Kanye West says 400 years of slavery was a ‘choice’: Blacks, whites are ‘one race’—the ‘human race’

Rapper Kanye West is under fire after saying that "400 years of slavery" for blacks in America was "a choice."

What did he say?

West, 40, appeared on TMZ on Tuesday when he made the controversial remarks.

West has been publicly professing his love for President Donald Trump over the last week and has even been spotted several times wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat.

He even tweeted support of a female black conservative activist, enraging liberals in the process.

During his Tuesday appearance, West said that "slavery sounds like a choice."

"When you hear about slavery for 400 years — for 400 years?! — that sounds like a choice," he said. "Like, you was there for 400 years and it's all y'all? You know, it's like we're mentally in prison. I like the word prison 'cause slavery goes too — too direct to the idea of blacks."

"So prison," West explained, "is something that unites us as one race, blacks and whites being one race. We're the human race."

What happened then?

Following significant backlash in response to his comments, West took to Twitter later that evening to clarify his comments.

He wrote, "We need to have open discussions and ideas on unsettled pain."

"To make myself clear," he explained, "of course, I know that slaves did not get shackled and put on a boat by free will. My point is for us to have stayed in that position even though the numbers were on our side means that we were mentally enslaved. They cut out our tongues so we couldn't communicate to each other. I will not allow my tongue to be cut."

West continued, "The reason why I brought up the 400 years point is because we can't be mentally imprisoned for another 400 years. We need free thought now. Even the statement was an example of free thought. It was just an idea."

"Once again I am being attacked for presenting new ideas," he added.

we need to have open discussions and ideas on unsettled pain

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 1, 2018

to make myself clear. Of course I know that slaves did not get shackled and put on a boat by free will

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 1, 2018

My point is for us to have stayed in that position even though the numbers were on our side means that we were mentally enslaved

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 1, 2018

They cut out our tongues so we couldn't communicate to each other. I will not allow my tongue to be cut

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 1, 2018

the reason why I brought up the 400 years point is because we can't be mentally imprisoned for another 400 years. We need free thought now. Even the statement was an example of free thought It was just an idea

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 1, 2018

once again I am being attacked for presenting new ideas

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 1, 2018

TMZ, the outlet that interviewed West and published the original item, shared a follow-up article Wednesday, in which the organization said that West's lack of a medication regimen could have caused or at least contributed to the rapper's controversial remarks.

TMZ wrote:

Kanye West is not taking his meds, and people close to him believe some of the comments he made on "TMZ Live" were a result of that.

Kanye himself said he was shunning doctors who ordered him to take 3 pills a day ... he says it seriously messed with his mind in a big way and he's now taking 1 or 2 a week.

People close to Kanye say he's talked about slavery before as a metaphor, and was unartfully expressing himself when he said slavery was a choice. In fact, Kanye tweeted, "the reason why I brought up the 400 years point is because we can't be mentally imprisoned for another 400 years. We need free thought now. Even the statement was an example of free thought ... It was just an idea."

We're told the meds have been problematic ... doctors aren't even sure what works and what doesn't, and Kanye is controlling his own destiny by self-regulating ... for better or for worse.