Like me, Talib Kweli is still rooting for the "real" Kanye West to re-emerge.
In an extended must-read from Esquire, Kweli spoke openly about West's recent public flirtations with—and apparent endorsements of—reckless far right figures in the lead-up to the two new albums he's set to drop next month. Though Kweli is understandably disappointed in West's recent behavior, he's holding out hope for an eventual redemption.
"When Candace Owens came after me and I dismissed her, I was attacked on Twitter by racist Candace Owens fans," Kweli, referencing someone West has publicly praised, said. "I had death threats, I had people calling me n***er, I had people calling me monkey. When Kanye said, 'I like how Candace Owens thinks,' I texted him and explained to him who she was and how she comes after his friends. And his response to me was, 'You know I love Donald Trump.'"
When Kweli told West that these comments were disappointing, he received nothing in return. Then, following West's "find someone you disagree with and tell them that you love them" tweet, Kweli reached out again and got a response. "And that's where the relationship has been since then," Kweli said.
Earlier this year, Kweli and West were in the studio together working on "a few songs" that he's unsure will ever be finished or released. As for the thought of working with West right now, Kweli said his pro-Trump position and related views would complicate that. "I would find it difficult working with Kanye on music right now with his position on Trump and Candace Owens and his repeating white supremacist lines on black-on-black crime and slavery is a choice," he said. "I love him as a man, and I love him as an artist, but I would find it difficult co-signing him right now until he walks some of that stuff back."
Read Matt Miller's full Kweli x Esquire interview, including the revelation that Dave Chappelle has also reached out to West about his recent comments, here. Kweli also speaks on the theory that West is attempting some sort of Andy Kaufman-y performance art piece.
Anyway, if all this still has you down like it does me, spin this West x Kweli x Common classic and hope for swift re-enlightenment:
