Kanye West Calls Slavery A ‘Choice,’ Gets Schooled On History
Kanye West dropped by TMZ on Tuesday to tell the newsroom staff that he loves President Donald Trump and that he believes slavery “sounds like a choice,” only to get completely shut down by writer Van Lathan.
“When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice,” West said.
“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,” he continued.
In the snippet from “TMZ Live,” West is shown asking the entire newsroom: “Do you feel that I’m feeling ... do you feel that I’m being free and I’m thinking free?”
Kanye with the worst take yet
"You hear about slavery for 400 years. 400 years?! That sounds like a choice." pic.twitter.com/jJwtByDuyH— Alazar Moges (@zarzarbinkss) May 1, 2018
That’s when Lathan hopped up and said he didn’t think West was thinking anything.
“I think what you’re doing right now is actually the absence of thought and the reason why I feel like that is because, Kanye, you’re entitled to your opinion,” said Lathan.
The sportswriter and podcast host then explained what it’s like being a black man when you’re not famous or creatively talented like Kanye West:
You’re entitled to believe whatever you want, but there is fact and real world, real life consequence behind everything you just said. And while you are making music and being an artist and living the 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 said he was not only “disappointed” and “appalled,” but also hurt: “I am unbelievably hurt by the fact that you have morphed into something, to me, that is not real.”
The clip ends with Lathan insisting that West be responsible and West apologizing profusely. HuffPost reached out to Lathan for further comment and did not immediately get a response.
The responses to West’s comments have already set social media ablaze:
I’m not even mad at Kanye. I think what he’s publicly doing is a perfect example of how a large portion of the country feels and thinks. There’s a tide of miseducation and falsehoods and conspiracies that prey on those who are susceptible. Kanye is one of them.
— Kevin McHale (@druidDUDE) May 1, 2018
honestly the past week of news was worth it just to see these pictures of kanye getting schooled pic.twitter.com/5camBkBpk8
— David Mack (@davidmackau) May 1, 2018
Kanye is honestly dangerous. those of us who know better know he's wrong, but so much of his audience doesn't and they blindly follow him. he reminds me of his "brother." https://t.co/VrT41UABsl
— Quinta (@quintabrunson) May 1, 2018
[scene: 2018 racial draft]
“we the black community will accept michael mcdonald in exchange for kanye west” https://t.co/y3Hc0jnqQP— b-boy bouiebaisse (@jbouie) May 1, 2018
Kanye West said slavery was a choice. If you are still hanging on, you need to unclasp your hands and allow yourself to fall.
— Carrot Cake Stan Account (@AsiaChloeBrown) May 1, 2018
Please stop asking Kanye West questions
— elan gale (@theyearofelan) May 1, 2018
Damn... I wish Charlemagne interview was the last thing we heard from Ye ...
But he had to run his ass up to TMZ and further play himself.. SMH ...
Who is the TMZ guy that fried him tho? 🤣🤣🤣— OldMan Ebro (@oldmanebro) May 1, 2018
this, like everything else, is purely rooted in a refusal to read a book https://t.co/7Xa3l8oKzh
— Shani (@shani_o) May 1, 2018
Slavery was, in fact, not voluntary! https://t.co/uqxkx6wYw5
— Jane Coaston (@cjane87) May 1, 2018
Yeah, last time I went to the grocery store I had to pick between milk and slavery. https://t.co/Y0mhRnfkcH
— Kashana (@kashanacauley) May 1, 2018
In addition to remarking on West’s words, many praised Lathan for his response:
@VanLathan did extremely well in the way he communicated the pain and hurt that we’ve all been feeling in response to @kanyewest ‘s recent statements.
— LEW SALEM ⚡️ (@LewSalem) May 1, 2018
Hats off Brotha!! You were SOOO well spoken & lit his a$$ up in such a classy fashion. He needs more ppl like you in his circle 2 keep sh&$ real w/him & support him! I feel he’s starting 2 have a mental breakdown but maybe he’s just done w/the BS! Either way...kudos @VanLathan
— CJ (@TnkerBelle) May 1, 2018
@VanLathan thank you for standing up and articulately saying what you said to Kanye. You've repeated the sentiments of many people not only in the US but around the world
— Dami-Morena (@damiimorena) May 1, 2018
@VanLathan thank you soooo much for what you did on the show today! Kanye is truly misinformed and he needs to sit down with people other than Candice Owens!!
— S-Dot (@SDotSDotSDotS) May 1, 2018
@VanLathan strong voice!!! I appreciate you speaking up. Everyone else seemed too nervous to rebuttal.
— AR1OSO (@MillaGunz) May 1, 2018
@VanLathan thank you for saying what we have all been thinking. Kanye is speaking recklessly and might need to be muted like rkelly. https://t.co/eQVOfqae5y
— Yanique (@SunKissedSpirit) May 1, 2018
West also told TMZ that his recently shared thoughts on Trump, which have upset many people over the last few weeks, emerged from his “subconscious.”
“It was a feeling I had. ... I just love Trump.”
On Tuesday evening, West attempted to clarify his comments in a series of tweets. Here are some of them:
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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) May 1, 2018
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) May 1, 2018
They cut out our tongues so we couldn't communicate to each other. I will not allow my tongue to be cut
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 1, 2018
the universe has a plan. I knew that TMZ would be awesome.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 1, 2018
we are programmed to always talk and fight race issues. We need to update our conversation.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 1, 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) May 1, 2018
once again I am being attacked for presenting new ideas
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 1, 2018
The story has been updated with West’s Tuesday evening tweets.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
