Kanye West forced to defend describing slavery as a 'choice'

In a series of events that the word 'bizarre' couldn't even begin to cover (read more of that here,here, and here) Kanye has been at the centre of a media storm over the last few weeks, mostly related to his views on Donald Trump, republicanism and right-wing ideology.

Yesterday, he shocked a world that assumed nothing 'Ye could do could shock them. In an interview, Kanye suggested that the oppression of black people in America was a 'choice'.

He said, "When you hear about slavery for 400 years...for 400 years? That sounds like a choice. Like, you was there for 400 years and it's all of y'all? It's like we're mentally in prison. I like the word prison because slavery goes too direct to the idea of blacks. It's like slavery, Holocaust. Holocaust, Jews. Slavery is blacks."

"So, prison is something that unites us as one race. Blacks and whites being one race. We're the human race."

Watch the full exchange here:

He also compared himself to Harriet Tubman and American slave Nat Turner, saying, "if this was 148 years ago i would have been more like Harriet or Nat."

His comments wrought immediate backlash:

Want to feel old? This is Kanye West now. pic.twitter.com/BWRBm1ld5p

— Mat Johnson (@mat_johnson) 1 May 2018

Years from now, the question will be; where were you when this dude shut Kanye West up? pic.twitter.com/wTG83siGuz

— Philip Mwaniki (@Mwanikih) 1 May 2018

What in the Andy Kaufman is going on here? https://t.co/uvpJ37opyR

— T'Questlove (@questlove) 1 May 2018

I don’t have the energy for nonsense but Kanye saying slavery was a choice reiterates my previous statements about how dangerous his trite, shallow ramblings are. He is not a free thinker. He is a free moron who doesn’t read. Do not @ me.

— roxane gay (@rgay) 1 May 2018

What @kanyewest is doing and saying right now on @TMZLive is so wild, @HarveyLevinTMZ put his cup down.

— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) 1 May 2018

Artists have always been political.Sometimes I choose to ignore their leanings and just enjoy the music.I tend to switch off when they do self righteous interviews.Kanye woke me up.Dude,never put the words 'Slavery' and 'choice' in the same sentence.

— Trevor Nelson (@DJTrevorNelson) 2 May 2018

Don’t tell me there isn’t even one person in Kanye’s life who can tell him to “stop now, it’s enough”. Surely everyone has people like that? Unless of course he’s a stubborn, self-destructive, know-it-all, & willing to destroy his career & legacy in order to be “right”.

— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) 2 May 2018

Following the backlash, the controversial rapper attempted to explain himself;

to make myself clear. Of course I know that slaves did not get shackled and put on a boat by free will

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) 1 May 2018

My point is for us to have stayed in that position even though the numbers were on our side means that we were mentally enslaved

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) 1 May 2018

the reason why I brought up the 400 years point is because 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

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) 1 May 2018

Phew! It's tough to keep up. Enjoy some of Kanye in his best, and less complicated form.