On Wednesday Kanye West reaffirmed his love for Donald Trump and shared multiple pictures on Twitter of an autographed Make America Great Again hat. This came a couple days after he tweeted his support for anti–Black Lives Matter commentator Candace Owens. In perhaps the most notable tweet in a day full of Twitter news, West referred to Trump as his “brother†and noted that they “are both dragon energy.â€
While West is living out loud and proud of his opinions, it would seem that Yeezy has not converted many fellow celebrities. Several rappers, singers, and others in the music industry responded to West’s latest social-media posts with criticism.
Some, like Ice-T, were succinct in their responses.
Janelle Monáe and John Legend both brought up race in their criticism. In an interview with Hot 97, Monaé responded to West’s comments, “I believe in free thinking, but I don’t believe in free thinking if it’s rooted in, or at the expense of the oppressed. If your free thinking is used as fuel by oppressors to continue to oppress black people, minorities, I think it’s bullshit and it’s not OK.â€
Legend wrote about it obliquely, not calling out West by name, but instead writing a long Twitter thread about racism in current-day America — one that he ended with the statement, “I love that great, brilliant artists have the power to imagine a better future. But artists can’t be blind to the truth.â€
Other celebs made light of the situation. After West tweeted out several pictures of his mansion as proof that he is out of “the sunken place,†a reference to Jordan Peele’s horror movie, the filmmaker responded to the shoutout. Snoop Dogg also couldn’t shake the reference.
Likewise, Scooter Braun, Kanye’s longtime manager who recently parted ways with the rapper, pretended to be unaware of West’s social-media activity.
Earlier in the day West tweeted, “I no longer have a manager. I can’t be managed.â€
Lupe Fiasco had this zinger.
Still, the Life of Pablo artist wasn’t completely left out to dry. Chance the Rapper came to his support, writing, “Black people don’t have to be democrats.â€
Even Frank Ocean added his two cents with a pointed reminder of simpler times.
Meanwhile, Azealia Banks just wants you to know she pulled a Kanye before Kanye.