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Kanye West Responds To Backlash Over Taylor Swift Line In ‘Famous’

By Niki Cruz
Published on: 02:44 PST, Feb 12, 2016

Kanye West streamed his complete album T.L.O.P. (The Life of Pablo) at Madison Square Garden for journalists and fans. While many of the tracks were highlighted for their content and collaborations, one song in particular raised eyebrows for its shot at famous ex-rival Taylor Swift.

Although West and Swift made up after West stole her limelight at the 2009 VMA awards, you wouldn’t know it going by the lyric in his new song “Famous.”

On the track, he raps, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that b***h famous.”

This line didn’t go over well with Swift’s fans and a few people in the celebrity world. As the Inquisitr reported, Orange Is the New Black’s Ruby Rose came to Swift’s defense over the derogatory lyric.

In a tweet, Ruby Rose said, “Too many lines crossed. And now my dear friend Taylor.. Right before another huge moment for her.. Can I still support him and call myself a feminist? A friend? No.”

With messages of hate being shot at Kanye, West sought out to clear the air on Twitter. In a few tweets, West defended himself against those saying that he was dissing Swift with his lyric.

“I did not diss Taylor Swift and I’ve never dissed her…

“First thing is I’m an artist and as an artist I will express how I feel with no censorship. 2nd thing I asked my wife [Kim Kardashian] for her blessings and she was cool with it.”

He continued, “3rd thing I called Taylor and had a hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings. 4th Bitch is an endearing term in hip hop like the word N–a. 5th thing I’m not even gone take credit for the idea… it’s actually something Taylor came up with… She was having dinner with one of our friends who’s name I will keep out of this and she told him. I can’t be mad at Kanye because he made me famous! #FACTS.”

While Kanye West paints a picture that the two are still on good terms, sources say that Swift cautioned the rapper from releasing a song with such a misogynistic lyric.

Swift’s rep released a statement, saying, “Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single ‘Famous’ on her Twitter account. She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message. Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric, ‘I made that b–h famous.'”

Initially, West asked Swift if she could share the link to the song “Famous” with her followers, considering she has a bunch on Twitter, but she declined to share.

After the lyric was reported, Swift’s friends and family took aim at West. Aside from Ruby Rose, Swift’s brother Austin posted an Instagram video that shows him tossing a pair of West’s Yeezy sneakers in the trash. Swift’s other friend Gigi Hadid, a member of Swift’s famous “squad,” tweeted a response.

As stated, Kanye and Taylor’s origins go back to the 2009 VMA awards, when West got up on stage and stole the mic away from Taylor Swift as she was about to accept her award. He then pointed out Beyonce as the artist who should have won before shrugging his shoulders and going back down to his seat. The moment left Swift shocked.

Of the moment that was re-aired and shown for years to come, Swift told GQ that after it happened, she went backstage and cried, but not because of West’s antics.

“When the crowd started booing, I thought they were booing because they also believed I didn’t deserve the award. That’s where the hurt came from.”

Swift went on to pen a song about the awkward diss.

[Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS]

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