Kanye West’s devolution is sad, sometimes shocking – Singer, John legend

Grammy-winning artist John Legend has shared his thoughts on his former collaborator Kanye West, describing the rapper and producer’s transformation over the past two decades as both “sad” and “sometimes shocking.”

In a recent interview, Legend reminisced about their early creative partnership during the production of his debut album, “Get Lifted,” released in 2004. West served as the executive producer on the record, collaborating with Dave Tozer, will.i.am, and Devo Springsteen.

“Get Lifted,” released under West’s GOOD Music label, achieved massive success, selling over three million copies, earning three Grammy Awards, and catapulting Legend to stardom. At the same time, West was also experiencing significant success with his own debut album, “The College Dropout,” which recognized him as a visionary artist with a unique voice.

Legend described West during that era as “passionate, gifted, and full of optimism,” emphasizing his big dreams for himself and the people around him.

However, he acknowledged a stark contrast between the Kanye he once knew and the figure he sees in recent years. “It’s both sad and shocking to witness his current state,” Legend remarked.

In recent years, West has faced widespread criticism for making inflammatory public statements and making controversial appearances. He has been criticized for wearing a black Ku Klux Klan hood in public, selling merchandise with swastika logos, and making offensive remarks that led to bans from social media platforms.

“I didn’t anticipate the obsessions with antisemitism and anti-Blackness that we’re seeing now,” Legend expressed, expressing sadness at West’s devolution.

Legend suggested that the death of West’s mother, Donda West, in 2007 might have been a turning point. “While we can’t psychoanalyze him, there was definitely a significant difference after his mother’s passing in 2007,” he added, noting that West’s descent seemed to have accelerated recently.