Kanye West Says 400 Years of Slavery ‘Sounds Like a Choice’

The same day that Kanye West released a reflective two-hour interview with Charlamagne the God, he also visited TMZ for a live interview that appeared to be wildly different. The rapper drew tremendous ire for his flippant comments about the history of American slavery.

“When you hear about slavery for 400 years: For 400 years, that sounds like choice,” West said. “You was there for 400 years,” he added, seemingly in disbelief, “And it’s all of y’all?”

The video of West’s visit to TMZ also contained footage from an encounter with one of the outlet’s employees, Van Lathan, in the newsroom. “Do you feel like I’m thinking free and feeling free?” West asked the crowd. Van Lathan, who had a camera on him as he decided to speak,…