Kanye West's property portfolio is getting bigger and bigger. And he claims it's thanks in large part to Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, the multihyphenate attended the New York Times' Dealbook Conference in Manhattan, where Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner spoke about their family's entrepreneurship. Rolling Stone reports Ye secured the mic at some point during the event, and began discussing a wide range of topics, including his newly purchased ranch in the Cowboy State.
Per Rolling Stone:
"We have 12,500 acres in Cody, Wyoming, and Trump," he said — putting special emphasis on the name — "has actually opened up the ability to buy more land in America. In America you can buy land, and we can be owners. We don’t have to be just the product of what Black Twitter tells us what we’re supposed to do."
Kanye reportedly purchased the Monster Lake Ranch for $14 million. According to the Powell Tribune, the property spans across more than 9,000 acres—about 4,500 of which are owned by Ye, while the rest is leased from the Bureau of Land Management. Kanye, who's become a big proponent of purchasing land, is reportedly looking to expand his family's California compound with a functioning farm.
During an October appearance on BigBoyTV, Kanye criticized the perceived spending habits among the black community, suggesting their misguided priorities were leading to bad investments.
"We always pointing at the white people but yet we wanna spend all our money on foreigns, on luxury, as opposed to going and buying some land," he said. "The culture has you focused on fucking somebody's bitch, and pulling up in a foreign, and rapping about things that could get you locked up and then saying you about prison reform ... we brainwashed out here, bro."
Kanye echoed this statement during the New York Times' conference Wednesday, insisting he was always going to think for himself and not subscribe to identity politics.
"My father was a Black Panther and my mother was arrested for the sit-ins at age six, to fight for the right for us to vote, but it was the right to vote for who we tell you to vote on," he said. "It’s OK that any black man voted for Hillary. But if a black man didn’t vote for Hillary, you’re a c**n."
Kanye also touched on his issues with social media, his status as a Christian "billionaire," and his intentions to start a church. Rolling Stone reports Ye didn't reveal further details about the latter topic; however, he has teased the venture over the last several months.
On Wednesday, DJ Akademiks share an Instagram video in which Ye revealed the inspiration by his church idea.
"North was crying the other night, and we was talking about how just Jesus loves her and how beautiful she is," Kanye recalled. "I was like, 'What about going to Sunday Service with your friends?' And she crying, she was like, 'But it's not here! It's gotta be here every week, dad. It's just all over the place ...' And I was like, 'Oh, well church is going to be here every Sunday. We're building a church ..."
