In support of protestors, Kanye West and Russell Simmons joined in on the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York. With West next to him, Simmons was the only one to speak. According to him, West did not wish to speak to the media and he silently stood by. However, Simmons elaborated on their reasons for joining the movement.
“Kanye’s been a big supporter, spiritually, for this movement,” Simmons said in an interview with Okay Africa. “He’s just here to stand with the people. He’s not with the politics of it, doesn’t want to make a statement, didn’t want to do any media at all, actually, but he’s here. So, there’s almost no way around it. He’s here.”
With West standing beside him, nodding along to his comments, Simmons continued to explain why Kanye West chose to make an appearance.
“He’s here in support of the people. As an artist, he feels artistic people and he feels what they’re doing. He knows. He understands this idea about getting the money out of the government and letting the people govern. He wants to give power back to the people. That’s why we’re here.”
Kanye West is not the only rapper to lend support for the movement. Talib Kweli, Brother Ali, Immortal Technique and Lupe Fiasco are among other emcees to do the same.
For more from the interview, check the video below.
RELATED: Immortal Technique Takes Part In Occupy Wall Street Protest
the irony is overwhelming
You took the words right out of my mouth. The nerve of these two…smh
totally agree with you lol.
RonPaul2012
They’re limo must have broke down or something
yall forgot to mention how this vain dude whore his gold fronts and chains and overpriced plaid shirt
You’re missing the point. And I can tell you that about that 99% percent of the people protesting have iPhones. How do you think the videos of people getting maced keep showing up on YouTube? There’s probably some people there with Dre Beats on too. Kanye is a millionaire, not a billionare fat cat peace of shit.
Indirectly or not, you just pointed out why the Occupy Wall Street protest is ridiculous. By using an IPhone, rocking Nike Airs, or having a checking account with Bank Of America, you support the billionaires you protest against. If you want to really make a statement, boycott all products (phones, checking accounts, etc) supported by the 1% being protested against. Kanye is using this as a nice publicity stunt to make it look like he can “relate” to the people. You cant relate anymore because you’re in a different tax bracket and not trying to go back.
@Impact : i agree with you
@Impact, At OWS there are varying degrees of commitment to a personal articulation of the political through wardrobe, and technology choices, but to focus on this is missing the point. The point is that these people are joining together to confront an unsustainable system that they know that they are part of, as they are all confronting it from inside of it. THERE IS NO OUTSIDE OF ADVANCED CAPITALISM. If the COMMON purpose here is to resist and attempt to begin to think about another more sustainable way of life, judging each other for varying degrees of complicity in something that we are all complicit in is extremely counterproductive.
@anonymous that is the entire point. I understand people feel that the “system” is unjust. But the way to stop a system is to stop putting money into the system. If I dont like Walmart because they’re an evil corporation but I shop there to pick up goods, Im contradicting myself. All Im saying is to 1)stop supporting the companies you are protesting and 2) show me a more COMPETITIVE system that not only works but will still maintain the spirit of competition, not this soft sense of entitlement the younger generation has.
Hi Impact,
Unfortunately the only way to begin to stop/change the system now is through civil disobedience, if you are interested, Chris Hedges speaks on this quite lucidly here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz5RxhahHK0
wow if you guys think this is about rocking name brands then you might want to do some research smh..
Thanks. I checked out the link and there was some powerful stuff. Some I definitely agree with. and to the last anonymous I just threw some brand names out there to make a point, which u kind of missed.
i wonder how many bodyguards they brought
If Kanye was truly there to support the people, why didn’t he talk? Why was Simmons the only one? Publicity stunt….
You know why, now shut your ass up.
It’s a shame that we have to put down other people in order to feel justified.
HEY GUYS IM AN UPCOMING RAPPER I KNOW YALL SEE THIS SHIT ALL THE TIME AND ARE PROLLY LIKE NIGGA PLEASE BUT I WORK HARD AND WOULD APPRECIATE IF YALL CHECKED ME OUT AND I DONT MIND BAD CRITICISM YOUTUBE=lilkaz604
Kanye smartened up, he knows he cant control that mouth of his.
^This
he had his gold fronts in, its probably good he kept that shit closed
Like most of the other people at these protests, Kanye has nothing to say because he doesn’t even know what exactly he is protesting. It would be pretty silly to protest making money or being rich.
Looks like somebody has been listening to mainstream propaganda lmfao. Fucking tool!
Isnt this cute…Look at Kanye and Russell Simmons using the protests to promote theirselves.
Kanye would you be willing to do a free benefit for some black children who are without
wow I have never seen Kanye silent he’s always got so much to say. I’m a huge Kanye fan but I dont really get why hes having Russell speak for him? Yes his mouth has got him in trouble before but thats what makes him who he is. hmmm strange