Kanye West Defends Comments After Claiming Slavery Was A Choice
May 2 2018, Updated 1:06 p.m. ET
Kanye West received a wave of harsh backlash, especially from the African American community, after he told interviewers on May 1 that slavery was a choice!
"When you hear about slavery for 400 years... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice," he said during an interview.
"We're mentally imprisoned," the rapper added.
Immediately after his controversial comments, social media users began firing back at West, 40, accusing him of hating on his own race and supporting Republican President Donald Trump.
Following the criticism, West took to Twitter to defend his views.
"To make myself clear," he wrote, "of course I know that slaves did not get shackled and put on a boat by free will."
"My point is for us to have stayed in that position even though the numbers were on our side means that we were mentally enslaved," he added, referring to the period between the 17th and 19th centuries when Africans were brought to the U.S. and sold as slaves.
"They cut out our tongues so we couldn't communicate to each other," West continued. "I will not allow my tongue to be cut."
Kanye West's outburst comes days after he shocked the nation with his bizarre social media posts, wild philosophical arguments and provocative political commentary.
His remarks got so polemic, he even received violent threats allegedly relating to the LA-based gang, Crips.
As RadarOnline.com exclusively reported, West's mother-in-law Kris Jenner heightened security following the threats.
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