Kanye West is defending the late Michael Jackson, whom he credits for doing “covert, super gangsta stuff.”
Jackson, who died in 2009, was repeatedly accused of sexually abusing boys. He was acquitted of molesting one after a 2005 trial at which prosecutors gave evidence that other alleged victims had reached confidential settlements with the singer in the ‘90s.
In last year’s docu-series Leaving Neverland, James Safechuck and Wade Robson gave detailed accounts of alleged sexual abuse by Jackson.
“We should have something that says we can’t allow any company to tear down our heroes,” West said in a conversation with Pharrell Williams for i-D magazine. “Not on The Shade Room, not on social media and especially not in documentaries.”
The rap star made the comment while praising Williams for his “fearlessness to break the mould,” much like Jackson did.
“Michael Jackson was doing covert, super gangsta stuff, like he’d just pop the needles off,” said West. “He kissed Elvis Presley’s daughter on MTV. Black culture used to be... we used to be fronting all night, but Michael was doing stuff that was different to what we were programmed to understand as being what we should do.”
West added: “I’m like every time the media isn’t happy with me it’s like, ‘Here they go. They’re gonna come and Wacko Jacko me.’ Which in some ways, they’ve tried to do.”