Kanye West is one of the greatest artists of our generation.
He has nothing to prove.
But for some reason, Kanye has put himself in the media spotlight by speaking on controversial political issues and buddying up to President Trump.
And I can only wonder why.
On Thursday, Oct. 12, West, along with Kid Rock and Jim Brown, met with President Trump at the White House.
West, sporting a “Make America Great Again” hat, contributed to a dialogue that quite frankly had very little direction, jumping from North Korea, to prison and gun reform to West’s possible running for president in 2024.
West’s meeting with Trump has gotten pushback from many in the music industry, including Diddy, 50 Cent and T.I.
“All I can say is… I’ve reached my limits,” T.I. said on an Instagram post. “This is my stop, I’m officially DONE!!!! F*** Trump & his Lil Cookie Boy.
“At one time it was a pleasure to work alongside you…” he added. “Now, I’m ashamed to have ever been associated with you.”
This isn’t the first time Kanye has been challenged for a controversial political move over the past year.
In May, the rapper visited the TMZ headquarters and gave an interview in which he said that slavery was a choice.
“When you hear about slavery for 400 years … For 400 years? That sounds like a choice,” West said at the time.
This led to TMZ employee Van Lathan challenging West at the headquarters after the comments were made.
“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,” Lathan said in the video by TMZ. “We have to deal with the marginalization that’s come from the 400 years of slavery that you said for our people was a choice.
“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’s not real.”
Lathan is right.
Kanye has changed. This is not the same person who famously said “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” at a concert telethon to help raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief.
Kanye West is trying to become a people-pleaser, acting like he is more “woke” than anyone else, when in reality he is just seeking the spotlight.
I will not question Kanye’s musical genius, but as for his political ideas and opinions, I couldn’t care less about what he has to say.
For example, at his meeting with Trump, he compared the “MAGA” hat to a superman cape.
“You know, they tried to scare me to not wear this hat – my own friends,” West said, according to USA Today. “But this hat, it gives me – it gives me power, in a way.”
He then goes on to say he loves Hillary Clinton, but follows it up with this:
“But the campaign ‘I’m with Her’ just didn’t make me feel, as a guy, that didn’t get to see my dad all the time – like a guy that could play catch with his son,” West said to Trump, according to USA Today. “It was something about when I put this hat on, it made me feel like Superman. You made a Superman. That’s my favorite superhero. And you made a Superman cape.”
In his quest to spread love to everyone, West has prioritized the meaning of a hat. Makes sense.
Look, I’m not here to criticize Kanye’s political beliefs as much as I am here to question his motivation for them.
But for him to come out and say that he wants to see Colin Kaepernick wearing a “MAGA” hat to show that “we can bend a bit on this side, we can bend a bit on this side, and we can learn how to be malleable in the infinite universe that we are and the loving beings that we are,” shows how out of touch he is.
Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling for the national anthem was not in protest of President Trump or anything he personally stood for. He protested racial inequality and police brutality and in turn, got personally attacked by our president.
There is no “side” to bend on.
Unlike Kaepernick, Kanye is standing for nothing.
Nothing, that is, but the spotlight.
