Common and Kanye West’s friendship stretches back years. West produced two albums for Common — 2005’s Be and it’s 2007’s Finding Forever — and they’ve remained close ever since.
Like any loyal friend, the actor/MC/activist isn’t letting ‘Ye’s inflammatory comments about slavery break their relationship. On Friday (May 4), TMZ caught up with Common as he was leaving the Equinox in Los Angeles where he said there are more important things to worry about.
“There’s a lot going on in the world — black women being dragged out The Waffle House, black people being shot down in the street,” he said. “We got people in the government and the president, and others that are lying and creating divisiveness.
“I think us focusing on tweets and comments when we can really change conditions. I want to put more energy toward changing the conditions of what’s going on.”
Speaking on his relationship with Kanye, he said, “No matter what, Kanye is my brother. No matter what. There’s no beginning to the end because that’s my brother. I love him.
“I don’t agree with everything he says and everything he’s thinking but I don’t agree with a lot of things that people that I love but that don’t mean I love them any differently. That doesn’t mean I won’t say exactly what I need to say to them … We don’t have to go to war just because we don’t agree.”
West is reportedly back in Wyoming finishing the five albums he promised, including his next solo album, Pusha T’s King Pusha, Nas’ new album and a collaboration with Kid Cudi called Kids See Ghost.[apple_news_ad type=”any”]
The problem these days seem to be that people are afraid to tell those that they are close to that they are wrong or full of shit, when they are wrong or full of shit. It’s evident in the music that gets put out and it’s evident in the way people present themselves in general. Too much coat tail riding. Kanye surrounds himself with people who are agreeable to him, and cries out against those who aren’t. He’s been allowed to act that way for too long and no longer sees anything wrong with the flat out outlandish ways he acts. He calls it free thinking and genius, and the people around him eat that bullshit up. Add a clear mental health issue to the mix and this is what happens. Common doesn’t need to waver in his friendship to give Kanye some realness. In fact, a real friend should be the first to put foot to ass when you get out of pocket. I’ve seen that treatment save lives on more than a few occasions.
What are you talking about? French, John Legend, Jay Z, Snoop etc all call him out. Being real with him. Besides Snoop who is obviously a cyber bully in sheeps skin, everybody else has been mature enough to say hold up. Besides, we have no idea what goes on in their private lives.
I’m not talking about those in the industry, the twitter junkies who like to do shit publicly for all to see. I’m talking about the one true confidante people tend to have. The person who will pull your ass behind closed doors and give you some act right. That one person who’s words and position you respect because you know they are one of the few who actually give a fuck about you. Kanye clearly doesn’t have that kind of relationship with anybody, and it may be by his own doing. And it doesn’t matter what goes on in their private lives when you go on TMZ talking reckless or just generally making an ass of yourself in public because you crave attention. If you want to know a real concern about his private life, take this into account. This man has 2 biracial children being raised in extremely privileged conditions with a father who is hopelessly out of touch with reality. People think Kanye’s views are genius and won’t have an effect, you’ll see when his kids come of age. That “private life” bullshit is an excuse. If your private life is a mess, and you choose to go on an interview talking about liposuction, not needing therapy and proclaiming you don’t read books then your priorities are fucked up and you need a confidante in your corner.
Kanye had that confidante in Rhymefest, but he ran him off with the quickness. Who is in his corner now? Travis Scott? Tristian Thompson? Lamar Odom? Kris?
I think Sway was there for him at one point too before Kanye got out of pocket with him as well.
We have no idea what Kanye’s people are saying to him behind closed doors. We are not entitled to know everythjng contrary to what this new age Social Media has us thinking.
Solid answer to the issue while still preserving friendship.
Common is the GOAT
FUCK TMZ and forget y’all at hhdx that want to fuel the controversy and incapable of creating your own news while piggy backing off TMZ loooool losers
Now that’s what you call a mature response. We don’t have to agree with everything friends say but it doesn’t mean you stop calling them a friend.
So if a friend of yours came up to you and said “your mom is a $2 dollar hoe and she loves it in the ass”. You’d be ok with that? See there are limits. I’ve dropped friends not because I disagreed with the viewpoint but because they spewed bullshit like Conye.
Kanye called Common’s mom a $2 dollar hoe that loves it in the ass? That’s amazing. Genius.
Nice equivalency Mexican… At least you are trying. I’m sure your ‘friends’ are better off now.
Conye gave Common leftover beats. Everybody knows. Fuck Conye!
Conye? Ohhhh…I get it…
“leftover beats” and still made FIRE albums. Sit Down.
Common always been a mature grown ass man; Kanye always been loving the controversy. They both just kept growing into their own that much more.
There are black millionaires and billionaires. Slavery was 400 years ago. Stop living in the past.
Slavery WASN’T 400 years ago. Slavery was just abolished (on paper) less than 150 years ago. And Jim Crow didn’t end (on paper) till 1950. And because ideologies like that don’t magically disappear like a light switch, arguably many of those same sentiments still persist today. We could look at imprisonment policies, we could look at loan discrepancies, we could look at the mere fact that white supremacists were marching against people of color THIS YEAR. So look, maybe its easy for you to suggest stop living in the past. Maybe you have the luxury. But for many others, that terrible past is STILL VERY MUCH THE PRESENT.
Slavery was still present in the U.S.A up to the end of the 19th century you fucking retard.