Kanye West sparked a flurry of headlines in 2018 when he boldly proclaimed 400 years of slavery sounded like a “choice” during an unhinged interview with TMZ Live.
Now, former host Van Lathan is reflecting on that moment in a new interview with VladTV. During the conversation, Van Lathan noted Kanye specifically asked the entire newsroom what their opinion was on the topic, although that wasn’t reflected in the original viral video.
“He had said all kinds of crazy things up to that point…well, not crazy,” Lathan said. “Whatever you believe. His ideas or whatever. I think slavery being a choice is fucking crazy and disrespectful, but he had said all kinds of things and I was like, whatever. He asked. He asked my opinion. He asked the whole room. That was a challenge to me.”
Lathan also said he understood the point Kanye was trying to make but still found it offensive, adding, “You can’t have them be your example of weakness because to me, they’re an example of strength.”
Kanye West’s inflammatory comment arrived as Van Lathan was confronting the eccentric Hip Hop artist about his affiliation with ex-president Donald Trump.
The interview started off with a question about the Make America Great Again hat West and soon morphed into something else entirelyl. From scientology and slavery to his admission he was once addicted to opioids, ‘Ye commanded the TMZ newsroom with an impassioned stream of consciousness rant.
“I’m not coming up here to justify anything,” he said at the time. “You can’t tell me nothing. I made the song. You can’t tell me what I’m supposed to do.”
Kanye West Reaffirms His Allegiance To Donald Trump: 'I'm A Black Guy With A Red [MAGA] Hat'
Once the slavery comment rolled off his tongue, the newsroom erupted in shock. As Van Lathan tried to challenge his views, he told Kanye seeing him wearing the MAGA hat only hurt Black people.
“I think what you’re doing right now is actually an afterthought,” Lathan said. “”Kanye, you’re entitled to your opinion, you’re entitled to believe whatever you want, but there is fact and real-world, real-life consequence behind everything you just said.”
He continued, “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. We have to deal with the marginalization that’s come from the 400 years of slavery that you said for our people was a choice.”
The exchange ended with Kanye apologizing to Van Lathan and giving him a hug. Revisit the clip below.
Just the delusional ranting of a gay fish.
What would you expect from the ravings of a loudmouth malcontent
only reason anyone interviews this guy is because of kanye. stfu and it was 3 years ago, move on bub.
how did the slaves get to America? There wasn’t any slave farms in Africa and the continent was never conquered at any time by white slavers. The fact is africans sold the slaves themselves. were they criminals? conquered people? we don’t know. All Kanye is doing is giving folks back their agency. These weak dudes crying to their white allies about ye show their true colors. Ye isn’t a victim of history he’s an agent of change
I find it hilarious on how people try to justify that statement like he said something profound (even though Ye stole that quote from a known troll/grifter a few years prior to him saying it). So many of these so called political pundits, philosophers, etc. usually base their careers off trolling, degrading and demonizing blk ppl, but they hide it under the guise of being “critical thinkers”. A lot of it is just entertainment and a way for them to get notoriety, but their talking points can easily be defeated. The most effective way to see if people really believe the nonsense they spew, ask Ye and everybody else two very important questions. How do they feel about the HollowCost? Was that also a choice? We’ll see how quick they’ll be ready to answer that question and that will let you know they’re full of BS.
I find it hilarious on how people try to justify that statement like he said something profound (even though Ye stole that quote from a known troll/grifter a few years prior to him saying it). So many of these so called political pundits, philosophers, etc. usually base their careers off trolling, degrading and demonizing blk ppl, but they hide it under the guise of being “critical thinkers”. A lot of it is just entertainment and a way for them to get notoriety, but their talking points can easily be defeated. The most effective way to see if people really believe the nonsense they spew, ask Ye and everybody else two very important questions. How do they feel about the HollowCost? Was that also a choice? We’ll see how quick they’ll be ready to answer that question and that will let you know they’re full of BS.
Van Lathan just pushes the standard “black people are victims” agenda while Kanye and others try to get people out of that mindset. He said that Kanye wearing the red hat hurts black people yet Trump got black unemployment way down and pushed through the bill to release people who have been severely punished by the law. All shit that Trump haters have wanted their heroes to do, Trump did it. I think Trump is a clown, but to act like he was so harmful for black people is the kind of BS that will continue to hold black people back. Think for yourself, you dont have to hate people who disagree with you and not every old white man is racist. Plus why is this dude on DJ Vlad, I thought the black community considered this dude a culture vulture
you still in the music business how about telling us how that is slavery one day.
Its 2021 slavery been over for like 150 years. Time to move on people.Were in the age of white rappers and black golfers. Equality is king. Equity is milking the system.
Dats ryt! Dats just lyk wen Snoop tried to call King Tekashi a “snitch” knowing damn well he da Pac of his generation.
He da Pac of the special Olympics
That statement happened how long ago? Vlad as always stirring the pot.
People really need to study history of slavery. They really do. The truth is a strange thing. We also need to move forward to progress. Never forget the past but we can’t keep using it to blame for every failure.