Kanye West has said a lot of controversial things. One time, he went off-script on a Hurricane Katrina fundraiser and said former US President George Bush "doesn't care about black people." On another occasion, the famous rapper interrupted Taylor Swift's MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech to suggest that Beyonce probably deserved it more. The outrage his previous remarks have caused, however, can't even compare to the backlash this famous person has just received from the internet over his recent comments on slavery in America.
"When you hear about slavery for 400 years... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice," Kanye said during an appearance on TMZ. He later used Twitter to explain his highly unpopular opinion: "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."
Slavery in America started in 1619 when a Dutch ship brought 20 African slaves to the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia. During the years, rebellions did occur within the slavery system. For example, historian Herbert Aptheker published a study called American Negro Slave Revolts, and has found records of "approximately two hundred and fifty revolts and conspiracies in the history of American Negro slavery."
Despite the horror slavery reminds us about, Black Twitter has come up with some alternate reality moments in which slavery was a choice. Scroll down to check the public opinion and new memes that it has spawned out and upvote your favorites!
Kanye West has just suggested that African-American Slavery was a "choice"
To watch the interview, see the video below
Later, the rapper used Twitter to explain his claim
But that didn't stop the internet from responding in the best possible way
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I love this one so much. I know everyone is sticking it to the lunatic Kayne. But everyone in this are so happy. Sorta cute really.
Oh that's so sweet, How did you ask her out? ha ha. Seriously though you guys are such a gorgeous couple.
it's almost like he's got a new album coming out soon and he needs a way to get attention to help sell that album....
It seems to be working quite well. Conservatives are eating it up and praising him now. So now, conservatives, who always claim to hate rap and rappers, will rush out and buy his album since they will support anyone who isn't "too liberal" for them. It's so dumb that people can't see what he's doing.
Load More Replies...Kanye West is a twat. His views are the deranged, nonsensical ramblings of a narcissist with the intelligence of a public urinal
What does it say about our society that this man is even being heard and listened to and given any attention at any time?
He makes the rest of the world look more intelligent.
Load More Replies...I think the guy has mental health issue to be honest, the whole interview looked like someone having a manic episode.
Honestly, I agree with you. Not necessarily a manic episode, but this is the second time he's looked like he's spiralling into some kind of mental health crisis. He disappeared for a while after the last one and came back acting 'normal' (for him) and then this started again. None of that excuses making comments that harm whole sections of society by empowering racists though.
Load More Replies...He is just as intelligent as his best buddy called donald chump. They would make great lovers.
how this man has respect from any sane human being still i will never know.
He's just taking a page out of the Trump book. Trump could never, ever run as a democrat, so he switched to a republican because he knew they would believe anything he said. Now Kanye sees that his career was dwindling, he's not a respected rapper anyone, so he can appeal to conservatives by saying junk like this, and they will eat it up and pretend they liked him all along.
'I'd have been Harriet or Nat' is exactly the equivalent of Trump's claim that he'd run into a school shooting to stop it. Easy to claim you'd act in what you deem to be the 'right' way in a situation you're not in and are never likely to be in.
Load More Replies...To everyone who responded with Humour to Kanye West - thank you. Some of these are absolutely spot on. The only way to respond to this situation.
So he is expecting people that were in shackles with no resources whatsoever to fight against people with guns, whips, ropes(lynchings) and the law by their side?
Glad to see people are able to respond with some creative humor -- it's the only way to handle such ignorant sh*t. Kanye, dear, please do your loser self a favor and read "The Half Has Never Been Told", OK?
I never thought something relating to slavery could be this hilarious. I was wrong. I read Uncle Tom's hut when I was 9. Half of the time I was in tears nd the other half in rage. But this is really funny.
Thankyou Kanye, for making it okay to make racist jokes.... I think. :-/
He didn't say it WAS a choice, he said it IS a choice. Get your head out of the sand.
Before people had slaves on plantations in the 1600s, theyd have indentured servants working on sugar cane fields. Youd sign a contract, work seven years on a plantation, then you were free to live on the island. Most of the servants didn't survive the seven years. It wasn't as bad as slavery, but it was pretty awful all the same.
How is anyone comfortable with the word Massa???? I find it as offensive as the other words thrown around back in those times.
The fact is that people are using humor to show the horrific absurdity of Kayne's statement. It is an appropriate tactic to this kind of hate speech.
