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Kanye West, 45, has defended wearing his shocking “White Lives Matter” shirt in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, 53. “I do certain things from a feeling,” he said during the sit down that aired on Thursday, Oct 6. “I just channel the energy, it just feels right. It’s using a gut instinct, a connection with God and just brilliance,” he said, explaining that his dad Ray West, 73, found the shirt humorous.
“I thought the shirt was a funny shirt. I thought the idea of wearing it was funny. And I said ‘Dad why do you think it’s funny?’ And he said ‘just a black man stating the obvious’,” Kanye — who legally goes by Ye — also said on Fox News. Prior to the interview, Ye shared a video on his Instagram, which showed Tucker trying on his latest design of boots.
On Monday, Oct. 2, the “Highlights” rapper caused a firestorm of controversy when he and right-wing TV host Candace Owens, 33, were photographed wearing t-shirts that read “White Lives Matter” at his Yeezy season 9 fashion event at Paris Fashion Week. Aside from proudly boasting the racist message on his attire with Candace, Kanye also decided to dress several of his models walking the runway at the event in the shirts, which did not sit well with the fashion community. After several days of battling on his Instagram against the mountain of criticism, Ye jetted back to L.A. for the interview.
“The answer to why I wore a ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt is — they do. It’s the obvious thing,” he then stated. When asked why he thought his shirt “might be considered controversial,” Kanye further detailed his reasoning. “Because the same people that stripped us of our identity and labeled us as a color have told us what it means to be Black. And the vernacular that we’re supposed to have,” the Chicago native explained.
He didn’t stop there, also referencing to Kim Kardashian finally as his “ex-wife” — expressing his thoughts on her recent racy photoshoot with Interview magazine. “Kim is a Christian but she has people who want her to go to Interview magazine and put her a– out while she’s a 40-something year multi-billionaire with four black children. And this is how fashion wants to present her,” he also said.
He also talked about Kim’s ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson and buying the house “next door” to her Hidden Hills mansion. “The media ridiculed me for buying the house next door to Kim to see my children — they even said I was stalking her and her new boyfriend [Pete] because I bought the house next door,” he said. “So many things are put in Kim’s head. They bring influencers — like, no one ever knew where [Kris Jenner‘s boyfriend] Corey Gamble came from, no one knew where [Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson] came from…these people were practically made in a laboratory as far as I’m concerned,” he went on.
“And one thing they’re really good at is being nice and being likable — and for people that have some form of influence…like the most influential white woman on the planet like my ex-wife, they have people telling them at all times what to be afraid of,” he also said.
As HollywoodLife reported, the “White Lives Matter” t-shirts, which many believed to be racist, have caused outrage among high-profile people from the entertainment, music, and fashion industries. On Tuesday, Oct. 3 — one day after his ill-fated fashion show — Kanye added fuel to the well-lit fire when he went on his Instagram story to criticize the Black Lives Matter movement, writing, “Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now it’s over. You’re welcome.” Needless to say, this did not sit well with many of his fans, as well as his peers.
The following day, Black Lives Matter issued a statement of their own to TMZ. In their response, BLM said, “While some may see Kanye and Candace’s stunt as a distraction, we recognize that it harms thousands of families fighting for justice for their loved ones killed by state-sanctioned violence.” Their statement added that Kanye and Candace’s decision to wear the shirts “sent a performative dog whistle to millions. Kanye knows very well that white lives have never been targeted for oppression. Black folks, in contrast, are at the bottom of virtually every economic, social, and political measure because of centuries of individual and institutional racism. Building a world of Black freedom means upending systems that harm and building new systems of care. Ultimately this benefits everyone. When Black people get free, everybody gets free.”
