John Legend reflects on fallout with Kanye West
Singer John Legend has publicly criticised his former collaborator Kanye West, describing the rapper's recent actions as a 'sad devolution' from the passionate and optimistic artist he once knew.
The comments were made in an interview reported by The Times, where Legend reflected on the reasons behind their fallout and the disturbing direction West's career has taken. Legend, who was first signed by Kanye and toured with him during the early stages of his career, acknowledged the significant role the rapper played in his rise to fame. However, the pair grew distant after West voiced support for Donald Trump in 2022, and more recently due to West's extreme behaviour and statements.
The singer said West once held big dreams not only for himself but for those around him. 'Back then Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had big dreams… He had so much optimism, so much creativity,' Legend said. 'It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where he is now.'
Among the recent controversies surrounding West is the release of a song titled Heil Hitler (Hooligan Version), which samples a 1935 speech by Adolf Hitler. The track was posted on West's X (formerly Twitter) account and accompanied by a video featuring shirtless men wearing animal fur. The speech at the end of the song includes lines defending Hitler's actions and seeking validation from his audience.
In the song, West references his custody battle with Kim Kardashian and blames his radicalisation on the experience. 'So I became a Nazi, yeah b***h, I'm the villain,' he raps, expressing anger over losing access to his children and the freezing of his bank accounts.
Legend expressed concern over West's increasing focus on antisemitism and anti-Black rhetoric. 'I didn't see a hint of what we're seeing now… and it is sad to see his devolution,' he stated. While he refrained from diagnosing the cause, Legend pointed to the death of West's mother in 2007 as a possible turning point in his mental and emotional decline.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
39 minutes ago
- Express Tribune
Florence Pugh and Melissa McCarthy support canceled Tiny Chef Show as creators launch fundraising campaign
The creators of The Tiny Chef Show are receiving overwhelming support from fans and celebrities following Nickelodeon's decision to cancel the Emmy and Annie Award-winning series after three seasons. In a recent interview with Vulture, co-creators Ozi Akturk and Rachel Larsen shared insights into the show's unexpected cancellation and the response that followed. 'We didn't expect this kind of attention,' said Akturk, noting that the show's YouTube comment count surged from under 100 to over a thousand. 'People who didn't know Chef were coming from Twitter and BuzzFeed to see what's happening.' Larsen expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support, saying the show has connected with a new audience. 'We're getting people saying, 'I just found you, but I want to support you.' It's resonating,' she said. 'We want Chef to feel real. He's such a lovable, wholesome, funny little fella. The stop-motion is just a tool to give people permission to play along that he's real.' Among those showing support are actors Florence Pugh and Melissa McCarthy, both of whom publicly engaged with the show's content. Indie studio A24 also reached out to the creators. In response to the cancellation, the team quickly turned to creative storytelling to keep Chef's spirit alive. They produced a video imagining Tiny Chef receiving the cancellation call. The project took three weeks to complete, from scripting and recording to animation and editing. To sustain the character independently, the team launched a fundraising campaign that has brought in approximately $80,000 through one-time donations and fan-club memberships. As the creators continue exploring Chef's next chapter, they remain hopeful that this wave of support might pave a new way forward — not just for Tiny Chef, but for other shows in similar positions. 'We can make good stuff no matter what,' Larsen said. 'People should stay tuned and watch his journey.'