Load More Replies...Kanye is the definition of delusional. Apparently His mother was his rock - when she died unexpectedly he lost his balance and has been spinning out ever since. Dude needs help
staying stuck in "buhuhu, people I don't know were enslaved a century ago" mode isn't really funny, so it takes away from the humour of the tweets
I don't have to. It is the person making the outrageous claim that bears the burden of proof. So how can YOU prove it didn't?
Load More Replies...Yeah, how f*****g dare a sexual assault survivor think you're a piece of human garbage for making jokes about sexual assault.
Load More Replies...Jesus are you f*****g serious? This "man" said slavery was a choice. We can all listen to him say those exact words. There is no need to discredit him when he already did it to himself. And at this point, if you're still supporting Trump, you deserve what's coming your way. Supporting a bigot, racist who enjoys sexually assaulting women says a lot about you.
Load More Replies...it's almost like he's got a new album coming out soon and he needs a way to get attention to help sell that album....
It seems to be working quite well. Conservatives are eating it up and praising him now. So now, conservatives, who always claim to hate rap and rappers, will rush out and buy his album since they will support anyone who isn't "too liberal" for them. It's so dumb that people can't see what he's doing.
Load More Replies...Kanye West is a twat. His views are the deranged, nonsensical ramblings of a narcissist with the intelligence of a public urinal
What does it say about our society that this man is even being heard and listened to and given any attention at any time?
He makes the rest of the world look more intelligent.
Load More Replies...I think the guy has mental health issue to be honest, the whole interview looked like someone having a manic episode.
Honestly, I agree with you. Not necessarily a manic episode, but this is the second time he's looked like he's spiralling into some kind of mental health crisis. He disappeared for a while after the last one and came back acting 'normal' (for him) and then this started again. None of that excuses making comments that harm whole sections of society by empowering racists though.
Load More Replies...He is just as intelligent as his best buddy called donald chump. They would make great lovers.
how this man has respect from any sane human being still i will never know.
He's just taking a page out of the Trump book. Trump could never, ever run as a democrat, so he switched to a republican because he knew they would believe anything he said. Now Kanye sees that his career was dwindling, he's not a respected rapper anyone, so he can appeal to conservatives by saying junk like this, and they will eat it up and pretend they liked him all along.
'I'd have been Harriet or Nat' is exactly the equivalent of Trump's claim that he'd run into a school shooting to stop it. Easy to claim you'd act in what you deem to be the 'right' way in a situation you're not in and are never likely to be in.
Load More Replies...To everyone who responded with Humour to Kanye West - thank you. Some of these are absolutely spot on. The only way to respond to this situation.
So he is expecting people that were in shackles with no resources whatsoever to fight against people with guns, whips, ropes(lynchings) and the law by their side?
Glad to see people are able to respond with some creative humor -- it's the only way to handle such ignorant sh*t. Kanye, dear, please do your loser self a favor and read "The Half Has Never Been Told", OK?
I never thought something relating to slavery could be this hilarious. I was wrong. I read Uncle Tom's hut when I was 9. Half of the time I was in tears nd the other half in rage. But this is really funny.
Thankyou Kanye, for making it okay to make racist jokes.... I think. :-/
He didn't say it WAS a choice, he said it IS a choice. Get your head out of the sand.
Before people had slaves on plantations in the 1600s, theyd have indentured servants working on sugar cane fields. Youd sign a contract, work seven years on a plantation, then you were free to live on the island. Most of the servants didn't survive the seven years. It wasn't as bad as slavery, but it was pretty awful all the same.
How is anyone comfortable with the word Massa???? I find it as offensive as the other words thrown around back in those times.
The fact is that people are using humor to show the horrific absurdity of Kayne's statement. It is an appropriate tactic to this kind of hate speech.
Load More Replies...Kanye is the definition of delusional. Apparently His mother was his rock - when she died unexpectedly he lost his balance and has been spinning out ever since. Dude needs help
staying stuck in "buhuhu, people I don't know were enslaved a century ago" mode isn't really funny, so it takes away from the humour of the tweets
I don't have to. It is the person making the outrageous claim that bears the burden of proof. So how can YOU prove it didn't?
Load More Replies...Yeah, how f*****g dare a sexual assault survivor think you're a piece of human garbage for making jokes about sexual assault.
Load More Replies...Jesus are you f*****g serious? This "man" said slavery was a choice. We can all listen to him say those exact words. There is no need to discredit him when he already did it to himself. And at this point, if you're still supporting Trump, you deserve what's coming your way. Supporting a bigot, racist who enjoys sexually assaulting women says a lot about you.
Load More Replies...