Kanye West‘s recent tweets praising Donald Trump have caused controversy online, with many of the rapper’s music peers speaking out about their thoughts on the matter.
On Twitter over the past few days, Kanye has said that he “loves” Trump, called the US President his “brother”, shared a photo of himself wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat and hit out at Barack Obama.
Trump himself has responded by thanking West and saying that his recent Twitter activity had been “very cool”.
Following all this, Snoop Dogg, who has previously labelled West a “weird motherfucker”, took to Instagram to share photos of Kanye in his MAGA hat, describing his fellow rapper’s actions as “mighty white” and telling him to “snap out of it”. He also likened it to the plot from Get Out.
Azealia Banks has hit out at West’s wife Kim Kardashian over her tweets defending Kanye. In an Instagram post, Banks accused the couple of “aggravating” black people, using “outrage” for publicity and noted that “I said alllll of these things during the election”.
“Kanye will never be the president and you will never ever be the First Lady. Give it up sis,” Banks wrote.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiAWIAkBaBe/
Frank Ocean‘s apparent response was more subtle, posting a screenshot from the time Kanye said that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” during a Hurricane Katrina telethon to Tumblr.
frank ocean just posted this on tumblr!! kanye is over!! pic.twitter.com/EgrvQCFdVg
— kenzzi (@PR0VlDER) April 26, 2018
T.I claimed to have “spent the day” with Kanye, describing matters as a “long term work in progress”. He added: “Something From our discussion gon STICK… I refuse to just give up on him. The Old Ye Too Important!!!” See the T.I’s Instagram message in full below:
Janelle Monae, meanwhile, criticised Kanye’s endorsement of Candace Owens on Hot 97. “I don’t agree with him at all,” she said on air.
Monae added: “I believe in free thinking, but I don’t believe in free thinking if it’s rooted in or at the expense of the oppressed. If your free thinking is used as fuel by oppressors to continue to oppress black people and minorities, I think it’s bullshit and it’s not okay, and I will speak out against it and I will think freely and tell you that I don’t agree with you.”
Janelle Monáe said everything that needed to be said regarding Kanye’s views pic.twitter.com/1yXEPJcnVb
— Chris (@chrstnavelli) April 25, 2018
Elsewhere, Macy Gray shared a photo of herself wearing a ‘Make Kanye Great Again’ hat:
— Macy Gray (@MacyGraysLife) April 26, 2018
Moby, who is something of a noted anti-Trump activist, called West “too smart and talented” to be a Trump supporter, asking him not to “debase” himself.
Come on, Kanye, you’re too smart and talented to be a @realdonaldtrump supporter. #trump is a racist and a sociopath who is ruining the country the same way he ruined most of his businesses. pic.twitter.com/0x6AGux6ow
— moby XⓋX (@thelittleidiot) April 26, 2018
John Legend appeared to make reference to Kanye’s Trump tweets, writing: “I imagine there’s some comfort in imagining a future without racism and projecting that onto the present. Thinking if we just deny the truth, it doesn’t exist.”
“I love that great, brilliant artists have the power to imagine a better future. But artists can’t be blind to the truth,” he added.
I imagine there's some comfort in imagining a future without racism and projecting that onto the present. Thinking if we just deny the truth, it doesn't exist. If history is erased, we don't have to deal with its consequences. However…
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2018
I love that great, brilliant artists have the power to imagine a better future. But artists can't be blind to the truth.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2018
Chuck D offered some “advice” for Kanye’s social media habits:
Advice to @kanyewest if you’re gonna be On SocMed follow more than one person and at least read into their everyday lives even if you ain’t gonna be on a bus again
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) April 26, 2018
Lupe Fiasco took aim at “terrible human being” Trump, but said he has “no ill will” towards West.
Trump is a terrible human being. Period point blank…All that caping and copping pleas is cool because we in a free country and do what you want??! ??♂️ but based on universal laws of goodness dude is a fucking demon who makes all of the world a worse off place to be. https://t.co/3NP4ewqDAq
— “DROGAS WAVE” & “BeatNPath” NOW PLAYING (@LupeFiasco) April 25, 2018
Not at all. No ill will to Ye in any way…all things reciprocated etc..seen his trials and tribulations and can’t take anything away from his journey…remember this the same dude that when he speaks US Presidents respond. Don’t forget about Katrina cuz you don’t like his tweets https://t.co/nTAIzdGduy
— “DROGAS WAVE” & “BeatNPath” NOW PLAYING (@LupeFiasco) April 25, 2018
Fans have speculated that Jaden Smith could be making reference to Kanye in his “false idols” tweet:
False Idols
— Jaden (@jaden) April 25, 2018
West’s Trump tweets also inspired Questlove to call on Vince Staples to offer something “inspirational” before he “give[s] up on mofos”.
dear @VinceStaples can you just say something……anything….inspirational? for i just give up on mofos?
— Questlove from @SongsThatShook Oct 13th @AMC_tv (@questlove) April 25, 2018
Got you *ahem* … Crip Gang https://t.co/P7GUuq1ZjL
— Vince Staples (@vincestaples) April 25, 2018
Get Out creator Jordan Peele joked that Kanye’s tweets have “inspired” him to write a sequel:
*Gets inspired
*Starts writing ‘Get Out 2’ https://t.co/zqOW6Xxx9v— Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) April 25, 2018
Hot 97 and Beats 1 host Ebro Darden, meanwhile, argued that Kanye is “lost” because he can’t “out real” Jay-Z, “out truth” J Cole, “out rap” Kendrick Lamar or “out hit” Drake. Controversy was “all Kanye had left”, he claimed.
The reason @kanyewest is “lost”…
1 – Can’t out REAL Jay Z
2 – Can’t out TRUTH J.Cole
3 – Can’t out RAP Kendrick
4 – Can’t out HIT DrakeSo ALL Kanye had left was this…
— El Viejo Ebro (@oldmanebro) April 25, 2018
Despite the widespread criticism, Kanye has seen support coming from Chance The Rapper.
Chance spoke out to offer his support to West in a series of tweets, saying that Kanye was “in a great space and not affected by folk tryna question his mental or physical health”.
“Black people don’t have to be democrats,” Chance added. “Next President gon be independent”.
Talked to him two days ago. He’s in a great space and not affected by folk tryna question his mental or physical health. Same Ye from the Vmas, same Ye from the telethon. https://t.co/2zY3KpllV2
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) April 25, 2018
Black people don’t have to be democrats.
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) April 25, 2018
Next President gon be independent
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) April 25, 2018
West’s new album is expected in June and will be the follow-up to 2016’s ‘The Life Of Pablo’. Here’s everything we know about the release so far.
