Kanye West was the musical guest for the 44th season premiere of Saturday Night Live, but it was actually what happened after the show that people are talking about. Following a rare third performance during the credits, West apparently began rambling once the feed was cut and while the SNL cast awkwardly stood behind him.
“I wanna cry right now, black man in America, supposed to keep what you’re feelin’ inside right now…” West sang before launching into a rant that Chris Rock managed to catch in an Instagram video. “The blacks want always Democrats… you know it’s like the plan they did, to take the fathers out the home and put them on welfare… does anybody know about that? That’s a Democratic plan,” West said. “There’s so many times I talk to, like, a white person about this and they say, ‘How could you like Trump? He’s racist.’ Well, uh, if I was concerned about racism I would’ve moved out of America a long time ago.”
Rock can be heard laughing throughout the video — at one point even saying “Oh my God,” — while other audience members booed and yelled at West. Many of the castmembers behind him were reportedly rolling their eyes. Kid Cudi and 070 Shake were also on stage since they had just performed “Ghost Town” with West.
West, who began publicly supporting Trump within the past few months, donned a “Make America Great Again” hat during a short performance after host Adam Driver delivered the show’s traditional end-of-show segment.
According to West, he was bullied backstage for wearing the hat. “They bullied me backstage. They said, ‘Don’t go out there with that hat on. They bullied me backstage. They bullied me! And then they say I’m in a sunken place,” he said. “You want to see the sunken place? Okay, I’ma listen to ya’ll now — or I’ma put my Superman cape on, cuz this means you can’t tell me what to do. Follow your heart and stop following your mind. That’s how we’re controlled. That’s how we’re programmed. If you want the world to move forward, try love.”
Trump himself tweeted about West wearing his campaign hat.
Like many, I don’t watch Saturday Night Live (even though I past hosted it) – no longer funny, no talent or charm. It is just a political ad for the Dems. Word is that Kanye West, who put on a MAGA hat after the show (despite being told “no”), was great. He’s leading the charge!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2018
The rapper was actually the last-minute replacement for Ariana Grande, who dropped out as she’s still recovering from the death of Mac Miller.