John Legend Has ‘No Regrets' About His Early Work With Ye, Even If He's Become a ‘Force of Hate'
The singer sat down with Hot 97's Ebro in the Morning to promote the North American leg of his 40-city world tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut album Get Lifted and was asked about some of the comments his longtime collaborator (formerly Kanye West) has said about him.
More from Billboard
John Legend Says He's Shocked by Ye's 'Descent' Into 'Antisemitism' and 'Anti-Blackness'
Amyl & The Sniffers Defend Bob Vylan, Kneecap Over Glastonbury Backlash
Post Malone Falls Off Stage Mid-Toast During Arizona Show
'He was very obsessed with the sweaters, and he said I smell like mashed potatoes,' Legend said of Ye's comments during an interview with DJ Akademiks a few months back. 'What kind of potatoes? Cheesy, garlic? … All of it makes me sad, though. All of it does. And it's not for me, because obviously, I smell great.'
Legend added: 'It never affects me personally, but just the whole story is sad. Like, seeing this guy praise Hitler, seeing this guy be this force of hate and just vitriol and nastiness. Somebody who has made some of the great art of this century as an artist, as a performer, as a fashion designer, all of the things that he's done to make the world more beautiful and interesting and then for him to be this now, it's sad.'
Legend was then asked about their early years working together, and the 'Ordinary People' singer had nothing but great memories and said those days were inspiring.
'He was full of so much energy and creativity and optimism and we really believed that we were starting a new movement in music, and being a part of that was inspiring,' he recalled. 'It was truly inspiring. That's why it's sad now because we did amazing things together as a collective, as a movement. Just think about all the amazing music that came from it. The G.O.O.D. Fridays, all the things that happen during the first 10 years of his career, just thrilling and to be part of that was amazing. I have no regrets. Even though he's gone completely left now, I'm so glad that we did what we did together.'
Back in the spring, Ye was interviewed by DJ Akademiks while donning a black Ku Klux Klan robe and hood and he said Legend always wears sweaters no matter the weather and smells like mashed potatoes.
You can watch Legend's full Hot 97 interview below.
Best of Billboard
Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1
Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits
H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
4 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
True life tales of the climate crisis
On a warm evening in the Downtown Eastside, peer journalists from The Shift newsroom, Jules Chapman and Mike McNeeley, attended the opening premiere in Vancouver of Eyes of the Beast to witness their own climate disaster stories, along with the testimonies of more than 30 others, come to life on stage at the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. Props were scattered across the stage, while digital screens hung from the rafters, displaying portraits of climate disaster survivors from across B.C. who lived through the deadly North American 'heat dome' of 2021. As their voices filled the space, actors stepped in to bring their stories to life in a powerful piece of journalistic theatre. Adapted from the award-winning journalism of the Climate Disaster Project, an international newsroom at the University of Victoria (UVic), the documentary theatre production draws from hundreds of testimonies of people who have experienced the devastating effects of climate change. The play is a Neworld Theatre production, made in partnership with the Climate Disaster Project in association with the SFU School for the Contemporary Arts, and supported by Simon Fraser University. The Climate Disaster Project was founded by Sean Holman, the Wayne Crookes Professor of Environmental and Climate Journalism at UVic, and is led by faculty from 11 post-secondary institutions across Canada. Through the project, journalism and writing students partnered with climate disaster survivors to share their stories publicly and identify the common challenges and solutions that emerge from their experiences. What sets this production apart, Holman says, is its commitment to truth — through sharing and amplifying stories about the effects of climate change, which he believes will be the defining human experience of this century. 'We have a tendency to flatten experiences,' said Holman. 'What this play, and the Climate Disaster Project does, is it allows us to truly see one another on the cusp of a new age of disaster.' At UVic and the University of British Columbia, writing and journalism students collaborated with Megaphone and several Downtown Eastside storytellers to co-create firsthand accounts of how they were impacted by the devastating heatwave and wildfires that swept across Western North America in 2021. A number of those powerful narratives were later adapted for the stage in Eyes of the Beast. For Megaphone storytellers Chapman and McNeeley, the theatre experience was deeply personal. Both had shared their stories through Megaphone's involvement in the Climate Disaster Project (along with vendors Peter Thompson, Suzanne Kilroy/Huculak, Yvonne Mark and DJ). During the premiere of the play in downtown Vancouver, Chapman and McNeeley watched actors perform those same stories on stage — and saw their own lives reflected back with emotion and care. Sara van Gaalen portrayed Chapman, while Lachlan Harris-Fiesel took on the role of McNeeley. At the end of each performance, audiences were invited to share their own impressions with the Neworld creative team and a designated 'policy listener.' Each night, a different policy listener was invited to witness the play and hear audience feedback before offering a personal reflection. Guests included Vancouver Couns. Mike Klassen and Sean Orr; Sarah Henderson, scientific director of Environmental Health Services at the BC Centre for Disease Control; Lytton Mayor Denise O'Connor; and Patti MacAhonic, director of the Fraser Valley Regional District. Holman, the Climate Disaster Project's founding director, said he always had in mind to invite a 'policy listener' to see the performances. 