John Legend got candid about his former close collaborator and label head Ye’s recent behavior.
This Saturday, The London Times dropped an interview with Legend where he discussed his history with the artist previously known as Kanye West. Legend first connected with Ye back in 2001, and they became creative partners. The singer paints a picture of Ye that’s drastically different from his current persona.
“Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had big dreams not only for himself but also for all the people around him,” Legend shared in the interview. “He had so much optimism, so much creativity. It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where he is now.”
Legend reminisced about standing beside Ye when he blew up after producing on Jay-Z’s The Blueprint in 2001 and how everything shifted once Ye dropped his debut album, The College Dropout, in 2004.
“Then The College Dropout sold 400,000 copies in its first week, everyone wanted to know what was happening in our camp, and all those people who turned me down suddenly decided that my music sounded a lot better than it did the first time round,” Legend revealed. “I didn’t see a hint of what we’re seeing now, his obsessions with antisemitism, anti-blackness, and it is sad to see his devolution.”
He added, “I don’t think we’re qualified to psychoanalyze him, but after his mother passed in 2007, there was definitely a difference. His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently.”
The friendship between Legend and Ye cooled off when the latter began supporting President Donald Trump. Legend explains that they’ve simply gone in different directions.
“I just think we’re doing our own thing,” Legend said during an interview. “We’ve both got growing families, and I no longer have a formal business relationship with him as an artist, so I think it’s just part of the natural cycle of life.”
