Kanye West defends his support for Trump and talks mental health on Jimmy Kimmel Live! : "They said I couldn't say it out loud"
Usually, every time Kanye West opens his mouth he shocks the world. This time, however, he seemed to have a pretty philosophical chain of thought. The singer recently lifted his Jimmy Kimmel Live embargo and made an appearance on the show for the first time in five years. The rapper had a seemingly meaningful chat with host Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday evening where he not only dished out life advice but also explained his political stances.
Kanye explained, "Everyone around me tried to pick my candidate for me. And then told me every time I said I liked Trump that I couldn't say it out loud or my career would be over, I'd get kicked out of the black community... " he said, "So, even when I said it right before I went to the hospital and I expressed myself... When I came out I had lost my confidence. So I didn't have the confidence to take on the world and the possible backlash. And it took me a year and a half to have the confidence to stand up and put on the hat. No matter what the consequences were."
Kanye West, who is a stunning success in the music industry as well as the fashion world thanks to his brand Yeezy isn't shy about expressing himself. However, he said that his controversial tweets had "nothing" to do with politics he told Kimmel. They "represented overcoming fear and doing what you felt, no matter what anyone said... If I'm afraid to be me, I'm no longer 'Ye. That's what makes 'Ye." he said.
Speaking about his bipolar disorder he commented, "I think it's important for us to have open conversations about mental health—especially with me being black. Because we never had therapists in the black community. We never approached taking a medication. I think it's good that when I had my first complete blackout at age 5, my mom didn't fully medicate me. Because I might have never been 'Ye. And there are times where at least I'm happy that I know [I'm bipolar.] Like even like for this interview, I knew I wanted to stay in a calm state."
Kanye West also dished some pearls of wisdom for the people of the world. He said, "People need to be able to express themselves without fear or judgment," referring to his greatest lesson in life. He also commented on his beloved wife Kim Kardashian's White House trip. Kim had famously met POTUS Donald Trump and convinced him to grant Alice Johnson clemency. She had been sentenced to life imprisonment due to a first-time drug offense.
Kanye West, his face lighting up at the mention of Kim, said, "She's super passionate about it and it was amazing for her to see that dream come true." When Jimmy Kimmel playfully quizzed if he was "ever concerned about her being alone in the Oval Office with President Trump?" Kanye thought for a bit before saying matter of factly, "Well, he is a player!"