The friendship between John Legend and Kanye West dwindled in part due to their pair’s different political beliefs, the “All of Me” singer said in an interview with The Times published Saturday. “I didn’t see a hint of what we’re seeing now, his obsessions with antisemitism, anti-blackness, and it is sad to see his devolution,” Legend said of his former friend.
While the singer believes that the death of West’s mother might have something to do with the dramatic changes that he’s undergone, he also told the outlet, “I don’t think we’re qualified to psychoanalyze him.”
Legend met West while working as a management consultant between 1999 and 2002. West signed the singer to his label, and Legend was part of the ride that surrounded the release of the rapper’s 2004 record The College Dropout. That afforded Legend opportunities he wasn’t getting otherwise, and all of a sudden the music industry was paying attention.
Elsewhere in the interview, Legend reflected on his own political motivations. At 15 he entered a nationwide essay competition on the topic “How Do You Plan to Make Black History?” At the time he was also estranged from his mother, who battled addiction.
“While you don’t wish that kind of thing on any kid, those challenges certainly make you more resilient,” Legend said. “You get a sense of independence, and you realise early on that when faced with adversity, you will figure out a way to make it through.”
Read the interview at The Times.
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