Rapper Kanye West, on the receiving end of criticism in the music world after backing U.S. President Donald Trump, sparked fresh outrage on Tuesday when he called slavery “a choice”.
Mr. West made the comments in passing during one of two free-flowing interviews he gave as he promotes two upcoming albums.
“You hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice,” Mr. West told TMZ Live. He elaborated little on his statement but appeared to be drawing a parallel to how he is presumed to hold certain views as an African American artist. “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,” he said.
The remarks immediately sparked an uproar on Twitter and he was taken to task live by a TMZ employee who said he was “appalled”.
The 40-year-old rapper re-emerged last month after a year-long absence that followed a purported mental breakdown.
Praise for Trump
He enraged many fellow artists as he praised Mr. Trump, who has since cited the rapper’s words as evidence of minority support.
In a separate interview with radio host Charlamagne tha God, Mr. West said he had not followed Mr. Trump’s policies but, “When I see an outsider infiltrate, I connect with that.”
Mr. West is one of the few prominent African Americans to support Mr. Trump.
Speaking to Charlamagne tha God, Mr. West said he was upset that Barack Obama invited other rappers to the White House such as Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z.
Obama’s comments
Mr. Obama, in off-record small talk with a reporter in 2009 that was leaked, called Mr. West a “jack***” after the rapper disrupted the MTV Video Music Awards to say that Taylor Swift did not deserve her prize.
“You know, he never called me to apologise,” Mr. West said, explaining that Mr. Obama had met him and his mother before being elected President.
“The same person who sat down with me and my mom, I think should have communicated with me directly.”
