Who would have thought Kanye West and the TMZ offices would have led to sheer pandemonium? Naturally, the internet has once again been abuzz over Yeezy's latest remarks, in which he alluded that 400 years of slavery was a "choice." While he proceeded to explain his side of the story on Twitter, the damage was already done. Lo and behold, everyone from pundits to reporters, rappers to activists have flooded the airwaves with their opinions and takes. Unfortunately for Kanye, he seems to be standing alone on this one; even the most ardent Yeezy apologists are hesitant to ride for him on this one.
We've already heard several key players weigh in. Now, a former Kanye West collaborator, Lupe Fiasco, has chimed in with his own two cents. In case you don't know, Yeezy and Lupe previously dabbled in the CRS trio, along with Pharrell Williams; not to mention the impeccable "Touch The Sky." Suffice it to say, there's a history, and Lupe clearly felt compelled to add a bit of context to Kanye's controversial beliefs. In a series of three videos, Lupe addresses that slaves initially sought solace in death, for some believed that they would be reincarnated alongside their ancestors. Upon learning this, slave masters would cremate or maim the bodies of deceased slaves, as to remove the option of reincarnation.
"Slavery was a choice. Because you either had the choice of death or work," he says. "Understand that slaves were humans. They were subject to all type of torture. It wasn't as simple as when you got to America now you got the choice to either be this or be that." For more from Lupe, including his take on the history of slavery, be sure to check out his mini-vlogs below.
https://twitter.com/_/status/991455574087712770
https://twitter.com/_/status/991456049445007360