Kanye West is in hot water once again, with the acclaimed rapper receiving widespread backlash for a new series of comments he made about Donald Trump.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Kanye West was set to appear on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 29th as the musical guest. His appearance was supposed to coincide with the release of his new album, Yandhi, but instead, it only resulted in a new moniker, and a whole heap of controversy.
However, after the cameras stopped rolling, Kanye surprised cast and audience members by launching into a surprise political tirade while wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat.
“It’s so many times that I talk to a white person about this, and they say, ‘How could you support Trump? He’s racist,’” Kanye noted at one point. “Well if I was concerned about racism, I would have moved out of America a long time ago.”
“We don’t just make our decisions off of racism. I’ma break it down to you right now: If someone inspires me and I connect with them, I don’t have to believe in all they policies.”
https://twitter.com/jbillinson/status/1046271001284288512
Needless to say, this speech caught almost everyone off guard, and in addition to receiving backlash from his fanbase, also received praise from none other than US President Donald Trump.
“Like many, I don’t watch Saturday Night Live (even though I past hosted it) – no longer funny, no talent or charm,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “It is just a political ad for the Dems.”
“Word is that Kanye West, who put on a MAGA hat after the show (despite being told “no”), was great. He’s leading the charge!”
Like many, I don’t watch Saturday Night Live (even though I past hosted it) – no longer funny, no talent or charm. It is just a political ad for the Dems. Word is that Kanye West, who put on a MAGA hat after the show (despite being told “no”), was great. He’s leading the charge!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2018
However, the final straw appears to have been a post made on social media that shows a selfie of West wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat.
“This represents good and America becoming whole again,” the caption reads. “We will no longer outsource to other countries. We build factories here in America and create jobs. We will provide jobs for all who are free from prisons as we abolish the 13th amendment.”
Almost immediately, Kanye began receiving harsh rebuttals to his statements by the likes of actor Chris Evans and Lana Del Rey.
“There’s nothing more maddening than debating someone who doesn’t know history, doesn’t read books, and frames their myopia as virtue,” wrote Chris Evans on Twitter. “The level of unapologetic conjecture I’ve encountered lately isn’t just frustrating, it’s retrogressive, unprecedented and absolutely terrifying.”
Likewise, Lana Del Rey echoed this sentiment, leaving a scathing attack on West’s Instagram post.
“Trump becoming our president was a loss for the country but your support of him is a loss for the culture,” she wrote. “I can only assume you relate to his personality on some level. Delusions of grandeur, extreme issues of narcissism – none of which would be a talking point if we weren’t speaking about the man leading our country.”
“If you think it’s alright to support someone who believes it’s OK to grab a woman by the pussy just because he’s famous – then you need an intervention as much as he does.”
https://twitter.com/ChrisEvans/status/1046483677184700420
gonna start signing off emails w “message sent w concern that will never be addressed” pic.twitter.com/UUJndRPmAk
— Naomi Zeichner (@nomizeichner) September 30, 2018
Of course, as we’re painfully aware, this is not even close to the first time that Kanye West has become a controversial figure for his political views. Following a number of supportive messages to US President Donald Trump, Kanye took place in a very widely-publicised interview with TMZ in which he explained that he felt slavery was a ‘choice’.
While Kanye later attempted to clarify his comments, explaining that he miscommunicated his thoughts, many fans believed that the damage was already done. Although it doesn’t seem as though West’s diehard fans are going to distancing themselves from the artist any time soon, it does look like he’s continuing to alienate very large portions of the music-loving public.
However, if you’re in the mood for positive news coming from the Kanye camp, the rapper seems to have teamed up with a homeless rapper in the studio after meeting him on the streets of New York City on Saturday.
As NME notes, Jorge Flores, who performs under the stage name Nino Blu ran into West, giving him a brief performance on the street outside Electric Lady Studios.
“My birthday was the other day and I just became homeless cos the guy I was living with is a little crazy and I’m out here on the street,” Flores explained in a video posted to Kanye’s Instagram account.
“Kanye’s bringing me into the studio right now. He let me rap to him. He said I have good energy and he’s gonna show me some beats and stuff.”
Whether or not you agree with Kanye’s political leanings, you definitely can’t deny the fact that deep down, he has a good heart.
Check out Kanye West’s ‘I Love It’:
