Rap megastar Kanye West released a new song on Saturday sending what could be considered one of the boldest political statement’s in rap history — questioning black Americans’ near-monolithic support of the Democratic Party.
The fiery track, “Ye vs the People,” sees the Chicago crooner in a back-in-forth lyrical debate about the merits of thinking freely and the political and economic state of black Americans, as well as addressing the fallout from West’s seeming embrace of President Donald Trump, with actor-rapper T.I.
“Bruh, I never ever stopped fightin’ for the people. Actually wearin’ the hat’ll show people that we equal,” West says of posting a picture online this week of him wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat — a hat which the rapper says “stayed in my closet like ’bout a year and a half.”
“Then one day I was like, ‘Fuck it, I’ma do me, I was in the sunken place and then I found the new me,” West says to a defensive T.I. “Not worried about some image that I gotta keep up. Lot of people agree with me, but they too scared to speak up.”
“See that’s the problem with this damn nation. All blacks gotta be Democrats, man, we ain’t made it off the plantation,” West argues.
T.I.’s verses confront West’s willingness to align himself with President Trump, questioning is West’s “selfish agenda” will “stop police from murderin’ niggas.”
“This shit is stubborn, selfish, bullheaded, even for you. You wore a dusty ass hat to represent the same views as white supremacy, man, we expect better from you,” says T.I., who last year called President Trump a “poster child for white supremacy.”
“Have you considered all the damage and the people you hurt?” T.I.’s rhyme continues. “You had a bad idea, and you’re makin’ it worse. This shit’s just as bad as Catholic preachers rapin’ in church.”
“Ye vs the People” comes after Kanye West’s wild week in which he received criticism for calling President Trump his brother.
The fashion mogul is reportedly gearing up to launch an initiative to help revitalize the lives of hundreds of thousands of Chicago, Illinois, residents.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson