Source: TMZ / TMZ
Kanye West is on a mission of telling any and everyone that he is a “free thinker” which many consider to actually be blatant trolling. While his recent media frenzy can be at least partially rooted in drumming up attention for his new album due in June, he has now crossed the line into some traitorous territory.
Like it or not, Yeezy is first and foremost a Black man before you throw in adjectives like “genius,” non-historian” or “madman.” But his recent rhetoric about 400 years of slavery was a choice or Harriet Tubman not being deserving of a spot on the $20 bill would have even the biggest Yeezy Stan with a slight modicum of righteousness throwing their hands up in exasperation.
Speaking to Charlamagne Tha God in a just-published interview, Yeezy’s trepidation to seeing Tubman on the federal notes he’s rapped about desiring for years was troublesome, to say the least.
“That was the moment when I wanted to use Bitcoin, when I saw Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill,” West told Charlamagne. “It’s like when you see all the slave movies, it’s like why you gotta keep reminding us about slavery. Why don’t you put Michael Jordan on the $20 bill?”
According to West, Tubman is too historical to be relatable. So much for his desire to do “research” and learn about the greatness of Tubman. who led many a free-thinking slave out of bondage.
Then today (May 1), while on TMZ, West made brains explode with his take on 400 years of slavery.
“When you hear about slavery for 400 years … for 400 years? That sound like a choice,” said West with a chuckle. “Like, you was there for 400 years and it was all of y’all?!”
To be fair, the quote was shared/shown without the full context of what led up to it. But come on bruh.
Here’s the thing about slavery, it fundamentally is not a choice.
Van Lathan in the TMZ newsroom eventually, and eloquently, read ‘Ye the riot act for that comment and more.
“I actually don’t think you’re thinking anything,” said Lathan. “I think what you’re doing right now is the absence of thought. And the reason why I feel like that is because, Kanye, you’re entitled to your opinion. You’re entitled to believe whatever you want, but there is fact and real-world, real-life consequence behind everything that you just said. While you are making music and being an artist and living a life that you’ve earned by being a genius, the rest of us in society have to deal with these threats to our lives. 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!’
Lathan added, “Frankly, I’m disappointed, I’m appalled, and brother—I am unbelievably hurt by the fact that you have morphed into something to me that isn’t real.”
Kanye West is 40-years-old and will turn 41 this year. Displaying this much of a lack of knowledge of self with a such an immense platform is inexcusable. It is a disservice to his people. Not the white rich “they” he seems to love appeasing, but the people who look like him that will never be granted the benefit of such privilege.
Peddling dangerous rhetoric that amounts to “Slavery? Get over it” makes him the ideal alt-right token. And a traitor to the culture.
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Photo: TMZ
