American rapper, Kanye West, has caused an outrage with his comment in calling slavery a choice and is now on the receiving end of criticism in the music world for backing President Donald Trump.
The 40-year-old rapper, designer and husband of reality television star, Kim Kardashian, who has never been the one to shy away from expressing himself, made the comment during an interview to promote his two upcoming albums.
“You hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice,” West told TMZ Live, the broadcast wing of the celebrity gossip site.
Kanye made an effort to elaborate his statement but ended up drawing a parallel to how he is presumed to hold up certain views as an African American artiste.
“We’re mentally in prison. I like the word ‘prison’ because slavery is too direct to the idea of blacks. Like Holocaust is Jews, slavery is blacks,” West said.
West’s remarks immediately sparked uproar on Twitter, his favourite medium, and he was taken to task live by a TMZ employee who said he was “appalled.”
Below are some of the tweets:
Kanye thinks slavery was “a choice” pic.twitter.com/zoPIDC8cSd
— jordan (@JordanUhl) May 1, 2018
Kanye is number 2 on the Social Artist for saying bizarre things. We can’t let him overtake BTS on the chart for being problematic.
— Luke Waltham (@lukewaltham) May 2, 2018
Kanye was obviously talking about black people being mired in the mindset of slavery being a choice, not that slaves 400 years ago had a choice.
The stupidity of normies is astounding.#IfSlaveryWasAChoice
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) May 2, 2018
UK black celebs please don’t try what Kanye is doing, England is too small, we will find your bloodclart. If you come out and try take selfies with Theresa May we will rush you, in any establishment
— Lippy Lickshot (@DonGorganLipz) May 2, 2018
The problem with Kanye West, and I’m sure there’s a better way to word this, forgive my limited awareness and my clumsiness here regarding this issue, but I think the main problem is that he’s flipped it.
— Limmy’s Vines Tour (@DaftLimmy) May 2, 2018
“He does not know history.” CNN’s @donlemon and radio host Ebro Darden react to a comment from Kanye West in which he said “slavery was a choice.” https://t.co/v9tHcJ1u9Z pic.twitter.com/c73aTQ7CDY
— CNN (@CNN) May 2, 2018
Dear @kanyewest Mental slavery is the worst form of Slavery. It gives you the illusion of freedom, makes you trust, love and defend your oppressor while making an enemy of those who are trying to free you or open your eyes.
— Mzilikazi wa Afrika (@IamMzilikazi) May 3, 2018
I never thought that during the Trump presidency the biggest threat to black people would be Kanye West.
— Matthew Bellak (@mattbellak) May 3, 2018
One last thought before I go to sleep. DAMN YOU KANYE! Your music molded a chunk of my life but your Sisqo blonde, 12 years no fade, liposuction, trump butt-fucking, actin like slavery was a choice having ass need to find a better way to market your album than with this SHIT.
— David So (@davidsocomedy) May 3, 2018
