Janelle Monáe, J. Cole, Jaden Smith denounce Kanye West for supporting Trump

Alex Young
Updated

Kanye West has spent much of the day defending his “brother” Donald Trump, who share a common bond over “dragon energy.” “Free thinkers don’t fear retaliation for your thoughts. The traditional thinkers are only using thoughts and words but they are in a mental prison,” he tweeted, adding: “You don’t have to agree with trump but the mob can’t make me not love him.” He also posed for a photo wearing a MAGA hat.

During an interview on Hot 97 today, Janelle Monáe was asked her reaction to Kanye’s comments. “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,” Monáe responded. “If your free thinking is used as fuel by oppressors to continue to oppress black people, minorities — I think it’s bullshit and not OK.”

Monáe was hardly the only musician critical of Kanye. J. Cole, Smino, Jaden Smith, and Ice-T all reacted negatively:

Meanwhile, Get Out director Jordan Peele said Kanye had inspired him to write a sequel:

One person who does remain in Kanye’s camp, however, is Chance the Rapper, who tweeted, “Black people don’t have to be democracts.” Chance also said he recently visited Kanye and he was “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.”

Kim Kardashian-West is also defending her husband against critics who question his mental well-being.