Kanye West has done another interview addressing his recent antisemitic remarks, this time appearing on Chris Cuomo’s new NewsNation show.
The DONDA rapper spoke to the ex-CNN host about a range of topics. The interview came just hours after his controversial appearance on Drink Champs was taken down. Among them, Ye’s plan to purchase the social media platform Parler, the backlash surrounding his comments about Jewish people, and the state of his mental health.
Cuomo challenged Kanye’s remarks about a “Jewish underground media mafia,” calling the comments “a figment of either your imagination or a projection of a prejudice.” He then explained to Ye that targeting “people because of their faith” can encourage others to do the same.
“So we don’t want to tolerate that, and you are playing into that right now whether you know that or not,” Cuomo added.
“And I don’t tolerate it as a Black person. What you just said was that you’re trying to say that there isn’t a collective — over 50% of the executives and CEOs in Hollywood are Jewish,” Kanye West replied. “You can’t tell me what to do or feel.”
Kanye West Says He Does Not Believe In The Term “Antisemitism”
The rapper-turned-designer also repeated his belief that he cannot be antisemitic because Black people are Jewish.
“I don’t like the term antisemitic,” Kanye stated. “It’s been a term that’s allowed people, specifically in my industry, to get away with murder—sometimes literally—and get away with robbing and doing bad [to] people. … You’re saying it’s antisemitic, but I don’t believe in that term. One thing is, Black people are also Jew. I classify as Jew also, so I actually can’t be a antisemite. So the term is actually, uh, it’s not factual.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Kanye West said, “Jewish people own the Black voice.” However, despite the criticism, he says he is “coming from a place of love” and “a place of ‘We’re not gonna be owned by the Jewish media anymore.'”
When Cuomo shared his concerns for Kanye’s mental health, the rapper accused him of asking if he was behaving. Check out the interview in full below.