Kanye West Implies African-American Slavery Was a ‘Choice’

In an interview with TMZ, recording artist Kanye West made remarks about slavery that have sparked widespread backlash online.

“When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years?! That sounds like a choice,” West said. “You was there for 400 years and it’s all of y’all? It’s like we’re mentally imprisoned.”

TMZ’s Van Lathan — who didn’t participate in the initial interview but heard Kanye’s comments — forcefully pushed back after the rapper asked the outlet’s employees: “Do you feel like I’m thinking free and feeling free?

“I actually don’t think you’re thinking anything,” Lathan told West, acknowledging that the rapper is entitled to his opinion.

“But there is fact, and real-world, real-life consequence behind everything that you just said. And while you are making music and being an artist and living the life that you’ve earned by being a genius, the rest of us in society have to deal with these threats to our lives,” Lathan said. “We have to deal with the marginalization that has come from the 400 years of slavery that you said, for our people, was a choice.

“Frankly, I’m disappointed, I’m appalled and, brother, I am unbelievably hurt by the fact that you have morphed into something, to me, that’s not real.”

Take a look at the clip below.