Kanye West stopped by Fox News on Thursday after drawing backlash for wearing a "White Lives Matter" shirt, explaining he did so because of his "connection with God."
The rapper appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight days after sparking controversy for wearing a shirt that said "White Lives Matter" at a fashion show. West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, compared wearing the shirt to Tonya Harding performing a triple axel.
"I do certain things from a feeling," he said. "I just channel the energy. It just feels right. It's using a gut instinct, a connection with God, and just brilliance."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But West also told Carlson he wore the shirt because he "thought the idea of me wearing it was funny," adding, "The answer to why I wrote 'White Lives Matter' on a shirt is because they do. It's the obvious thing."
The Daily Beast columnist Wajahat Ali argued the shirt served as a "billboard for white nationalists," while The Atlantic writer Jemele Hill called it a "dangerously dumb message," adding, "the REASON we don't have to say white lives matter is because white lives have never NOT mattered."
Elsewhere in the interview, West claimed his "so-called friends-slash-handlers" told him he would "be killed" for supporting former President Donald Trump, and he criticized his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, for putting her "a-- out" on a magazine cover. West also told Carlson he is pro-life, and he wore a lanyard with a photo of an ultrasound during the appearance.
Adidas said Thursday it's placing its partnership with West under review in the wake of the White Lives Matter controversy, leading the rapper to respond on Instagram, "I AM ADIDAS."
-
Delhi's dogs earn Supreme Court reprieveIN THE SPOTLIGHT After an outcry from the public and animal rights activists, India's Supreme Court walks back a controversial plan to round the city's stray dog population into shelters
-
8 hotels with ace tennis courtsThe Week Recommends Bring your A game
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportationSpeed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
