Kanye West is not known to hold back his tongue, and that alone has gotten him in hot water more than once before. Although the media has been quiet about the self-proclaimed genius for a while now except for Kardashian-related news, West has returned to the spotlight recently amidst drama-filled rants and what seems to be another bout of his crazy. He emerged from an entire year of Twitter silence just a couple of weeks ago to post on topics that include fashion, politics, and philosophy. West was reported to have been posting up to 20 tweets an hour.
In a recent interview given to TMZ, Kanye made a controversial comment stating that 400 years of slavery was rather “a choice” for African-Americans. West said specifically, “When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice.”
One can only imagine the outcry that followed, and West eventually took to Twitter again to apologized for what he said, setting a clarification for his statement. According to the rapper, “the statement was an example of free thought. It was just an idea.” A close source said that the controversial declarations coming from West are the result of the artist’s current mental state. According to the source, West has been refusing to take his medications, and that it started at least about a couple of weeks ago. Incidentally, that timeline coincides with the advent of the recent Twitterstorm he’s created.
However, someone close to the Kardashian family retaliated that comment, stating that West’s strong opinions are not indicative that he’s currently mentally ill or about to go through a mental breakdown.
Another declaration from West that we were shocked to hear directly from him was about his admission to the Los Angeles psychiatric hospital back in November 2016. These were the first details ever received about that time in West’s life, and many were surprised that West was the one to talk about them first. After a series of political rants, West claimed that he was “drugged out” during that time. He said, “Two days before I was taken to the hospital I was on opioids. I was addicted to opioids.”
What’s even more shocking was how this addiction developed. West confessed that he received painkillers after undergoing an unreported surgery–liposuction. “I got liposuction because I didn’t want y’all to call me fat,” West proclaimed. That statement alone is completely lined with some serious Kardashian stuff; we wondered whether he was getting liposuction out of his own volition or if he was pressured Kardashian-style into a life of vanity and cosmetic surgery.
It’s laughable for the most part; but when West is commenting and downplaying years of African American suffering, it’s no longer a laughing matter. Many fellow artists and friends have voiced their disapproval and disappointment towards West’s “ignorance,” stating that he has far too much influence to be making thoughtless comments that the average folk, especially the youth, would take seriously.
We’re sure that this isn’t the end of the West oratorical craze, but we sure hope he doesn’t get himself in too deep that it becomes too difficult to recover. His talents could only pull him out so far.
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