Kanye West's Most Bizarre Rants Ever
Rapper and fashion mogul Kanye West (who now goes by Ye West) has described himself in a variety of unique ways, including calling himself a "creative genius," "a God," and "the number one rockstar on the planet." Lately, however, West has been in the news not for his creative endeavors, but because of the numerous brash Instagram posts he made, which have called out everyone from Pete Davidson to Billie Eilish. West has been open in the past about his bipolar diagnosis and his decision to not stay on medications for it because "they stifle his creativity," a source told The U.S. Sun. His new Netflix documentary, "Jeen-Yuhs," provided a deeper understanding into the star's struggles with addiction and suicidal thoughts.
Still, West's latest behavior on social media could be potentially dangerous for the people he posted about. While the posts surrounding Davidson and Eilish were concerning, those were far from the first time the "Gold Digger" rapper has said or done unpopular things. In fact, his rants — or, as he calls them, "motivational speeches" — have become almost as well known as his greatest hits. Let's take a deeper look into some of Ye West's most bizarre rants.
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Ye West said 'George Bush doesn't care about Black people'
Ye West sparked mainstream controversy in 2005 during a Hurricane Katrina relief telethon when he went on an off-script rant that ended with the infamous statement, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people." "Austin Powers” star Mike Myers stood next to him and read the provided lines, before West started doing his own thing. ”I hate the way they portray us in the media," he began. "If you see a Black family, it says they're looting. If you see a white family, it says they're looking for food."
The network let West continue to talk as he voiced his frustration about the lagging help and resources he felt Black hurricane survivors received from the American Red Cross. Former President George W. Bush told Matt Lauer in 2010 that West's comment was the one of the "most disgusting moments in my Presidency." "It's one thing to say, 'I don't appreciate the way he's handled his business," the former president clarified. "It's another thing to say, 'This man's a racist.' I resent it, it's not true."
Years later, in 2014, Myers told GQ that West had sort of given him a heads up about the switch, but the comedian didn't know what West was going to say. Myers said he actually agreed with West's point about white hurricane survivors seemingly receiving help faster than Black survivors, and ultimately said he was "very proud to have been next to him."
He interrupted Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV VMAs
One of Ye West's best known rants was when he interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Swift was on stage to receive the Best Female Video award for "You Belong With Me," but West apparently didn't agree with the fan-voted outcome.
"Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you, Imma let you finish," he infamously said, running up onto the stage and grabbing the microphone from her, "But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time." West, referring to Queen B's "Single Ladies” video, shrugged his shoulders, then handed the microphone back to Swift. She stood there stunned, and the chaos led to a long and messy relationship between the artists that has lasted for over a decade. Swift wrote the song "Innocent" about the situation, while West appeared on "Ellen" to explain what he was thinking in the moment.
"I feel like in some ways I'm like a soldier of culture ... Will I feel convicted about things that really meant stuff to culture that constantly get denied for years and years and years and years? I'm sorry, I will. I cannot lie about it in order to sell records," he told Ellen DeGeneres. It's important to note that, while he explained his mentality, he never did apologize for his actions.
Ye West compared himself to Hitler
Following the Taylor Swift MTV VMAs moment, Ye West laid low for a bit, focusing on his music and spending time overseas. However, he didn't keep his head down for long and soon raised eyebrows in 2011, when he performed at the Big Chill Festival in England.
West reportedly stopped himself mid-performance to voice his feelings on being misunderstood. "I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street and people look at me like I'm f*****g insane, like I'm Hitler," West said, according to Rolling Stone. Fan video of the off-the-wall comment captured spectators laughing and booing the "Flashing Lights" rapper, but that seemingly did not deter him. "One day the light will shine through and one day people will understand everything I ever did, ever said ... for the sake of someone else, for the sake of people."
