Music mogul Akon is taking some heat for defending fellow artist Kanye West after he praised evil dictator Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
The Senegalese-born artist was queried by “Sky News” anchor Anna Jones about how Akon could possibly support Ye.
“I show support for opinion[s], and I think people will always have a specific opinion and I think the moment we get to the place where we close our minds up to other people’s opinion, it kind of doesn’t allow us to get to better know each other; better know our mindsets, and more than anything better know our movements,” Akon said.
“I think sometimes we should open up our minds and let things play all the way out and better understand the situation so we have a better solution for it.”
Akon said he is “a backer of the right to believe what you want to believe” but added that if he and Kanye would have a conversation together, he would let him know that he disagrees with his viewpoints because “communication is key.”
Akon went on to say that he was not bothered by Yeezy’s comments.
“Not really because those comments don’t really affect me personally … and if it does affect you personally, then find a way to actually respond in a way to where that conversation can be reciprocated,” Akon continued.
“Because I think sometimes when someone is offended they just lash out in defense or lash out to make that person feel that same offense that they felt,” he continued. “I think when you take negative and you applied the response negatively back, you only get negative back.”
“So I think it’s really a matter of both understanding what it is. Don’t take things too personally until you really understand the situation, “Akon concluded.
The fact that Akon supported Yeezy’s right to speak his mind was considered appalling by some notable journalists.
Akon defending Kanye by calling his antisemitic comments a matter of opinion and saying that Jews shouldn’t take his comments personally until we understand the situation. I’m horrified and speechless pic.twitter.com/ifBdGxtqKR
— Liv Marks (@OliviaLilyMarks) December 2, 2022
Listen to the interview in its entirety.
