Rapper Joey Bada$$ has voiced his thoughts on the removal of Kanye West‘s controversial interview from REVOLT’s Drink Champs, deeming the censorship of Ye’s views as “wack.” The Brooklynite weighed in on the topic on Monday evening (Oct. 17), posting multiple tweets challenging the move, while also blasting Drink Champs for caving in to public scrutiny.
“I don’t support everything Kanye been saying and honestly been trying my best to ignore most of it (for my own peace of mind) but censoring his right to freedom of speech is WACK. Askin him to come speak on your platform and then removing/blocking the content cuz you don’t agree?” the “Head High” rapper wrote.
The 27-year-old continued in another tweet, accusing the media and public of taking Ye’s words out of context and avoiding discourse due to personal beliefs. “We can have healthy disagreements. And yes Kanye can do a much better job at his delivery but it’s the same old story. Magnifying a small piece of what he said and taking it out of context. The mass media needs to learn some new moves it’s corny and so obvious at this point.”
Joey’s response attracted backlash from a sizable contingent of social media users, who accused the Pro Era member of enabling Kanye’s commentary. Attempting to exit the fray, the Power Book III star decided to switch course, scolding himself for even addressing the matter in a public forum.
“I knew I shouldn’t have gotten into the Kanye web got dammit,” Joey later wrote. “Every time smh ? let’s proceed like I ain’t said a word bout this matter. Carry on people. How about this NBA season huh?” he jokingly concluded.
Despite his retreat, the Flatbush native refused to redact his initial posts regarding Kanye’s Drink Champs interview, choosing instead to take the conversation elsewhere. “I don’t delete tweets tho. I’m not p***y. I just bury tweets with more tweets until I get to a comfortable enough point to go ghost again. Like now.”
West’s recent Drink Champs interview was removed from the REVOLT website and YouTube channel due to his statements regarding the death of police brutality victim, George Floyd. During the interview, Yeezy claimed that Floyd’s death was a result of a fentanyl overdose, an assertion that enraged numerous public figures and led to Drink Champs host N.O.R.E. receiving backlash for the interview.
The Queens rapper later apologized on social media for allowing Ye to continue speaking after his comments about George Floyd. He also issued on-air apologies with both Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club and Hot 97’s Ebro In The Morning.
“I apologize to the George Floyd family,” the “Superthug” rapper added. “I apologize to anybody that was hurt by Kanye West’s comments.” The Floyd family is currently considering whether to file a defamation lawsuit against West for his statements about George Floyd’s death.
Joey Bada$$ recently released his third studio album, 2000, this past July. The Starz hit drama Power Book III: Raising Kanan, airs its season two finale on Sunday (Oct. 23).