However, he may have won some fans over again by playing portions of the late Amy Winehouse's "Tears Dry On Their Own" and "Back to Black." "Thank you for protecting your artists that are still here," he said, per NECN. "This is for [Alexandar] McQueen, for Amy [Winehouse], for Michael [Jackson], and for all the media, can you lighten up on all your artists that are still here?" He then left the stage.
The rapper ended a concert after three songs
Ye West fans were not pleased with him after a November 2016 concert in Sacramento that saw him not only start his set an hour and a half late, he also left after only performing three songs.
After he performed those three songs, West went on a nearly 15-minute rant, which saw him address a variety of topics. His scattered speech started off with some strong words for the radio industry, then eventually made its way to Drake and DJ Khaled getting increased radio play due to the politics of the music business.
West also talked about how he was "hurt" by Beyoncé after he stuck up for "Single Ladies" at the 2009 MTV VMAs and allegedly heard that she wouldn't perform at the 2016 award show unless she won Video of the Year over his video, "Fade." He then pleaded for Jay Z to call him, saying, "I know you got killers. Please don't send them to my head." Honorable mentions of the rant included West calling out Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Mark Zuckerberg, before declaring the show was over, dropping the mic, and walking off stage. Two days later, West canceled the rest of the Saint Pablo tour, per The New York Times, and was later hospitalized for a "psychiatric evaluation," according to TMZ.
He once said slavery was a choice
Ye West once made quite the impression on TMZ employees when he stopped by the newsroom with Candance Owens to discuss "free thought" after wearing former President Donald Trump's red "Make America Great Again ” hat. The interview with "TMZ Live" co-hosts Harvey Levin and Charles Latibeaudiere went off the rails when West stated, "When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years?! That sounds like a choice."
He then turned to the entire room and demanded they listen as he explained how he became addicted to opioids after he got liposuction. He stated he didn't want to be called overweight by the media, so he underwent plastic surgery, which put him in the hospital. He then claimed he became addicted to the drugs. TMZ employee Van Lathan spoke up about West's statements, and the two engaged in a back and forth about how West hurt him and others of the Black community by wearing the MAGA hat.
"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," Lathan said. "We have to deal with the marginalization that's come from the 400 years of slavery that you said for our people was a choice." The confrontation ended shortly after West walked over to give Lathan a hug.
His most memeable interview with Zane Lowe
While many of Ye West's bizarre outbursts had been uncomfortable for those around him, other times they provided memeable gold, like the time he spoke with then-BBC Radio 1 host Zane Lowe about his album "Yeezus" in September 2013. This is the interview where West said, "I just told you who I thought I was. A God." He also stated, "I like some of the Gaga songs. What the f*** does she know about cameras?" and "If you a Kanye West fan, you're not a fan of me. You're a fan of yourself."
The clips have usually been taken out of context, however, and — upon watching the full interview — some of his more outrageous statements do make some sense. For example, when talking about being "a fan of yourself," West was actually discussing raising his fans' self-esteem through his music. While he did make some valid points, he did choose a roundabout, hyperbolized way of getting there.
The full interview is a fascinating look into his life, however, and gives some insight into West's thought process. "I've reached a point in my life where my Truman Show boat has hit the painting ... I have reached the glass ceiling as a creative person, as a celebrity," West said, when describing his pivot into the fashion industry, a move that proved incredibly lucrative for him. Maybe there's some truth to his genius claim after all.
Ye West's short feud with Jimmy Kimmel
Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at Ye West's BBC Radio 1 interview with Zane Lowe on his show when he had kids reenact part of their conversation while drinking milkshakes. However, West did not take too kindly to the parody, and called Kimmel out on Twitter in his signature all-caps style.
"JIMMY KIMMEL IS OUT OF LINE TO TRY AND SPOOF IN ANY WAY THE FIRST PIECE OF HONEST MEDIA IN YEARS," West tweeted, per The Hollywood Reporter. This sparked a back and forth between the stars, and, while West stayed mad, Kimmel had some fun with the feud. "If it's not too much trouble @kanyewest, would you mind using @jimmykimmel? Thanks," he replied.
