John Legend's career got a huge boost after as the first artist to sign with Kanye West's GOOD Music, through which he released his debut studio album, Get Lifted in 2004.
Despite a friendship spanning over two decades, John Legend and Kanye West have grown apart—and Legend is now speaking openly about his former collaborator's controversial transformation.
In a recent interview with The Times, Legend reflected on the stark difference between the Kanye he first met and the figure dominating headlines today. "He had so much optimism, so much creativity… I didn’t see a hint of what we’re seeing now—his obsessions with antisemitism, anti-Blackness. And it is sad to see his devolution," Legend said.
He continued, "I don’t think we’re qualified to psychoanalyze him, but after his mother passed in 2007, there was definitely a difference. His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently."
Back in 2022, Legend first opened up about the breakdown of their friendship during an interview with The New Yorker, revealing that political tensions played a major role. "He was very upset with me that I didn’t support him running for President, and that was the real impetus for us having a strain in our friendship," Legend explained. "I don’t know what will happen in the future, but he was very upset with me that I didn’t support him and I supported Joe Biden. It’s up to him whether he can get past that."
While both artists once collaborated on some of the defining music of the 2000s, their personal and ideological rift appears wider than ever.
Source: The Times
