Among the heartbreaking pull quotes taken from Kanye West's campaign event in South Carolina over the weekend were his comments on Harriet Tubman, with the "Wash Us in the Blood" artist stating she "never actually freed the slaves." As captured in widely shared video, the audience at Sunday's event seemed to turn on West following the comments, which continued to be the subject of passionate and concerned condemnation from fellow artists on Monday.
T.I. criticized West for slandering and disrespecting Tubman's legacy by using his platform to spread "falsities" about her.
"THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TOO FAR!" T.I., whose previous West collaborations include the ill-received 2018 release "Ye vs. the People," said in an Instagram note on Monday. "I truly hope you either have a logical explanation for all this... or get the medical attention you so desperately need, bro. I say this with love and sincerity."
Other artists who have addressed West's campaign event include Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent, with the former thanking "Queen Harriet" on IG while expressing he was praying for West.
Noname also spoke on the importance of protecting Tubman's legacy as a "fearless revolutionary." Yet West, she added without mentioning his name, is allowed to go "unchecked" because he "makes art and shoes."
Slavery isn’t over is his point. The current system puts a cap on how much power black people can have. No matter how much we achieve.
Raury, meanwhile, defended West in a series of tweets on Sunday:
On Monday, regional Charleston outlet Post and Courier reported that West had failed to submit "any" of the 10,000 petition signatures required to get on South Carolina's 2020 presidential ballot by the deadline. As Jamie Lovegrove explained, this means that West would now have to be named the presidential nominee for one of the state's certified political parties in order to appear on the ballot.
