Kanye West has responded publicly and angrily about comedian Jay Pharoah poking fun at project KimYe, alias for the curious union between West the megalomaniac and Kim Kardashian the publicity whore, at the recent MTV Video Music Awards.
At his Budweiser Made In America Music Festival performance at the weekend, West let it be known that he called the Saturday Night Live star shortly after the awards show ended and gave him both barrels. He told his fans, who have become used to his on-stage rants: “They want to make a joke out of how hard we work. It’s fine and all funny and everything, but don’t distract from our vision. It’s not a joke what we do up here. This music that we do is not a joke. What we do culturally is not a joke.”
West went on: “I called Jay Pharoah right after the MTV Awards. I said, ‘I appreciate your show, but let me tell you about my story. Let me tell you about what I went through to get to that position …’ So we ain’t gonna have no black comedians going up stage spoofing the people that’s working hard to open doors not only for black people, but [for] any creators, anybody that wants to add a contribution to the world.”
West was not present at the VMAs; but his wife was, and seemed to be lapping it up as cameras zoomed in on her while she was being mocked.
A clearly riled West did manage to compose himself enough to end his tirade on a positive note, bidding his fans: “When I leave tonight, I want y’all to leave with love.”
Pharoah has not commented on West’s remarks.
