Kanye West Reveals He Was Diagnosed With "Mental Condition"
Kanye West has been dominating news cycles lately for his very vocal support for US President Donald Trump, comments on slavery, and controversies on his abandoned Chicago-based charity group Donda House. With the release of his newest album, Ye, the rapper has new controversial statements that are making global headlines, particularly his admission to being diagnosed with a “mental condition” last year.
I feel so blessed. For everyone that didn't turn they back. I'm in tears right now. I love all of you pic.twitter.com/8jwIALBsDu
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) June 4, 2018
READ: The Late Kate Spade's Celebrity Clients Share Their Thoughts On Her Tragic Death
The 40-year-old rap mogul hosted a listening party for Ye last Thursday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with loved ones and friends. After the party, he granted an exclusive interview with radio host Big Boy wherein he revealed the diagnosis.
“I had never been diagnosed (with a mental condition) until I was 39,” Kanye told Big Boy. “But like I said on the album, it’s not a disability, it’s a superpower.”
In 2016, Kanye first caused speculations about apparent mental health problems when he was hospitalized for a “breakdown," which forced him to cancel the remaining dates of his Saint Pablo Tour. His mother-in-law, Kris Jenner, stated in some reports that the "Gold Digger" MC (master of ceremonies) was confined due to being "tired." Recently, his wife Kim Kardashian also defended his tweets about Trump and commented on media speculations about Kanye's assumed mental problems, tweeting: "He’s a free thinker, is that not allowed in America? Because some of his ideas differ from yours you have to throw in the mental health card? That’s just not fair."
Kanye's interview with Big Boy was the first time he openly confirmed his mental health issue. However, the Yeezy creator didn’t disclose his exact diagnosis during the interview. But he did reveal on the Ye track “Yikes” that he has bipolar disorder, referencing that it is his “third person,” his “superpower” and "not a disability." He raps, “That’s my bipolar sh*t, nigga what? That’s my superpower, nigga. Ain’t no disability. I’m a superhero! I’m a superhero!” The cover artwork for his new music project features a photo of a Wyoming mountain range, with “I hate being bipolar it’s awesome” written across it.
https://t.co/SScskeUWQshttps://t.co/qMCfkQTjLyhttps://t.co/pa0iHEIdZT
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) June 1, 2018
In the Big Boy interview, Kanye also acknowledged that his fame and status made it easier for him to get off the hook on real-life consequences regarding sharing his opinions on topics like slavery. He also implied that he recognizes there's still a stigma in today’s society for people who have mental health issues. He said he felt “so blessed and so privileged,” that even with his mental struggles, he can bounce back from the ordeal that was sparked by his slavery comments.
“Think about people that have mental issues that are not Kanye West, that can’t go and make that (an album) and make it feel like it’s all good. Think about somebody that does exactly what I did at TMZ (wherein I made comments about slavery), at work. Then Tuesday morning they come back and they lose their job. That’s why God put that on me at age 40,” he said.
Kanye also shared he “completely redid” his album after the backlash from his inflammatory comments on TMZ last month where he stated slavery "sounds like a choice." He said he even “took out a bar” referring to his position because it was “just too sensitive to talk about that topic.”
As for his new album, the MC also has lyrics about his marital woes with Kim in his song "Wouldn't Leave," sharing his wife's reactions to his Trump-supporting tweets. "My wife callin', screamin', say, 'We 'bout to lose it all!' / Had to calm her down 'cause she couldn't breathe / Told her she could leave me now, but she wouldn't leave," he raps. Kim said she liked this song in a red carpet interview at the 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards in Brooklyn, New York recently. "It meant a lot to me," she said. "We have different views sometimes, we have different things, but that's my husband, you know?"
On why Kanye named his latest album Ye, the rapper slash fashion designer said in the Big Boy interview, “I believe ‘ye’ is the most commonly used word in the Bible. And in the Bible, it means ‘you.’ So I’m you. I’m us. It’s us. I’m just more of a reflection of who we are."
Photo from @kimkardashian
Top Stories
Metro Beauty Picks Of The Week
BEAUTYMar 14, 2023