We know what he meant.
The ones who will try to destroy him over it understand too.
But they will make believe they don’t.
They will twist it to say Kanye thinks slavery was a choice way back when, when it wasn’t.
But I don’t think Kanye really gives a #### about what other people say or think.
In the past, for better or worse, he was this way.
Can’t see him changing.
NEVER EVER thought I would agree with, no less start to like, him.
This bears repeating: “And he doesn’t want it anymore. He wants to break free, be a free thinker and live his own life. He doesn’t want to be on their plantation. And I have to think they know that. They’re just using this talk about Kanye doesn’t understand our forebears, Kanye doesn’t understand that people protesting in the street today are every bit the slaves that their forebears were and still engage in the resistance. Kanye says if they’re doing that and thinking that, they’re choosing to, ’cause they don’t have to be anymore.”
That’s exactly right, Kanye is saying that if you want to be a slave, that’s your choice. Slavery ended 150 years ago.
I might add that even then it was a choice. “Freedom or death” was as much a thing then as it is now.
Rush’s caller is right that they want to discredit him by calling him conservative, but they also want to marginalize those who call themselves conservatives - rather than deal with the substantive issue.
Now I get it; get what exactly Kanye meant.
He was more correct on the history of slavery than the TMZ interviewer. He was in affect suggesting that if you - the TMZ interviewer, are thinking you’re like a slave, today, then that is your choice.
Kanye is exactly right. Before Trump was president the rap world loved finding a way to include DJT in their lyrics....they want to live his life
In 1850 their bodies were in chains but their minds were free. Today their bodies are free but their minds are in chains.
I freed a thousand slaves, and I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves. - Harriet Tubman
Booker T. Washington, black author post civil war wrote an essay called ‘Drop down your bucket” about a ship off the coast of Brazil, out of sight of land, and was in desperate need of water. Having signaled another ship requesting water received a reply of Drop down your bucket letting them know that they were in fresh water from the outflow of the Amazon. He was telling black America that they do not need help from anyone. They need to help themselves.
250 years later we are still getting the same attitude as in B.T. Washington’s time. Help me! Help me! No matter what we do for black America it is never enough and never will be. Those that have help themselves continue to improve in society and there are many of them as examples. Kayne West is right. If you think it is 400 years then something is wrong with you. And yes, take it personally.
Even like with George Bush, people said, “Don’t apologize.” Wait a second! I just saw George W. Bush pushing George Bush Sr. as a wheelchair and he just lost his wife. Do you know how bad I would want to go to George Bush and say, “I said something in the moment, but when I look at you as a dad and a family member, I’m sorry for hurtin’ you”?
Wow. I am speechless.
The other thing Kanye was pointing out is that blacks today were not around 400 years ago, or even 200 years ago, to truly know what slavery was. Part of the freedom he is advocating is not living in the past—not letting the past control you.
Can anyone imagine if a white gang leader was making public death threats against a white celebrity for agreeing with or expressing some admiration for Obama?