Chance the Rapper appeared to comment on the backlash to Kanye West’s tweets Wednesday, expressing his view that black people don’t need to always join the Democratic Party.
“Black people don’t have to be democrats,” Chance the Rapper, who was born Chancelor Jonathan Bennett and is from Chicago, tweeted.
Black people don’t have to be democrats.
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) April 25, 2018
During a Twitter torrent Wednesday, West told his more than 18 million Twitter followers that he doesn’t agree with everything President Trump does, but he still loves him.
The topic of political parties was also broached. “I love when people have their own ideas. You don’t have to be allowed anymore. Just be,” he said. “Love who you want to love. That’s free thought. I’m not even political. I’m not a democrat or a republican.”
West also responded to his critics, saying he would never tell someone not to support 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. “I don’t tell a Hillary supporter not to support Hillary,” he said. “I love Hillary too.”
Chance the Rapper was calling attention to how the black electorate leans Democratic in election contests. In the 2016 election, 88 percent of black voters voted for Clinton, while Trump secured 8 percent of the black vote, up from 6 percent in 2012.
Another music figure, Azealia Banks, tore into West, accusing him of angling for clicks while “aggravating the black people at the expense of dragging their outrage.”
Some critics questioned whether West was experiencing some sort of illness in response to his newly reactivated Twitter account and subsequent controversial tweeting.
Chance the Rapper dismissed the speculation.
“Talked to him two days ago. He’s in a great space and not affected by folk tryna question his mental or physical health. Same Ye from the Vmas, same Ye from the telethon,” he tweeted.
West was also defended by his wife, Kim Kardashian, who blamed the media for questioning his mental health.
“To the media trying to demonize my husband let me just say this… your commentary on Kanye being erratic & his tweets being disturbing is actually scary. So quick to label him as having mental health issues for just being himself when he has always been expressive is not fair,” she said in one tweet.
