Here we are, face to face, a couple of Silver Spoons. And once again y’all have decided to argue on just how crazy the artist formerly government named Kanye West is or isn’t. I have a perspective. You can agree or not; But my free speech and free thinking is about to do what it does also.

Let’s start from the beginning at the top of the list; Kanye West and Ye are not “crazy”. Calling him crazy is too easy. Kanye is exactly who he has been since College Dropout. He’s emotional, manipulative and knows the best way to be in a conversation is to be anti. At this point he’s mastered the definition of Contrarian and his face should come up when you google the word and hit the images tab.

The College Dropout Album is the testimony of the guy who decided he would not go to school anymore during a time where college enrollment and the “need for degrees” was at it highest in numbers and conversation. The other conversation on the album “They told me I couldn’t rap and to stick to producing”. He’s saying this after touring with BlackStar and doing Def Jam Poetry. Who’s truly stopping you, bruh? Was it really all about not getting the Hov verse as fast as you thought you should? You were a 6 figure producer at this time too. Let’s just move forward.

“George Bush doesn’t care about Black People” – Kanye West 2005

Yes. A big moment for black people that really felt this way. And I didn’t say he was wrong or crazy then and I’m not saying it now. But where did he deliver that message? On an NBC network during a Hurricane Relief Broadcast standing next to Mike Meyers aka “Austin Powers” or “Wayne” depending on how black and diversely cultured you are or aren’t. What he did again, is spoke for the minority where he was. I lived in Atlanta at the time and white people that had no clue who Kanye West was before that moment would look in disgust at our Champs TV Screens when “Gold Digger” came on. But look, he’s in a broader demo of conversation and I’m receiving an opinion from a person that has no clue about anything he’s done musically. We got Deja Vu yet or nah?

To be respectful as possible. Were we overwhelmingly supportive of “KimYe”? Really think about it. He left Amber Rose for Kim. This is sextape Kim too. This is “everybody saying they hit Kim K” and he wifed. Do you remember how we felt and how people talked about that in real time?

Let’s push this towards 2022. The White Lives Matter shirt is just a wack idea. It’s a wack idea that challenges your thought process through images. Let’s step back to Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin and the first time we heard, Black Lives Matter the statement. Even white people that told you “All Lives Matter” never fired back with “White Lives Matter”. My personal opinion is because, they already knew they mattered and saw themselves as the majority that mattered. The people that claimed to not get it are the ones who felt threatened by someone else that didn’t look like them mattering. Kanye is smart enough to know that rehashing “All Lives Matter” won’t really move the needle like he needs it to move. So what does he do? Create “White Lives Matter”, Unveils it during Fashion week and standing next to the conservative black woman who has a documentary coming out tearing down the Black Lives Matter organization. That’s deviously crafty. Not crazy. Cause he could have did that at Essence Fest if he really wanted to. He also could’ve waited until the BET Hip-Hop Awards. He won’t do it then though. That conversation goes different in a room full of black folks that already can’t stand your new conservative buddy.

Ye is smart enough to know that people don’t read past headlines and the image is all the context that they need. That doesn’t sound crazy to me. It sounds manipulative and like you’re dying to get attention for thinking differently. And there’s other examples of him doing exactly that beyond what I’ve stated. I just don’t want to hold y’all for over 3,000 words. This is also why specifically black journalism and media is taking a hit, but that’s another conversation for another day.

Ye is not crazy. Let me tell you what I think he is though.

• I think he is blatantly insulting our intelligence
• I think he’s showing how much we value money and how he can shut people up with it
• I think he’s showing us how bad rappers and others want beats, features and slides
• I think he’s mastered recognizing his audience and knows how to get people talking about HIM.

And let’s be clear; This is that conservative Republican Talk that he’s spewing here. This ain’t “new info”. Kanye wants to run for President and he got his reality check on being a write in or an Independent candidate and he’s trying get on the Republican card. That’s what Trump did and he’s trying to do it bigger than Trump. There are 2 things, I want you to understand with that statement.

1. Donald Trump lost 2 Popular vote elections yet still served 1 term as President.
2. Kanye is talking that talk that wins Red State Electoral Colleges.

That George Floyd comment is what I like to call “Red Vote Jargon.” He knows his audience. He may also know that the people reacting the most to his comments, still may vote for him or may not vote at all. Let that be his dice to roll. If the family of George Floyd decides to “Alex Jones” him; He gets absolutely no sympathy from me. Pay that tag and STFU. Cause you not crazy. You just think I’m stupid.

So, No; Ye is not crazy. He’s speaking to his new audience who’s support his needs in 2024 and all of his millionaire rap buddies are going to continue to let him cook. They’re going to let him cook because just like Trump’s homeys, Ye’s homey’s got a nice care package coming their way if he becomes the First Black Republican President of the United States.

Bonus Free Thought: Ye is using the Kardashian-Jenner clan as his “Black Struggle Relatability” card. He conveniently covers Christianity, Fatherhood, Broken Homes, School Systems and Abortion every time they come up. Just listen to him.

There are several layers and angles to all of this. This is what I chose to speak on. You are free to think differently from these stances if you like.