Kanye West defended his support of the Republican Party and Donald Trump on Saturday, during a stop of his “Sunday Service” concert in Salt Lake City, Utah. The rapper also said race doesn’t drive his decisions, and that a Republican was responsible for freeing the slaves.
“Abraham Lincoln was the Whig Party, that’s the Republican Party that freed the slaves,” West yelled. “But for a year people want to call me a coon, because I chose my right. I ain’t never made a decision only based on my color. That’s a form of slavery, mental slavery.”
West hasn’t spoken a lot about politics since he said slavery was a choice last year. But he did visit Trump at the White House in October of 2018, where he praised him and expressed admiration.
Social media exploded with criticism afterward, and celebrities like T.I. blasted West. But Tip changed his tune last month when West’s “Sunday Service” stopped in Atlanta.
“No matter what go on…He’s Always gon be my brother,” Tip tweeted on Sept. 15. “Love to see him at peace with his self again. Felt like the old Ye’… With a new purpose. Made my day.”
But West presumably ruined a lot of people’s day in Utah, where he also told people to stay away from social media, mainly because he believes it’s designed to “slow you down and control you”
He then discussed Colin Kaepernick seemingly being blackballed by the NFL for protesting the national anthem and said there’s bigger issues for Black people to be concerned about.
West also seemed to address the backlash Jay-Z received after announcing he’d be partnering with the NFL to help with its social justice campaigns.
“Right now, there be people complaining on social media about who said what on the record, or who’s doing what in the NFL,” said West. “And right now, there is one in three African-Americans in jail in this country. But we’re talking about who’s taking a knee.”
After West’s comments spread online, some called him nothing but an attention-seeker who enjoys making controversial statements. But others said the Chicago artist doesn’t need attention, because he’s already one of the most famous people in the world.
“If you honestly think Kanye needs to stay relevant by doing this Idk what to tell you,” one person tweeted on Oct. 5. “He didn’t say a word publicly the whole year and was selling out listening parties for his new album in seconds. He’s the highest earning male celeb in the world. He has a army behind him.”
“Just a friendly reminder that Kanye West is an uneducated, bipolar rapper who is generally off his medication,” someone else tweeted that same day. “It is not uncommon for religious zealots to share his same condition and to attract a following.”
