LONDON, May 11 — John Legend has described Kanye West’s recent behaviour as “shocking” and “sad” in a new interview with The Times of London.
The 46-year-old singer and pianist reflected on their past friendship and working relationship, which began in the early 2000s when West signed Legend to his GOOD Music label.
Legend said West, 47, helped revive his music career at a time when he had been turned down by multiple record labels.
West, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, has expressed a preference for being referred to by the mononym in public appearances and on social media.
“It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where he is now,” Legend told The Times of London.
“Back then, Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had big dreams not only for himself, but also for all the people around him,” he said.
Legend recalled that West rose to fame after producing Jay-Z’s The Blueprint in 2001, before launching his solo career with The College Dropout in 2004.
“That whole time I was travelling with him, doing shows with him, getting exposure not only as his singer and keyboard player but also as an artist myself,” Legend said.
“I had been turned down by labels everywhere. Then The College Dropout sold 400,000 copies in its first week, everyone wanted to know what was happening in our camp, and all those people who turned me down suddenly decided that my music sounded a lot better than it did the first time round.”
Legend and West publicly fell out in 2022 after West voiced support for Donald Trump.
Despite that, Legend said he did not expect the situation to escalate further.
“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.
“I don’t think we’re qualified to psychoanalyse him, but after his mother passed in 2007 there was definitely a difference. His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently.”
West has faced widespread backlash in recent years for antisemitic and offensive statements.
In February, he aired a Yeezy.com advertisement during the Super Bowl, then replaced the site’s contents with a swastika t-shirt.
That same month, West’s X account was suspended after he went on an antisemitic tirade, writing “I’m a Nazi” and claiming Hitler was “so fresh.”
Most recently, West released a single titled Heil Hitler, accompanied by artwork resembling a swastika.
