In a candid and emotionally charged new interview with The London Times (May 10), John Legend has addressed the troubling evolution of former collaborator Kanye West, describing the rapper’s transformation as “shocking” and “sad.”
Legend, who first met West in the early 2000s and was signed to his GOOD Music label in 2004, recalled their meteoric rise together during Kanye’s early creative peak. “Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had big dreams not only for himself but also for all the people around him,” Legend shared. “He had so much optimism, so much creativity.”
He specifically cited the impact of Kanye’s 2004 debut, The College Dropout, which sold 400,000 copies in its first week. That moment marked a turning point not just for West, but also for Legend’s career, which skyrocketed as labels who once rejected him came back knocking.
However, Legend says he could never have anticipated what would come next. “I didn’t see a hint of what we’re seeing now—his obsessions with antisemitism, anti-blackness. It’s sad to see his devolution,” he said. The singer did not attempt to offer a medical explanation but pointed to the 2007 death of Kanye’s mother, Donda West, as a possible turning point: “After his mother passed… his descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently.”
In recent months, Kanye West—now known legally as Ye—has drawn widespread condemnation for extreme antisemitic rhetoric. From praising Adolf Hitler on social media to donning a Ku Klux Klan-inspired outfit during an interview, West’s behavior has alienated fans, peers, and industry allies.
“I don’t think we’re qualified to psychoanalyze him,” Legend emphasized, “but what we’re seeing now is not the man I knew.”
Once defined by ambition and artistry, West’s legacy now faces an uncertain future—one shadowed by controversy and heartbreak, even for those who once called him a friend.