Kanye West responds to controversy over 13th amendment tweet

American rapper and fashion designer, Kanye West has sparked controversy over his comments on the 13th amendment

Kanye West has clarified his controversial comments on abolishing the "13th amendment" after receiving backlash.

In a tweet posted September 30, West wore a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat, stating in the caption, “We will provide jobs for all who are free from prisons as we abolish the 13th amendment.”

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1046466533973590016

In an interview with TMZ, the American rapper clarified that he does not seek to abolish the 13^th amendment but to ‘amend’ it, saying he 'misspoke'.



The 13th amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the US in 1865 unless in a prison.

The rapper criticised the exception clause that allows for imprisonment. "In order to make a freed man a slave all you have to do is convict them of a crime."

West's tweet was met with backlash on social media and has sparked intense debate.

https://twitter.com/CornellWBrooks/status/1046627161321476097

Kanye West just tweeted that he wants to abolish the 13th Amendment, you know, the one that ended slavery.

If this doesn't stop y'all from supporting him I don't know what will.

— Deniz S. (@MrFilmkritik) September 30, 2018

kanye saying that he wants the 13th amendment (which abolished slavery) to be repealed and for america to stop outsourcing labor... from a private jet while wearing a trump hat and decked out in yeezy (made in china)... is too much confusion for me

— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) September 30, 2018

Kanye West is either...

A) An expert troll
B) A massive, disconnected idiot who actually wants to abolish the 13th amendment, which ended slavery
C) Dead since 2011 and actually being controlled by an Alex Jones lizard person
D) All of the above https://t.co/13IQ0FgpTM

— Emma Vigeland (@EmmaVigeland) September 30, 2018

"abolish the 13th amendment"

Please seek psychological help and take a US history course or two at your local community college. You're welcome.

— Dr. Captain Abraham 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@ThomasHeaney6) October 1, 2018

https://twitter.com/_Alex520/status/1046522495661092865

Celebrities like Chris Evans, Lana Del Ray, have responded to the rapper’s comment on the 13^th amendment, criticising his outlook.

Avengers actor Chris Evans criticised his 'myopia'.

https://twitter.com/ChrisEvans/status/1046483677184700420

West tweeted again on October 1 saying the "13th amendment is slavery in disguise".

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1046490057522085888



American singe rLana del ray responded to West's tweet by saying, "Trump becoming our president was a loss for our country but your support for him is a loss for our culture."

American rapper T.I.  has partially agreed with West in an Instagram video, saying he did not want slavery but "the 13th Amendment says that slavery should be abolished unless in prison.”

Similar arguments are present in Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the age of colour blindness” and Ava Duvarnay's film, 13th, that say slavery is reproduced in modern prisons.

West had formerly sparked controversy when he claimed slavery was a 'choice' in May 2018 in a previous interview with TMZ.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.