Rapper Kanye West revealed in an interview this week that his relationship with former President Barack Obama “faded” the moment that he stopped saying the things that he was supposed to say “as a rapper.”
West made the remarks during a wide-ranging interview Friday night with Fox News host Tucker Carlson after arriving back in the U.S. from France where he attended the Paris Fashion Week.
“I was Obama’s favorite artist,” West said. “He actually met with me. Obama met with me and my mama to say that he was running for office back in 2008 and that he wanted the support. And everybody was so into this idea of the black president.”
“And we were always — you were always cool. And it’s also like, how many — how many of us are there Obama level, Ye level, Virgil level, just black, you know, so brilliant that we cut through all of the lines of racism, like you just can’t get rid of us, Nat King Cole level, Dave Chappelle level?” he continued. “So, in some place, we’d have to be friends and get along, because it’s like you’re at that level. You’re like a Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton race car driver. We’re still driving a white car, but we’re the best race car drivers that ever existed.”
“And that was — that was me and Obama’s connection,” he added. “But, soon as I wasn’t saying the things that I was supposed to say as a rapper, our connection faded.”
WATCH:
Kanye West describes his friendship with Barack Obama: “As soon as I wasn’t saying the things that I was supposed to say as a rapper, our connection faded.” pic.twitter.com/8vVh6MZFbU
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 8, 2022
TRANSCRIPT:
TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS HOST: Do you talk to Obama still?
KANYE WEST, MUSICIAN: I was Obama’s favorite artist.
He actually met with me. Obama met with me and my mama to say that he was running for office back in 2008 and that he wanted the support. And everybody was so into this idea of the black president.
And we were always — you were always cool. And it’s also like, how many — how many of us are there Obama level, Ye level, Virgil level, just black, you know, so brilliant that we cut through all of the lines of racism, like you just can’t get rid of us, Nat King Cole level, Dave Chappelle level?
So, in some place, we’d have to be friends and get along, because it’s like you’re at that level. You’re like a Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton race car driver. We’re still driving a white car, but we’re the best race car drivers that ever existed.
And that was — that was me and Obama’s connection. But, soon as I wasn’t saying the things that I was supposed to say as a rapper, our connection faded.
CARLSON: So, you don’t talk to him anymore?
WEST: I will talk to him if I see him.
CARLSON: Yes.
WEST: But I guarantee he see me. I don’t even know the man. I just thought that would sound cool.
Related: Kanye Praises Candace Owens, Flames Legacy Media In Wide-Ranging Interview With Tucker Carlson
