Rapper T.I. was surprised after discovering Kanye West had released an “experimental freestyle” they had recorded while debating their differing political views.
The two hip-hop stars teamed up for the track Ye vs. the People, which debuted last Friday (27Apr18) and features T.I. questioning Kanye about his outspoken support for controversial U.S. President Donald Trump, as the Power hitmaker attempts to clarify his stance.
On Monday, T.I. shared a fan’s mocked up image of the song’s cover art, with their lyrics typed out as text messages on a cell phone screen, and captioned it, “This is DOPE!!!!”
The Instagram post prompted one follower to suggest the musical debate was just used as a promotional tool, remarking, “So this is all pre meditated”, but T.I. has made it clear he never intended the back-and-forth to be made public.
“honestly NO it isn’t. At least not any part I’m associated with,” he replied, as he explained how the studio session came about.
“The song was an experimental freestyle that I used as a method to get through to him after a 3hr (hour) long convo (sic)!!!,” T.I. continued. “I suggested we put the discussion to music in hopes of it sounding different to him once he heard himself say some of the things he was saying (and what I was saying too) so we went back and forth for about 30 mins and this was the outcome….
“what I didn’t expect was for him to put it out 24hrs later… or at all for that matter!!! The lord works in mysterious ways…and so does Kanye I guess”.
Kanye has since shared behind-the-scenes video footage of their get-together online, in which T.I. acknowledges his pal’s intentions “are pure”, but queries Kim Kardashian’s husband after he insists, “Half the s**t Trump does, I don’t agree with”.
“What half do you agree with? Let’s get that out,” T.I. replies in a clip released on Tuesday (01May18), as Kanye says, “Just the ability to do what no one said you can do, to do the impossible, is the most inspiring thing to me.”
T.I. isn’t the only star who has reached out to Kanye in an effort to change his views on supporting Trump. John Legend has been engaged in discussions with the defiant MC as well, with Kanye also posting screenshots of their text messages online – a move which that also surprised the singer and his wife, model Chrissy Teigen.
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