Kanye hasn’t finished his shuckin’ and jivin’ shenanigans — but this time, he went too damn far.
The rapper appeared on TMZ Live on Tuesday to discuss his recent controversial comments and shocked everyone in the room when he suggested that the 400 years of slavery endured by African Americans was a choice.
“When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years?! That sounds like a choice” Kanye said. “Like you was there for 400 years and it’s all of ya’ll?”
TMZ reporter Van couldn’t take the comments anymore and went OFF, rightfully putting Kanye in his place:
"You're entitled to your opinion, you're entitled to believe whatever you want, but there is fact and real world, real life consequence to everything that you just said," Van said. "While you are making music and being an artist and living the life that you've earned by being a genius, the rest of us in society have to deal with these threats to our lives. We have to deal with the marginalization that has come from the 400 years of slavery that you said — for our people — was a choice!”
Black Twitter was equally furious and over it with users declaring an official Kanye cancellation. As a result, users did what they do best and turned #IfSlaveryWasAChoice into a trending hashtag to mock Kanye's explosive statement and call out the hypocrisy behind it. Here are some of the must-read responses to Kanye’s out-of-picket comment:
Me staring at the rest of y’all in the field wondering why you didn’t just say no #IfSlaveryWasAChoice
pic.twitter.com/qopWFfBPi3— Blessing (@BIessing_) May 1, 2018
Me in Massa's kitchen, raiding the fridge to find ingredients for the field cookout. #IfSlaveryWasAChoice
pic.twitter.com/ytZw11vm3b— Angela (@TheKitchenista) May 2, 2018
When you a freshman at Slave University and you get assigned to the house #IfSlaveryWasAChoice
pic.twitter.com/nACNQdW4e6— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) May 2, 2018
Me on the phone with Massa, telling him that I'm gonna be late to Slavery today#IfSlaveryWasAChoice
pic.twitter.com/OjajO5H0M8— Clarkisha Kent: Dragger of Scammers @ WICOMICON ✈️ (@IWriteAllDay_) May 2, 2018
Me seeking my slave advisor to explain career alternatives after 4 years on the plantation #IfSlaveryWasAChoice
pic.twitter.com/hRe0wiXnT2— Kim WhyNot (@kimblackproud) May 2, 2018
#IfSlaveryWasAChoice all the colonizer children would be on their own for breakfast while I sleep in. pic.twitter.com/yYc9vVnM5u
— Angela (@TheKitchenista) May 2, 2018
Massa: you been looking real good lately come to the big house later on tonight
Me: ???????????????? #IfSlaveryWasAChoice
pic.twitter.com/5yMLQJBmmD— A.???? (@Iam_Goldieeee) May 2, 2018
Meanwhile, other reactions — that didn't include the hashtag — still included timely messages on all of the madness:
Yoooo ???????????? WTF bro!?!?!?
I’m scratching my head like a muuuufucka now cuzz!!!! pic.twitter.com/8jYfhls9sm— T.I. (@Tip) May 1, 2018
He said slavery was a choice y’all. Slave and choice are literally opposite words
IM ALL THE WAY OVER KANYE https://t.co/3PeA3F5yy1— TeghanNOsara (@TeghanSimone) May 1, 2018
“Slavery was a choice.”
Cut to: Kanye rips off his mask a la mission impossible, to reveal he’s really been Ben Carson the whole time— Robin Thede (@robinthede) May 1, 2018
All you had to do was text STOP to 1863 https://t.co/viQ48pG9QM— Courtney. (@iDreamOfCece) May 1, 2018
Y’all make it sound like it was the same set of enslaved people that lived for 400 years and just didn’t bother to get free.
Like a bunch of vampire niggas were out in the fields.
What the— https://t.co/7X7XPiJj8l— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) May 1, 2018
Kanye just distracting y’all from the fact that rob kardashian still owes @THEKIDMERO money— Desus Nice (@desusnice) May 1, 2018
Kanye should've known as soon as he saw my mans hit this hand gesture combo that he was gon learn today. pic.twitter.com/MdeWsGXDhv— Obeehave, B Δ K Spr. 18 (@SylviaObell) May 1, 2018
“The first slave could have died fighting for his freedom,” he tweeted from his iPhone in 2018 https://t.co/oZAqdXXuhv— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) May 1, 2018
can’t believe there’s a full MONTH of Kanye promo left— Micah Peters (@micahpeters_) May 1, 2018
Kanye West trying to find people that think slavery was a choice – pic.twitter.com/NJrOMgMNqe— Cameron Grant (@coolghost101) May 1, 2018
Kanye West spotted after slavery comments. Man has lost his mind. pic.twitter.com/O8NLOgnZk6— ✊USAF✊Triggering TrumpFlakes #VetsResistSquadron (@Goss30Goss) May 1, 2018
Kanye speaking with more white privilege than anyone I’ve ever heard. Heartbreaking— Elijah Blake (@SirElijahBlake) May 1, 2018
Kanye really think niggas was sitting around like “aye, you going to Slavery tonight?” pic.twitter.com/KoONogFUSm— 〽️ac (@T_DMac) May 1, 2018
Slaves going to knock on massa’s door once they finally got tired of this slavery mess honey. ????????♀️ lol pic.twitter.com/GqmZe8dkxM— Sheronda Nickerson (@snick105) May 1, 2018
You mean to tell me.. all this time..
All this time we could’ve gathered wealth.. pic.twitter.com/BRw1CJmHdR— Voodoochld (@voodoochld) May 1, 2018
Ancestors like, "Chile, I am done with this mess. Kunta, let's go!" pic.twitter.com/P6iDVMmgLz— 1nceTweeted2wiceShy (@MsBelladonna925) May 1, 2018
Being ignorant is a choice.— Drunk Octopus (@1DrunkOctopus) May 1, 2018
#Ignorance
ig·no·rance
ˈiɡnərəns/Submit
noun
lack of knowledge or information
"#Kanye acted in ignorance of basic knowledge"
synonyms: incomprehension of, unawareness of, unconsciousness of, unfamiliarity with, inexperience with, lack of knowledge about, lack of information about pic.twitter.com/J2tghYnycr— Marsha (@Whippenz) May 1, 2018
when you forgot to select “no” on your slavery form pic.twitter.com/5pqIYUNFeR— mm (@mccxrdy) May 1, 2018
Me staring at the rest of y’all in the field wondering why you didn’t just say no #IfSlaveryWasAChoice pic.twitter.com/qopWFfBPi3— Blessing (@BIessing_) May 1, 2018
When are you gonna wake up, 'Ye?