'My background is as an investigative journalist,' he told Megaphone, 'so when something goes wrong, you want someone in power to do something about it. Or at least know that this happened, so they can do something for next time.' Megaphone's own 'policy listeners' also had feedback: 'Each story spoke of both despair and survival' — Julie Chapman 'It was very cool seeing my story and hearing my words on stage. All the stories were moving and emotional — I laughed, I cried, and it made me think more outside of the box. Yes, we have many suffering here in the Downtown Eastside, but there were survivors from across the province who lost everything they owned and cherished. People trapped in their towns, not being able to leave — it must have been terrifying! It would have been nice to have had more of a Q&A with Mike Klassen. For example, I would have liked to know [what happened to the] free AC (air conditioner) program with BC Hydro? Residents can't get enough relief from a fan, and the rooms down here can be staggeringly hot. Also, the criteria has changed to get the ACs. They've started asking people who apply to provide a doctor's note stating why they need an air conditioning unit. Here's a thought: because they are hot and a fan only blows the hot air around. It doesn't combat the heat. To me, the stories were powerful because each one spoke of both despair and survival. They spoke of communities coming together to help other community members who were more vulnerable, or less mobile. It was a relief to hear that humans haven't stopped caring for each other in times of devastation. Despite the tragedies and deaths, people still persevered through unimaginable circumstances and found the strength to carry on. That truly resonates with me.' 'The array of experiences people had in B.C. was shocking' — Mike McNeeley I was amazed how accurate the actors delivered the message I said during my interview. I shared everything from my cat panting to stay alive, to trying to find a cooling station in Vancouver. Seeing the array of experiences people had throughout B.C. was somewhat shocking. Everything from floods to the heat dome was covered. There were also great visual and auditory elements in the play. I think the Q&A session after the play was engaging. It was also great to have Vancouver city councillor Mike Klassen share his shocking stories that happened to him during the heat dome, too. 2021 North American heat wave was a deadly record-breaker Like Chapman's and McNeeley's stories in the Downtown Eastside, the diverse stories in Eyes of the Beast come from everyday people navigating extraordinary environmental circumstances: a couple debate which animals to save on their Abbotsford farm; an actor collapses from heat stroke at the B.C. legislature; an overwhelmed emergency room doctor faces the most traumatic day of his career as he's confronted with more cardiac arrests than he can possibly treat. The 2021 heat wave impacted most of Western North America from late June to mid-July 2021, resulting in the highest temperature ever measured in Canada: 49.6 degrees Celsius. In B.C., the heat dome resulted in 619 heat-related deaths — many among vulnerable people such as those without adequate housing and those living alone — and sparked intense wildfires, including the one that destroyed the town of Lytton. The production drove home the message that climate disasters don't just happen to other people in distant places — they affect people from all walks of life, from privileged landowners to unhoused residents. Their experiences may, and do, differ greatly, but the impact is often equally devastating. This spring, Eyes of the Beast also made history. In May, it became the first theatre production ever to receive a Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) Award, winning Silver in the Environmental and Climate Change category — a groundbreaking moment for both journalism and the performing arts. To learn more, visit The Climate Disaster Project's website at: to read stories from Jules Chapman, Mike McNeeley and more fantastic Megaphone storytellers. Megaphone's climate stories were published in the June 2022 edition of the magazine. Download a free copy here . Jules Chapman and Mike McNeeley are peer journalists with The Shift newsroom. Amy Romer is Megaphone's Local Journalism Initiative reporter and mentor for The Shift. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Axios
5 hours ago
- Axios
Americans celebrate Fourth of July with parades, baseball, hotdogs: In Photos
Independence Day parades, another Joey Chestnut win and fireworks marked Friday's Fourth of July celebrations across the U.S. The big picture: Millions of Americans traveled for the holiday, facing sweltering heat, storms and delays. Celebrations were set to the backdrop of anti-Trump protests, increased cookout costs due to tariffs and the passing of the president's " big, beautiful bill."
