Kanye West talked his support of President Trump, mental health and his thoughts on wife Kim Kardashian West getting political, among other things, during his return visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night.
West defended his support for Trump by explaining that he doesn’t care what people think about his actions. “Just as a musician, African American, everyone around me tried to pick my candidate for me and then told me that I couldn’t say that I like Trump,” he said. The rapper explained that there’s this idea out there that “blacks can only be Democrats” and he added that as a result of his hospitalization in 2016 he “lost his confidence” and it took him a year and a half to say what he truly felt. “If I’m afraid to be me, then I’m not Ye, that’s what makes me Ye. I enjoy when people are mad at me about certain things.”
When asked why he thinks that “Donald Trump would care about black people,” West was silent and Kimmel had to go to commercial.
The rapper, whose latest album, ye, was released in early June, also discussed what’s next for him. At one point, Kimmel asked, “What is next for you?” While West paused, the host joked, “Space Force?” Kimmel continued, “You should design the uniforms for the Space Force. Would you do that if the president asked you?”
“I’m into designing,” West said, smiling.
Kimmel then noted that West’s wife, Kim Kardashian, had appeared on the show the previous week and had recently traveled to Washington to ask President Trump to issue a presidential pardon for Alice Marie Johnson. Johnson, who had been serving a life sentence for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense, was subsequently granted clemency by Trump. “Did you discuss that with her before she did it?” Kimmel asked.
“Well she’s super passionate about it, and it was amazing for her to see that dream come true,” he responded. “Were you ever concerned about her being alone in the Oval Office with President Trump?” Kimmel then asked. “Well, he is a player,” West joked.
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
Kimmel also asked West about his bipolar diagnosis, and if he feels it’s part of what makes him “brilliant.” West replied, “Yeah. It’s not an opposite, it drives more of how you really feel. 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.”
West’s last appearance on the late-night talk show came in October 2013, in what was billed as an attempt to defuse a simmering social media feud between the two stars.
Crazy Rich Asians star and rapper Awkwafina also appeared on the late-night show Thursday. The episode also featured a hip-hop edition of Kimmel’s running Mean Tweets gag.
Watch below.
Article source: https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8469588/kanye-west-supporting-trump-mental-health-kim-kardashian-kimmel