TMZ And Kanye West Slavery Was A Choice Interview
In this interview Kanye West talks about the photo with the MAGA hat he had on, and he made a very controversial line, "When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice."
Summary
When challenged about his comments, West attempted to clarify his position, stating "This reality has been forced upon us... We can make our own reality." West discussed wearing a "MAGA" hat and his support for then-President Trump, explaining he had been heavily medicated on opioids during a previous public retraction of pro-Trump statements.
During the exchange, West revealed personal struggles, including that he had undergone liposuction due to fear of body-shaming and subsequently developed an opioid addiction following the procedure. He claimed to have been taking multiple opioid pills daily before being hospitalized. This disclosure came as part of his explanation for his erratic public behavior, stating "I was drugged the fuck out" and that he was now taking significantly fewer medications.
After West mentioned slavery being a choice an MTV staff member named Van confronted West, expressing disappointment and stating West's comments showed "the absence of thought." This led to a an argument about black-on-black crime statistics and community responses, with West claiming there was insufficient attention to violence within black communities compared to racial incidents involving white perpetrators. When Van disputed this characterization, West attempted to reconcile, saying "I'm sorry I hurt you" while maintaining his position that engaging with political opponents, including Trump, was necessary: "We keep on saying, I hate you... How are we gonna get a different result out of hate? Why don't we just try love?"
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Event Date: May 1, 2018