Cosmopolitan
8 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
Inside Block9 at Glastonbury, where protest, politics, and partying align
Despite the tired debate about whether politics 'belongs in music', protest has always been at the heart of Glastonbury. The festival has long supported the anti-nuclear and anti-war movements, been a haven for stigmatised Traveller communities, championed environmentalism and social justice, and invited MPs and other political figures to galvanise festivalgoers with messages of peace, unity, and, notably in the case of Jeremy Corbyn in 2017, hope. Protest is also etched into the structures of the site itself. The Pyramid Stage is famously emblazoned with a giant peace symbol, which first appeared in 1982 as a nod to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament's involvement in the festival that year. More recently, in 2023, the late-night area Shangri-La introduced an immersive 'shopping' installation as a commentary on consumerism and capitalism. Ahead of the 2024 general election, an archway in the Greenpeace area of the site was engraved with the words 'Vote Out to Help Out', a nod to the Tories' deadly 'Eat Out to Help Out' campaign during the pandemic. So, then, it should come as no surprise that Glastonbury 2025 was as political as ever. Palestine flags could be seen flying around the whole festival site, including one mounted on a stage. And, although the media has focused on two 'controversial' protests — by Irish rap group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan, who both spoke out about the ongoing genocide in Palestine — countless acts used their performances to express solidarity with Palestinians, who remain under siege by Israel. This has always been something to celebrate — but, at a time of political turmoil, when the structures that govern us feel impenetrable and contemptuous; as our clubs and music venues are shuttering at an astronomical rate; and as algorithms seek to divide us, it feels more urgent than ever to utilise the countercultural and political power of partying, especially via an immense world stage like Glastonbury. One key area of the site that knows a thing or two about the political nature of partying is Block9 — the coolest corner of Glastonbury's late-night area, known as South East Corner. Not only is it the place to go after dark — a heady haven for pleasure-seekers, electronic music lovers, LGBTQ+ partygoers, and the most voguish celebs (this year, we spotted Lorde, Harry Styles, Charli XCX and George Daniel, Haim, and Paul Mescal) — it's also one of the most politically-charged areas of the site. It houses the festival's first and only queer club — the illustrious NYC Downlow — and hosts an ever-changing roster of activists and artists, each of whom bring their own galvanising vision. Following in the footsteps of fashion designer and activist Katharine Hamnett, who brought her general election-inspired political slogans to Block9 in 2024, this year it was the turn of political campaign group Led By Donkeys, who are renowned for their guerrilla techniques, including plastering hypocritical tweets by pro-Brexit politicians on billboards, displaying banners behind politicians giving speeches (including one that read, 'I crashed the economy' behind Liz Truss), and, most recently, projecting a photo of Elon Musk doing a Nazi-style salute onto Tesla's Berlin factory. 'This Labour government is continuing the work of the Tories in shutting down space to protest,' Led By Donkeys tells Cosmopolitan UK. 'Designating Palestine Action as a terrorist group is dangerous and shameful. So we need to find ways to protest and resist that can't be shut down. Glastonbury showed one way to do that — showing dissent through music and partying.' At Glastonbury, the group unleashed their unique blend of activism and guerrilla art… with some very familiar faces. At the edge of Block9's immersive audio-visual IICON stage — a colossal, pseudo-religious head that spits out trippy visuals and plays host to cutting edge electronic DJs — was a gigantic rocket commandeered by Elon Musk. The Tesla founder and X owner has long talked about his company SpaceX's determination to colonise Mars, turning it into a self-sustaining and self-governing settlement. Thank God, then, that someone has finally taken the initiative to send him there (if only for a weekend). But he wasn't going alone. Musk was flanked by a queue of tech billionaires, politicians, and other public figures waiting to board who have, as Led By Donkeys sees it, 'made life on Earth more difficult for us in recent years'. Scheduled on the flight were Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump and JD Vance, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Liz Truss, Keir Starmer, and Boris Johnson, JK Rowling, and many more. A nearby sign expanded on the concept. It read: 'Block9 and Led by Donkeys have constructed a massive space rocket to carry Musk, Zuckerberg, and Bezos to the red planet, and it's launching from Glastonbury. The tech bros want to go to Mars, so we're sending them there — [and] there's room on the rocket for a few more souls. Let's send them to Mars while we party on Earth.' The launch site also contained a Tesla with a number plate reading 'Fascism', which was, amazingly, crushed by Ken, a 98-year-old, anti-fascist World War Two veteran driving a tank. And if you think that needs to be seen to be believed, lucky for you, Led By Donkeys documented the whole thing. 'We've crushed fascism before,' Ken says in the video, 'and we'll crush it again.' The car spent the rest of Glastonbury weekend flattened once again, this time underneath a giant shipping container. 'Block9 is an incredible collective; we've loved and admired their work for years,' Led By Donkeys tells Cosmopolitan UK. 'Block9 and Led By Donkeys have a pretty similar take on the world and we've got to know them a bit over the past year. The things they build are stunning, but often try to say something important. A couple of months ago, we started talking about how we could use the space at Glastonbury to say something about the tech bros who wield enormous power over our lives with zero accountability.' 'Elon Musk and his mates want humans to become an interplanetary species. But they're dangerously wrong,' the collective continues. 'We don't need to live on Mars, we need to protect our planet and celebrate the fact that Earth is the only place where humanity can thrive.' The billboards weren't up long before Glastonbury goers added their own slogans. By Friday, each of the figures queueing up — all of whom were wearing orange astronaut/prison jumpsuits — had their own personal insults graffitied next to them, most of which are a little too NSFW to print. But beneath Netanyahu, Trump, Zuckerberg, and Bezos, someone had scrawled the words, 'Viva la revolution'. 'People seemed to love it,' Led By Donkeys reflects after the festival. Block9's political partnerships didn't stop there. 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of Block9's long-time collaborators PrEPster, a London-based HIV prevention activist organisation — and so, as well as promoting HIV prevention drug PrEP on site, the group widened its remit this year. 'We provided information on sex and consent, rehydration, drugs harm reduction, and where to go if anyone needed support across the festival,' PrEPster co-founder Dr Will Nutland tells Cosmopolitan UK. 'We also had earplugs, period products, and sexual health info.' The group were also handing out 'Fuck Packs', containing condoms and lube. 'Sometimes people use them across the weekend, if they get lucky,' continues Nutland. 'Otherwise we know people put them in a bumbag and have a happy Glastonbury memory when they come across them days, weeks, or months later. Inside the packs, we remind folks to look after themselves and each other; our work is embedded in care.' Nutland says Block9 is a brilliant fit with PrEPster's grassroots, DIY, and community sexual health work. 'We're a lived experience organisation, and most of us are queer, so being in the queer space, where people see us as part of the crowd, brings great engagement and connection.' 'Because we're part of our communities, people know us, and so it was at 3am on the dancefloor when we got the best responses: people come and start chatting about what we're doing; they ask for water or earplugs, or they need extra condoms because they've just got lucky. We always get the most stunning responses.' Whether you're ruminating on the evils of capitalism while admiring striking art installations, dancing with drag queens in the burning heat at Downlow, two-stepping to techno at Block9's brutalist Genosys stage, or worshipping at IICON until the sun comes up, Block9 has long embraced partying as an act of rebellion and resistance — which is what Glastonbury is really all about. 'The 90s rave culture was a potent organising force against the Tories back then,' concludes Led By Donkeys. 'And there are other examples over the years. Protest can be celebratory, joyful and affirming.' So, if you're lucky enough to score tickets for 2027, make sure you pay it a visit. Who knows what Block9 — and our increasingly dystopian world — will have in store for us then?
