Kanye West Uses Christianity to Defend Himself Against Rev. Al Sharpton Boycott
Kanye West is speaking out against Rev. Al Sharpton, who recently decided to lead a boycott against the outspoken rap mogul.
West, 36, has stamped his "Yeezus" tour clothing with confederate flags and began wearing them publicly, much to the disapproval of Sharpton. Sharpton, the leader of the National Action Network, threatened to lead a boycott against West during a press conference.
The rap mogul recently stopped by Philadelphia Hot 107.9 Morning Show to reveal his thoughts on the matter. West spoke about reaching out to Sharpton and feeling that the activist and minister was trying to stop him from making money.
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"I called Al Sharpton. I called Russell [Simmons], [and asked him] to call Al Sharpton and said, 'Tell Al Sharpton to call me before he go out talking to people,'" West said on the radio station. "You don't never know what I'm trying to do. [It went down] the day I was about to sign my [clothing] deal finally. Black people stopping other black people from getting checks talking about 'Man, that was racist!'"
West insisted that people no longer care about the racial undertones associated with the Confederate flag.
"People got bills, don't nobody care about the Confederate flag on that type of level," West said on the radio station. "That flag don't mean nothing."
Sharpton, the leader of the National Action Network, threatened to lead a boycott against West during a press conference earlier this month.
"The Confederate flag symbolizes dehumanization, injustice and pain. It is a stark reminder of an era in our history that was defined by the abhorrent practice of slavery," Sharpton insisted, according to Eurweb.com. "And it is representative of a mentality that looked upon blacks as inferiors who needed to remain in the shackles of subservience."
However, West used his artistry and Christianity to defend himself against Sharpton's criticism.
"As a artist I can use whatever I want to use to create with. Under my religion of Christianity, I can use whatever imagery I want to create with," West said on the Philadelphia radio station. "I like symmetry. From a design perspective the Confederate flag is colder than the current American flag."
