Kanye West Clarifies His Statement About Slavery Being A Choice

Cover photo: © David Saracino 2018

After (understandably) coming under heavy fire for his statements about slavery, Kanye West has taken to Twitter to defend what he said. His comments were made during a TMZ Live chat yesterday, when he controversially said “When you hear about slavery for 400 years, for 400 years?! That sounds like a choice.”

His point of view was immediately shut down by a member of staff at TMZ, who stood up and criticised West for not acting as a better role model. “While you are making music and being an artist and living the life that you’ve earned by being a genius, the rest of us in society have to deal with these threats to our lives,” he said. “We have to deal with the marginalization that has come from the 400 years of slavery that you said for our people was a choice […] Frankly I am disappointed, I’m appalled, and brother, I am unbelievably hurt that you have morphed into something that is not real.”

On Twitter, West clarified his position, saying: “To make myself clear. Of course, I know that slaves did not get shackled and put on a boat by free will”. He later added “The reason why I brought up the 400 years point is that we can’t be mentally imprisoned for another 400 years. We need free thought now. Even the statement was an example of free thought. It was just an idea.”

What’re your thoughts? Do you think Ye is wrong? Do you get his point of view?

Also, check out his recent interview with Charlamagne

You start dying when you stop dreaming.