Roots, Toots n' Hoots Blog

Kanye strikes (Taylor Swift) again

Jeffrey Remz  |  November 24, 2010

Who can figure out Kanye West. I can't, and doubtlessly Taylor Swift can't today either, especially after he accused her of riding the wave of sympathy generated by his outburst last year at an awards show.

West just released a new disc "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" this week to positive reviews. The CD, of course, came out after last year's meltdown at the Video Music Association awards where he stole the mic from a stunned Swift. He took time off for awhile because his rep had gone seriously south. Swift, on the other hand, benefited from the mishap (I'm not saying she did so on purpose. Assuredly not).

But now West is back and at the end of a show Tuesday at the Bowery Ballroom in the Big Apple, he launched into a nine-minute plus rant that often did not make a whole lot of sense.

West's comments mainly focused on his 2005 statements about President George W. Bush and his response to Hurricane Katrina.

"Everybody needs a villain, don't we? We need to blame someone at all times. For me to be considered a racist for stating a blatant truth, an obvious truth, but the nuances of my words, because I am very particular with my words, and the emotion I felt at that time wasn't worded exactly right - but everybody came and said 'Oh my God."

"I was emotional, that was not exactly the way I wanted to word it, but I wrote it, I rode it, just as Taylor never came to my defense in any interview, and rode the waves and rode it and rode it, that's the way I rode the waves of the Bush comment. I rode it. It's not about popular opinion. It's about when you look in your heart and know what's right and what's wrong. When you look in your heart, look at what the media did, look at how they exploited him, they said that he said it was his lowest moment and as a mass, as America, we took that as a fact."

"If you're a real artist, have no fear," West said. He then applauded his fans for supporting him with his new CD this past week. He even thanked "the door man, the cab driver" for giving "the energy from the street."

"I can't be your role model," he said. "I can't be your anti-Christ." Okay, thanks.

Kanye, why would or should Swift have come to your defense? You know you did something that was not kosher. It wasn't. It showed zero class and respect for a fellow artist whether you like her music or not.

Matter of fact, West sent tweets including "Beyoncé didn't need that. MTV didn't need that and Taylor and her family friends and fans definitely didn't want or need that" and later "I'm sorry Taylor."

I actually thought she showed graciousness for not going after you much at all after the VMA incident. Swift explored the Kanye issue on "Speak Now" with the song Innocent where she says he can change his life around. Swift sings,
"Time turns flames to embers /
You'll have new Septembers /
Every one of us has messed up too/
Lives change like the weather/
I hope you remember/
Today is never to late to/
Be brand new"

It would be hard to accuse Swift of taking advantage of the VMA incident with West. Sure, it benefitted her, but she didn't seem to do anything unwarranted or ring every last ounce of sympathy from his actions. She didn't need to.

West ought to think a bit more before he starts ranting and raving again.

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