‘Protect your kids,’ Skepta warns Kanye West

British-Nigerian rapper, Skepta, has criticised the public exposure of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s 13-year-old daughter, North West, after a video from Paris Fashion Week sparked reactions online.

The rapper, whose real name is Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr., reacted after a clip showed North interacting with a man at the Vetements Menswear Spring/Summer 2027 show in Paris.

In the video, North appeared to offer a handshake before the man moved in for a hug and later posed for a photograph with her.

Skepta, 43, took to X to condemn the encounter, saying the teenager’s body language showed she wanted a handshake, not a hug.

“A blind man could see she wanted a handshake,” he wrote.

He said he usually avoided commenting on other people’s affairs, but found the situation disturbing.

“My fans know I try to stay out of people’s business but damn the way grown men, complete strangers, try to use North makes me sick,” he said.

When another X user asked whether hugging had become a social offence, Skepta insisted that the issue was not the hug itself, but the fact that North is a minor and had clearly stretched out her hand.

“She is 13 years old and she put her hand out for a handshake, you don’t ignore that,” he wrote.

The rapper later urged parents to do more to protect their children, especially those exposed to fame at an early age.

“Protect your kids people. Protect your kids!” he said.

Skepta also criticised what he described as poor understanding of body language, saying many people failed to notice when a child was uncomfortable.

His comments triggered mixed reactions online, with many social media users agreeing that adults should respect the boundaries of minors, regardless of their celebrity status.

Some users said North’s fame should not make people ignore her age, while others argued that the incident may have been overblown.

North, the eldest child of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, has increasingly appeared in public entertainment spaces.

She recently released her debut EP, N0rth4evr, and had earlier performed at The Lion King concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 2024.

Kim and Kanye have both publicly supported their daughter’s interest in entertainment.

However, Skepta’s reaction has reopened debate about child stars, parental protection and the limits adults should observe around minors in public celebrity spaces.