The two quickly ended their battle with a handshake and conversation on Kimmel's show, where the rapper explained why he was unhappy with the host's spoof. Years later, in 2018, Kimmel told GQ he was "so happy" when he got into the Twitter exchange. "My wife makes fun of me. She's like, 'You are so happy right now.' I'm absolutely beaming. I feel very confident in a situation like that."
His pro-Trump 'Saturday Night Live' rant
In 2018, Ye West was featured on an episode of "Saturday Night Live" as the musical guest. And although he did perform his song "I Love It" alongside Lil Pump, some viewers weren't exactly happy with the rapper when the show ended. As the credits rolled, West wore his "MAGA” hat, then launched into a pro-Donald Trump rant as the show went off the air. He defended his friendship with the controversial then-president and his decision to support Trump during his campaign.
"Imma put my Superman cape on because this means you can't tell me what to do," West said about the hat to an uneasy crowd. "You want the world to move forward? Try love."
He then addressed the cast of "Saturday Night Live" directly, mentioning their continued parodies of the former president but also expressing gratitude for being on the show. "Thank y'all for giving me this platform,” he told the cast. "I know some of y'all don't agree but y'all been goin' at that man neck a lot and I don't think it's actually very helpful."
Ye West made some controversial statements during his presidential campaign
Ye West's bid for presidency during the 2020 election was essentially doomed from the start. Many people didn't take his announcement seriously, and, for those who did, the controversial statements he made during his campaign left many people disillusioned with his candidacy. For example, at a stop in South Carolina, the Independent candidate wore a bulletproof vest and had "2020" shaved into his hair. During his speech, West claimed that Harriet Tubman didn't free the slaves, "She just had the slaves go work for other white people." Tubman was, in reality, a Black abolitionist who helped create the Underground Railroad and led many slaves from the Southern states to the North and their freedom. Upon hearing West's statement about Tubman, spectators were shocked and silent for a few seconds. Some then spoke up, challenging his words.
Later on, West broke down in tears when he revealed that his father allegedly wanted his mother to abort him. He also said he and Kim Kardashian allegedly almost aborted their first daughter, North West, but they chose not to, as Kardashian wanted to keep her.
"So even if my wife were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world, even when I didn't want to. ... I almost killed my daughter," he later shouted, while getting very emotional about the subject.
Ye West's Instagram beef with Skete Davidson
Ye West has used many different mediums for his bizarre outbursts, from social media like Twitter, to radio interviews, presidential campaign stops, and his performances. As of this writing, however, his most recent rants have occurred on Instagram.
While most of his outlandish, bully-like posts have since been deleted, they still exist in a variety of screenshots. Several of his Instagram rants had been focused on his estranged wife Kim Kardashian's boyfriend, "Saturday Night Live" star, Pete Davidson. Referring to Davidson exclusively as "Skete," the bizarre mentions included pictures that suggested Davidon's ex-fiancée, Ariana Grande, broke off their engagement because she still had feeling for her ex Mac Miller. He also posted a civil text allegedly from Davidson, which West captioned, "NO YOU WILL NEVER MEET MY CHILDREN." West uploaded a photoshopped movie poster of him and Davidson as Marvel's Venom and Carnage, and encouraged his followers to yell "KIMYE FOREVER" at Davidson if they ever saw him in public.
"LOOK AT THIS D*CKHEAD I WONDER IF INSTAGRAM GONNA SHUT DOWN MY PAGE FOR DISSING HILARY CLINTON'S EX-BOYFRIEND," West captioned a paparazzi photo of Davidson and Kardashian. Though Instagram didn't take down the post, West did. He then shared texts he allegedly received from "Kim's other phone" that showed Kardashian asking West to stop encouraging his fans to go after Davidson. Kardashian was reportedly concerned that "someone will hurt Pete and this will all be your fault."