In a move as unsurprising as when he pledged allegiance to Donald Trump, Kanye West released a new track with Lil’ Pump titled “I Love It” as part of his creative direction of the 2018 PornHub awards. The last couple of weeks saw a lot of speculation around whether or not the rapper and public figure would host the awards show. The rumors were unconfirmed until minutes before the show started. West tweeted “Live in 15 minutes” with a link to a new website. Kanye West was the creative director for the event, which featured an exclusive line of Yeezy clothing modeled by stars in the porn industry, a performance with Teyana Taylor and a sleek stage design.
The Pornhub Awards, according to those who were in attendance, received mixed reviews. Rolling Stone reports that the show seemed hectic and badly planned, as the small details caused larger issues throughout the night. Awards presenters seemed confused but well-styled, as the rapper created individual looks for each one. West also designed exclusive statues to be given out for each award, which he shared on his Twitter page prior to the event.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) September 6, 2018
In addition to creative directing Pornhub Awards, the rapper also designed a line of exclusive Yeezy merch. The merch features each winner’s name and award across a sweatshirt. The winning pornstar was featured in a painting. Above the painting read their name and below a corresponding award displayed across the front of the sweater.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) September 7, 2018
The Pornhub Awards Mark A Shift In Cultural Acceptance of Sex Workers
The merge of mainstream with the adult film industry received a lot of critical acclaim at the first annual Pornhub Awards. However not everyone was comfortable with the sudden support from mainstream Hollywood. Years of stigmatization has essentially blacklisted many pornstars from being able to succeed in other realms of the entertainment industry. The sudden support from artists like West are taken as a positive olive branch toward a more accepting future. Work still needs to be done before Hollywood can demonstrate that the sex positive movement is inclusive of sex workers.
West also released a song and music video in collaboration with Lil’ Pump and Adele Givens for the Pornhub Awards. The video shows Lil’ Pump and West wearing oversized, disfigured Yeezy merch. It’s is a comedic take on positivity surrounding open sexuality. Givens begins the track by saying “’Cause you know in the old days they couldn’t say the shit they wanted to say. They had to fake orgasms and shit. We can tell n***** today: “Hey, I wanna cum, mothafucka!” The video was directed by Spike Jonze and featured a futuristic set design. It also features a tribute to Donda West, Kanye’s late mother. Adorned throughout the set were statues of the human body reminiscent of Kim Kardashian’s KKW Body perfume bottle, which made headlines earlier this year.
Check out the video below.
