Kanye West is a controversial figure and, last year, sought to destroy every business and record label he had ever had dealings with in what one can only describe as a horrifying form of self-sabotage. However, that pattern emerged many years ago.
West has been an impulsive and highly emotional figure since he first broke into the mainstream as a rapper in 2004. However, in 2005 following the release of his multi-platinum sophomore album, Late Registration, the emcee aimed at the most senior figure in the US— then-president George Bush.
In 2005, a horrific harrowing natural disaster swept through the state of Louisiana and wiped out the city of New Orleans. The hurricane, named ‘Hurricane Katrina’ destroyed the livelihoods of millions and disproportionately obliterated majority African-American neighbourhoods.
Not only did the hurricane cause floods, but in the case of Lil Wayne’s neighbourhood of Hollygrove, it uprooted entire blocks, buildings and local amenities, fundamentally changing the area’s identity. As a result of the grave damage, NBC aired ‘A Concert For Hurricane Relief’ TV special featuring entertainers such as Mike Myers and Kanye West. However, the latter uttered some words that shook the nation to its core.
During the hour-long, celebrity-driven benefit concert, West, in a heated manner, audaciously declared, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people!” The Chicago native, in a scathing critique, highlighted Bush’s shortcomings in providing aid to African-Americans impacted by the hurricane.
West criticised the press coverage stating, “I hate how they portray us in the media! If they see a black family, it says they’re looting. If you see a white family, it says they’re looking for food!” He exclaimed, “It’s MY PEOPLE down there…the way America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off [is to do so] as slow as possible!”
You can watch the historic moment that was one of Kanye’s many scandalous moments.
