Ye has apologized – sort of – for recent comments that were blasted as anti-Semitic.
Earlier this month, Ye tweeted: “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.
“The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”
The tweet was deleted for violating the platform’s policies.
In an conversation on Piers Morgan Uncensored that aired Wednesday, Ye was asked if he regretted writing “death con 3” (an apparent reference to the military condition “DEFCON”). Ye replied: “No, absolutely not.”
Ye seemingly played down the criticism. “God forbid one comment could cause people to feel any of the pain that my people have went though for years,” he said.
After being pressed by Morgan, the rap star offered a qualified apology.
“I will say I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the ‘Death Con’ — the confusion that I caused,” he said. “I feel like I caused hurt and confusion. And I’m sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I have been through, and that I used my platform, where you say 'hurt people hurt people,' and I was hurt.”
Ye said he wanted to tell “those families that I hurt, I really wanna give you guys a big hug and I’m sorry for hurting you with my comments.”
In an interview with Chris Cuomo on NewsNation that aired Monday, Ye said: “I don’t like the term anti-Semitic. It’s been a term that has allowed people, specifically in my industry, to get away with murder – sometimes literally – and get away with robbing and doing bad.
“I don’t believe in that term. One thing is, Black people are also Jew. I classify as Jew also so I actually can’t be an anti-Semite so the term is not factual.”