Express Tribune
12 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Prosecutors take final aim at Combs
Sean "Diddy" Combs's lawyer aimed Friday to skewer the credibility of the music mogul's accusers, saying in closing arguments they were out for money while rejecting any notion he led a criminal ring, reports AFP. But in their rebuttal — the trial's final stage before jurors are tasked with deciding the verdict — prosecutors tore into the defence, saying Combs's team had "contorted the facts endlessly." Prosecutor Maurene Comey told jurors that by the time Combs - once among the most powerful people in music — had committed his clearest-cut offences, "he was so far past the line he couldn't even see it." "In his mind he was untouchable," she told the court. "The defendant never thought that the women he abused would have the courage to speak out loud what he had done to them." "That ends in this courtroom," she said. "The defendant is not a god." For most of Friday's hearing defense attorney Marc Agnifilo picked apart, and even made light of, the testimony of women who were in long-term relationships with Combs, and who said he had coerced them into drug-fuelled sex parties with paid escorts. Agnifilo scoffed at the picture painted by prosecutors of a violent, domineering man who used his employees, wealth and power to foster "a climate of fear" that allowed him to act with impunity. Combs, 55, is a "self-made, successful Black entrepreneur" who had romantic relationships that were "complicated" but consensual, Agnifilo said. In his freewheeling, nearly four-hour-long argument, Agnifilo aimed to confuse the methodic narrative US attorney Christy Slavik provided one day prior. She had spent nearly five hours meticulously walking the jury through the charges and their legal basis, summarising thousands of phone, financial, travel and audiovisual records along with nearly seven weeks of testimony from 34 witnesses. Central to their case is the claim that Combs led a criminal enterprise of senior employees — including his chief-of-staff and security guards — who "existed to serve his needs." But Agnifilo underscored that none of those individuals testified against Combs, nor were they named as co-conspirators. "This is supposed to be simple," the defence counsel told jurors. "If you find that you're in the weeds of this great complexity, maybe it's because it just isn't there." If convicted, Combs faces upwards of life in prison. 'Brazen' Casandra Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane described abuse, threats and coercive sex in excruciating detail. Combs's defence has conceded that domestic violence was a feature of the artist's relationships, but that his outbursts did not amount to sex trafficking. The defence insisted the women were consenting adults. Prosecutor Comey snapped back that they were being "manipulated" into "brazen" acts of sex trafficking, reiterating once again for jurors what the government says are the clearest-cut examples. Agnifilo pointed to Ventura's civil lawsuit against Combs in which she was granted $20 million: "If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it would be Cassie," he said. Comey called that notion insulting: "What was her prize? Black eyes? A gash in her head? Sex for days with a UTI?" The prosecutor also pointed to a violent episode between Combs and Jane, when she says she struck him in an argument before he brutally beat her, knocked her down in the shower, and then forced her into giving an escort oral sex. "Jane may have started that fight, but he finished it with a vengeance," Comey said, calling that incident the most obvious sex trafficking case and saying he had "literally beaten her into submission." Throughout the trial, jurors were shown voluminous phone records, including messages of affection and desire from both women — and Agnifilo emphasised the love and romance once again. Both prosecutors said taking those words literally, and in isolation, doesn't paint the whole picture. They also referenced testimony from a forensic psychologist who explained to jurors how victims become ensnared by abusers. "The defence is throwing anything they can think of at the wall, hoping something will stick," Comey said. On Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian will instruct jurors on how to apply the law to the evidence for their deliberations. Then, 12 New Yorkers will determine Combs's future. But Combs's legal worries may not end there, after three new sexual assault lawsuits were filed against him this week. One was by a woman who alleged the rapper's son, Justin, lured her from the southern state of Louisiana to Los Angeles where she was held captive, drugged and gang raped by three masked men in 2017. One of the men was allegedly Sean Combs. The other two cases were filed by men who accuse the rapper and his team of drugging and sexually assaulting them at parties in 2021 and 2023.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
French Montana walks out during interview after question about Drake and Rick Ross feud
French Montana abruptly exited a recent interview with Rah Ali on The Sited Show after being asked about the ongoing feud between Drake and Rick Ross. French Montana walks out of his interview when Drake and Rick Ross are mentioned. — Viral Drake (@viraldrizzy) June 26, 2025 The moment, which has gone viral, occurred when Ali brought up the tension between the rappers. Montana, who previously collaborated with both artists on the 2012 track 'Stay Schemin,' responded, 'I'll be right back. I double-parked my car outside,' before walking out of the room. Cameras continued to roll as he and his entourage left the set. His unexpected exit sparked immediate reactions online. Some fans criticized Montana's behavior as overly dramatic, while others defended his right to avoid certain topics—especially if he had established boundaries before the interview. One user on X (formerly Twitter) commented, 'He being dramatic, he know ain't sh*t else to talk to him about...,' while another said, 'Kinda childish, but I get it… those should be respected.' Montana had also deflected other personal questions during the conversation. When asked about his love life earlier in the interview, he replied, 'I'll skip that. I just want to keep my private life my private life,' as reported by Page Six. Though Montana, Drake, and Ross collaborated more than a decade ago, tensions between Drake and Ross reignited in 2024 following a wave of diss tracks, most notably from Kendrick Lamar. Ross took aim at Drake in 'Champagne Moments' and recently announced a new collaboration with Pharrell, another artist who has clashed with Drake. In a May interview with Bootleg Kev, Ross indicated that reconciliation might still be possible. 'Send me a white Belaire and I'll take a picture with you,' he joked. For now, French Montana seems intent on staying out of the crossfire.
