US rap artist Kanye West has said the historic enslavement of African Americans that took place over hundreds of years may have been a “choice”.
“When you hear about slavery for 400 years … for 400 years? That sounds like a choice,” he said during an appearance on entertainment site TMZ.
The star recently made headlines over his vocal support for President Trump.
Black people were forcibly brought from Africa to the US during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and sold as slaves.
West’s comments on Tuesday, in which he also said “right now we’re choosing to be enslaved”, provoked an angry response from a black member of staff at TMZ, Van Lathan.
Mr Lathan said the rapper’s comments appeared to be made with “the absence of thought”.
“You’re entitled to believe whatever you want, but there is fact and real-world, real-life consequence behind everything that you just said,” he added as the star stood still stroking his chin.
“We have to deal with the marginalisation that has come from the 400 years of slavery that you said for our people was a choice,” Mr Lathan continued, adding: “I’m appalled, and brother I am unbelievably hurt by the fact that you have morphed into something to me that isn’t real.”
In the TMZ footage, West refers to Mr Trump as “my boy” and says that the president is “one of rap’s favourite people”.
His comments sparked a backlash on social media with some Twitter users suggesting the rapper should revisit the history books.
It comes just days after West released a song defending his support for Mr Trump with lyrics insisting that the president is “fighting for the people”.
West has courted controversy with his support for Mr Trump and conservative commentators like Scott Adams and Candace Owens, who has spoken out against the Black Lives Matter movement.
