ
— dom (@JESUSlSKING) October 31, 2019
— GDX 🔜 Dreamhack ATL (@TioGDX) October 30, 2019
— fablecoyote 🌵✨ (@fablefoxx) October 30, 2019
