John Legend reflected on his longtime friendship with rap legend-turned-sh-t-posting-Nazi-supporter Kanye “Ye” West in an interview with The Times of London. Legend said that he was first introduced to West in 2001, and “Back then Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had big dreams not only for himself but also for all the people around him... It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where he is now.” In 2003, Legend became the first artist to sign with West’s label, GOOD Music, while working on parts of West’s debut album, TheCollege Dropout. Ye returned the favor, producing Legend’s debut album Get Lifted, and the pair remained close until Kanye’s public embrace of Donald Trump. “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.” Legend believes Kanye’s decline can be pinpointed to one event. “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.”
