John Legend speaks out about his former friend, Kanye West, and his recent antics.
During an interview, the “Ordinary People” singer opened up about the friendship that they once had and how it started in 2001. Legend said that West was a different person then, nothing compared to what fans are seeing now.
“Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had big dreams not only for himself but also for all the people around him,” Legend said. “He had so much optimism, so much creativity. It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where he is now.”
The singer also revealed that he stood by West after he became the famous producer on Jay-Z’s The Blueprint album in 2001. He also explained how things changed for the “The Gold Digger” rapper after the release of his first album, The College Dropout.
“Then The College Dropout sold 400,000 copies in its first week, everyone wanted to know what was happening in our camp, and all those people who turned me down suddenly decided that my music sounded a lot better than it did the first time round,” said Legend. “I didn’t see a hint of what we’re seeing now, his obsessions with antisemitism, anti-blackness, and it is sad to see his devolution.”
Legend continued, “I don’t think we’re qualified to psychoanalyze him, but after his mother passed in 2007, there was definitely a difference. His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently.”
John Legend and Kanye West’s friendship changed when West endorsed Donald Trump, but Legend said that they are doing their own thing. “I just think we’re doing our own thing. We’ve both got growing families, and I no longer have a formal business relationship with him as an artist, so I think it’s just part of the natural cycle of life.”