Fresh off his rambling three-hour long interview with N.O.R.E and DJ EFN on the “Drinks Champ” podcast, Kanye West has once again sparked controversy for his anti-Semetic rhetoric during an interview with Chris Cuomo on News Nation.
The interview got off to a hostile start. After Cuomo asked if he could hear and see him, Ye (as he’s legally known now) responded: “Yes, but I want you guys to hear me and see me.”
He then went on to instruct Cuomo to refer to him as Ye and not Kanye West as it read on the screen.
They promptly changed it as Cuomo asked what the reason behind the name change was.
“Actually, I don’t owe people an explanation to start off with. I have the right to change my name. I have the right in America to vote on whoever I wanna vote on.”
Ye then went on to explain that his former surname, West, is a slave name and that he wanted to free himself from some of the “older mentality”.
Ye, who was seated in a car wearing a hoodie and a cap, also explained how he was on the way to meet with the CEO of Parler, an app that describes itself as “the premier global free speech app”.
@NewsNation tweeted: “Ye, formally known as Kanye West, explains to @ChrisCuomo why he changed his name. Watch #CUOMO: newsnationnow.com/joinus”.
Ye, formally known as Kanye West, explains to @ChrisCuomo why he changed his name.
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) October 18, 2022
Watch #CUOMO: https://t.co/s8z9kEhRC4 pic.twitter.com/SW2RjNcKRY
Later in the interview, Ye called out the so-called “Jewish Media” for trying to silence him and criticised Jewish music executives, whom he says are responsible for enslaving black entertainers, for their bad business practices in the industry.
He also claimed that there were “so many” black musicians signed to Jewish record labels and lambasted how the labels take ownership of these artists’ publishing rights and ownership of the culture itself.
@NewsNation added: “Ye speaks on black musicians and the labels they are signed to: ‘It's like a modern day slavery and I'm calling it out’.
“He further explains what he meant by recent comments and that he wasn't wishing harm on anyone. #CUOMO”
Ye speaks on Black musicians and the labels they are signed to: "It's like a modern day slavery and I'm calling it out." He further explains what he meant by recent comments and that he wasn't wishing harm on anyone.#CUOMO pic.twitter.com/wqi7bVCV8v
Cuomo, and many on social media, have criticised Ye for generalising Jews as all having a negative agenda against black people.
Others in the entertainment industry have come to Ye’s defence for speaking his mind and sharing his views openly.
“I don’t support everything Kanye been saying and have honestly been trying my best to ignore most of it (for my own peace of mind), but censoring his right to freedom of speech is WACK,” tweeted rapper and actor Joey Badass.
“Askin’ him to come speak on your platform and then removing/blocking the content cuz you don’t agree?”
I don’t support everything Kanye been saying and honestly been trying my best to ignore most of it (for my own peace of mind) but censoring his right to freedom of speech is WACK. Askin him to come speak on your platform and then removing/blocking the content cuz you don’t agree?
— BADMON (@joeyBADASS) October 18, 2022
“We can have healthy disagreements,” he added.
“And yes Kanye can do a much better job at his delivery but it’s the same old story. Magnifying a small piece of what he said and taking it out of context. The mass media need to learn some new moves, it’s corny and so obvious at this point.”
We can have healthy disagreements. And yes Kanye can do a much better job at his delivery but it’s the same old story. Magnifying a small piece of what he said and taking it out of context. The mass media needs to learn some new moves it’s corny and so obvious at this point.
— BADMON (@joeyBADASS) October 18, 2022