Months ago, Kanye West set the world on fire with comments that slavery was choice comments in the TMZ office. There was a lot of backlash, when West said the “400 years was choice.”
Though Ye has already apologized for his statements he finally opened up publicly about his thoughts. This morning during an interview with WGCI, a radio network in Chicago and apologized for the comment.
“I have never really approached or addressed the slavery comment fully. This is something about the fact that it hurt people’s feelings and the way that I presented that piece of information. I could present in a way more calm way, but I was ramped up. And I apologize. That happens sometimes when people are—I’m not blaming mental health, but I’m explaining mental health.” Adding, “I don’t know if I properly apologized for how the slavery comment made people feel. I’m sorry for the one-two effect of the MAGA hat into the slave comment, and I’m sorry for people that felt let down by that moment. And I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to talk to you about the way I was thinking and what I was going through.”
Plenty of celebrities were outspoken about the interview. Kobe Bryant spoke with TMZ about West views on slavery.
“I’m sure [I felt] the way everybody else here in this room feels,” Bryant admitted when a student asked about his response to the slavery comment in particular. “‘The hell are you talking about?’ I think that was my reaction as is everybody else’s reaction.”
Bryant continued, “The thing about our country is that you have the right to say whatever it is that you want to say. That’s the beautiful part about living in a democracy. Conversely, you have to take the responses that come after that as well.”
