John Legend says it’s ‘shocking’ to watch former friend Kanye West’s ‘devolution’

John Legend looked backmost connected his relationship pinch Kanye West while addressing nan rapper’s “decline.”

Back erstwhile they met successful nan mid-2000s, “Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had large dreams not only for himself but besides for each nan group astir him,” Legend told nan London Times successful an question and reply published Saturday.

“He had truthful overmuch optimism, truthful overmuch creativity. It does consciousness sad, sometimes shocking, to spot wherever he is now.”

Legend signed a grounds woody pinch West’s GOOD Music grounds explanation successful 2004, and they became accelerated friends.

“Kanye blew up aft producing Jay-Z’s medium ‘The Blueprint’ successful 2001,” Legend explained. “Then he knowledgeable a buzz arsenic a solo creator and nan full clip I was walking pinch him, doing shows pinch him, getting vulnerability not only arsenic his vocalist and keyboard subordinate but besides arsenic an creator myself. I had been turned down by labels everywhere.”

“Then ‘The College Dropout’ sold 400,000 copies successful its first week, everyone wanted to cognize what was happening successful our camp, and each those group who turned maine down abruptly decided that my euphony sounded a batch amended than it did nan first clip round,” he continued.

The 47-year-old and Legend had a falling retired successful caller years aft West went nationalist pinch his support of President Donald Trump.

“I didn’t spot a hint of what we’re seeing now, his obsessions pinch antisemitism, anti-blackness, and it is sad to spot his devolution.” Legend, 46, said.

“I don’t deliberation we’re qualified to psychoanalyze him, but aft his mother passed successful 2007 location was decidedly a difference. His descent started past and seems to person accelerated recently.”

Over nan past respective months, West has exhibited fierce antisemitic behavior. He’s moreover praised Adolf Hitler connected X, writing, “Hitler was sooooo fresh.”

“I’m a Nazi,” he went on, adding, “I emotion Hitler.” He then withdrew his apology to nan Jewish community for past antisemitic comments earlier unleashing a slew of caller ones.

“Im ne'er apologizing for my Jewish comments,” he wrote successful since-deleted tirade connected X. “I tin opportunity immoderate nan f—k I wanna opportunity forever.”

In March, West wore a achromatic Ku Klux Klan outfit as he said to DJ Akademiks pursuing his continuous outbursts connected societal media.