Cape Town - Kanye West’s TMZ interview has caused a Twitter storm like no other.
The rapper who recently voiced his support of infamous US President Donald Trump, recently had interviews with TMZ and radio host Charlamagne tha God where he made some rather concerning statements – one of these being about slavery.
"You hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice," West told TMZ Live, the broadcast wing of the celebrity gossip site.
Twitter users instantly began reacting to the shocking comments. #IfSlaveryWasAChoice also began trending with many posing questions to Kanye about his 'opinion'.
Over 1.1 million tweets have been published since the interview went live.
Here are 21 of the most accurate tweets about everyone’s reaction to the 40-year-old’s interview:
Don’t tell me there isn’t even one person in Kanye’s life who can tell him to “stop now, it’s enough”. Surely everyone has people like that? Unless of course he’s a stubborn, self-destructive, know-it-all, & willing to destroy his career & legacy in order to be “right”.
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) May 2, 2018
If Kanye West said something like "Slavery IS a choice", that would have been a bit consistent with his message of freedom from mental slavery. But reducing 400 years of violence and repression against African slaves to "choice" is an overreach.
— Kelvin Odanz (@KelvinOdanz) May 2, 2018
Here’s a choice Kanye’s dad should have made #IfSlaveryWasAChoice pic.twitter.com/duF1xeUavx
— Ungovernable (@TheGuyWaseBhayi) May 2, 2018
As a culture, we place so much emphasis on the importance of thinking for yourself & your right to your own opinions; too little on informing yourself & your duty to assess facts. Hence Kanye. Hence Trump. Hence Brexit. Hence millions of proud doinks on the internet.
— Alex von Tunzelmann (@alexvtunzelmann) May 2, 2018
Kanye West will say and do anything for attention.
— sherry ShayD (@sherry_shayd) May 2, 2018
Then his wife will start a war with the media when the Media questions his sanity....
Btw kanye's choice comment ignores the many slave uprisings and revolts.
— Wale Gates ???????? (@walegates) May 2, 2018
The Amistad Slave ship Revolt, Slave uprising in Haiti. There were many, we can never imagine what these enslaved people went thru and reduce it to "choice".
Artists have always been political.Sometimes I choose to ignore their leanings and just enjoy the music.I tend to switch off when they do self righteous interviews.Kanye woke me up.Dude,never put the words 'Slavery' and 'choice' in the same sentence.
— Trevor Nelson (@DJTrevorNelson) May 2, 2018
I never got behind this idea that Kanye was some kind of revolutionary even when he was hanging with the conscious rappers. He just knows how to say some of the right things but I don’t think that’s where his heart is.
— M’Bakdafucup (@NateKingSoul) May 2, 2018
Kanye West Kardashian has been taught by the Kardashians that controversy sells. Every time he wants something he says something stupid. And, every time his wife wants something she gets naked. It’s their MO. Stop paying attention to this fool and that family. pic.twitter.com/tPDZhQsjTu
— Robert Monroe, Jr. (@BMo2xl) May 2, 2018
It's not an idea it's an ideology there is a difference. You are adding nothing new here. Just because you escaped from the projects and are now a multi millionaire because of your "music" doesn't give you the right to preach that #slaveryisachoice been hanging with your "boy"
— Kiwi Johno - Truth Always Wins ?????????????????? (@JohnOSullivan36) May 2, 2018
I think I might get Kanye. He’s trying to ask why black folk have remained at the “bottom” for so many centuries, but he doesn’t understand the economic structures put in place to make sure it stays that way. However, It’s definitely not because we’ve chosen to.
— delz (@wolfofnewstreet) May 2, 2018
Kanye West saying that "Slavery Was A Choice".This shows that black people forget where they came from and what people once sacrificed for what we have today. I'm totally disappointed.
— Sally Brown?? (@officielsalome) May 2, 2018
I guess this was our choice too..... pic.twitter.com/8MgNRiYtVT
— Des Billi (@des_billi) May 2, 2018
Kanye West ideology is nothing different from those african community leaders that sold their people for a bottle of whiskey and mirror .
— Tinuoye ?? ???? (@KingNoCulture) May 2, 2018
You need to update your friends @kanyewest call Jay he’s probably the only real friend you have left. Bro “a choice”.... really.... WAKE UP Kanye. More people loved you than you’ll ever know & now it’s got to a point of no return. I feel sorry for.
— 24/7 HipHop News (@BenjaminEnfield) May 2, 2018
Kanye finally gave us reasons why he is acting mental. Dude is an opioid addict. When you roll with a gang, you will most likely do what that gang does - like getting plastic surgery to look good for us.
— HENRY Okelue (@4eyedmonk) May 2, 2018
When the man who confronted Kanye said that what he did was the "absence of thought", I almost clapped instantly because I've come across so many people who will say anything just to be (apparently??????) "edgy"/"alternative" or the devil's advocate no matter who it harms.
— T’Ching ching gettin paid over here (@Just_Midzi) May 2, 2018
White washing of history going on full blast here. Please get a books, slavery by another name by Douglas A Blackmon or the soul of black folks by W.E.B Du bois.
— unknown man (@SalamOlatunde) May 2, 2018
Kanye West said "400years of slavery, I think that's a choice"
— DisturbingCzar (@TheDamorela) May 2, 2018
Well, Black people chose to enslave fellow black people and then sell to white people who chose to enslave black people for generations..
But slavery was never and will never be a choice. Everyone wants freedom
This is the problem! Kanye has been able to convince people, like you in their millions that:
— Damilare Onajole (@damilare) May 2, 2018
‘Slavery could have been a choice’
He blamed the victim, and validated the power structures.
This is what super villians do. People like Kanye is why it took 400 years to be ‘Free’
Like seriously!!
— Viktor?? (@Dannyviktor) May 2, 2018
If Kanye read a little bit of US black history, he'd find out that there were many slave rebellions & insurrections that were cruelly suppressed.
People didn't choose to be slaves for 400 years. They were FORCED to be slaves for 400 years.