Kanye West Responds to Slavery Comment Outrage: ‘It Was Just an Idea’

Kanye West is clarifying his slavery comments after some serious backlash.

After the now infamous interview with TMZ Live, West took to Twitter to clarify his stance.

“We are programmed to always talk and fight race issues,” West tweeted on Tuesday night, first reported by Page Six.

“We need to update our conversation,” he said, noting how he “knew” the TMZ interview “would be awesome.”

“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,” he added.

The rapper then claimed he was “once again” being “attacked for presenting new ideas.”

“In school we need to learn how magic [sic] Johnson built his business not always about the past. Matter fact I’ve never even heard of a high school class that presents future ideas,” West said. “When the media masses and scholars talk about what started today. Here’s a title… the overground hell road.”

West caused an uproar Tuesday after suggesting that slavery was a “choice” during an interview on TMZ Live.The rapper appeared on the show alongside Harvey Levin, the controversial founder of TMZ. West discussed everything on the show, from his love of Donald Trump to his beliefs on slavery, which shocked everyone in the room.

“When you hear about slavery for 400 years — for 400 years?! That sounds like a choice. Like, you was there for 400 years and it’s all of y’all? It’s like we’re mentally in prison,” the rapper said.

“I like the word prison because slavery goes too direct to the idea of blacks. It is like slavery, holocaust. Holocaust, is Jews, and slavery is blacks. So prison is something that unites us as one race. Black and whites, one race. It is like we are one with the human race, we are human beings and stuff. Right now, we’re choosing to be enslaved,” West continued.

West’s comments created serious outrage on social media. His thoughts also enraged TMZ sports writer Van Nathan, who fired back at West from across the office.

“I actually don’t think you’re thinking anything,” Lathan called out.”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. You’re entitled to believe whatever you want. But there is fact, and real-world, real-life consequence behind everything that you just said.”

“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. 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,” he added.

West approached Lathan at his desk and said, “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“Bro, you’ve got to be responsible,” Lathan said. “Your voice is too big.”

In the appearance, West also clarified his love of President Donald Trump as being more symbolic than political.

“I just love Trump,” he said. “That’s my boy. You know, so many rappers — you look at a video of Snoop Dogg lovin’ Trump, but then he get in the office and now they don’t love him. Trump is one of rap’s favorite people.”