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*TMZ’s Van Lathan stole the show when he checked Kanye West during a live stream earlier this week.
The Chicago rapper enraged a lot of fans when he stated that slavery was “a choice,” during his interview with TMZ Live.
In a recent episode of Lathan’s podcast, The Red Pill Podcast, (published on May 1, before the live interview) he elaborated on his issues with the new Kanye.
According to Lathan, his reaction to Kanye’s latest Twitter rants is motived by Ye’s debut album “The College Dropout” and how Van was inspired by the record’s underlying message.
“When I was coming out of college, it was like 2003, 2004, I felt like I didn’t know what was up with the world,” he stated. “I felt like I was going to different places and seeing people who I had graduated with, and they were selling cars. They were working at restaurants. They were doing a lot of jobs that were dope, but a lot of the promise and a lot of things that we had talked about in school, they weren’t able to get into them.”
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: ‘The Real: TMZ’s Van Lathan On His On-Air Confrontation With Kanye West (WATCH)
Kanye West stirs up the TMZ newsroom over TRUMP, SLAVERY and FREE THOUGHT. There’s A LOT more that went down … and the fireworks are exploding on @TMZLive today. Check your local listings for show times. pic.twitter.com/jwVsJCMPiq
— TMZ (@TMZ) May 1, 2018
Like many, what enrages Lathan about Kanye’s newfound “free thought” is his blind endorsement of Donald Trump.
“He’s endorsing the process, but not the product. To me, there’s a better way to do that,” Lathan said in reference to Kanye’s support of Trump.
“You can endorse somebody that goes against the grain, but what they’re saying matters. What they’re putting out into the world matters. And for us to pretend like it doesn’t matter what someone is saying, as long as they’re brave enough to say it, is f—ng [ridiculous]. I’ve never heard something that stupid before.”
But Van’s message didn’t get through to West, as the rapper later took to Twitter, where he griped about the media and fans’ harsh criticism.
In related news, TMZ reports that Kanye has secluded himself at a home he’s renting in Wyoming … literally on a mountaintop.
Kanye’s spent a lot of time there over the last few months, flying in various rappers and producers to help with his music.
This an extended stay … at least several weeks, according to the report.
And sources say Kanye is not bothered by the fallout from his “TMZ Live” interview. Sources also say he will receive a stream of visitors who will help him with the final touches of his album.
The first album is due out May 25 … and 4 more will follow.
Meanwhile, insiders whisper that Kanye’s home away from home in the mountains is actually code for “Rehab.”