I think it’s just yet another case of “hurt people hurt people”, the key takeaway to me is that he was young, traumatized, clearly was tortured by his actions, and made substantial steps to taking responsibility and radically changing his behavior and his life by the time ? came out. And THAT is why he is my favorite artist.

I don’t discount his older stuff either, when he was in the middle committing such widespread violence and regularly gloating about it, because the pain is still quite clear. I think he always had a big heart and I know how pain makes us double down and do awful things, both I and many many people in my personal life have been warped by their pain and “passed the buck” so to speak. The difference is, is someone like him actually changed, no small feat, quite rare, dare I say inspiring.

That said though I understand pre-empting, people just assume you love women beaters for liking X (completely discounting all the men he beat and stabbed but okay). I also have some music etc. that I like that is made but much more unambiguously awful people who have NOT changed and WILL NOT change. I try to just love people and not judge them for their ugliest–I would kill a fascist in battle and know it is necessary and even just, but I could not look them in the eyes without seeing the hurt child inside them. I love my dad even though he is greatly warped, I try to be friends with my coworkers and stand against their Andrew Tate brainpoison as a friend and not as an enemy, etc.