John has opened up concerning the messy breakdown of their friendship after Kanye known as him a “sellout.”
John Legend and Kanye West’s friendship goes again many years, with the pair first assembly by full likelihood in New York.
After finishing 4 years on the College of Pennsylvania, John — who at that time glided by his actual identify, John Stephens — moved to the town, and his roommate occurred to be Kanye’s cousin, DeVon Harris.
DeVon launched John to Kanye, and the remaining was historical past. Kanye was instrumental within the early days of John’s profession, and even had a hand in giving him his stage identify.
In the meantime, John famously sang at Kanye’s wedding ceremony to Kim Kardashian in 2014, and the 2 have been simply as shut exterior of the recording studio as in.
Explaining how his moniker ‘John Legend’ took place, John beforehand instructed Jimmy Fallon {that a} good friend he met via Kanye, J. Ivy, began calling him ‘The Legend’ whereas making music collectively.
The identify ended up turning into a personal nickname inside the circle of pals, however sooner or later Kanye put a mixtape out the place he referred to John as “John Legend.”
“It simply began to unfold amongst extra of the those who had been listening to our music,” John defined. “After which, in some unspecified time in the future, I needed to determine, Am I going to stay with John Stephens, which I used to be completely fantastic with. I wasn’t in search of a stage identify. Or am I going to go along with this extra audacious identify and name myself a legend earlier than I also have a report deal?”
Kanye was equally influential when John’s report deal lastly did come about, with the rapper appearing as producer on his debut album, Get Lifted, in 2004. The report ended up profitable a Grammy for Greatest R&B Album, and John additionally gained a Grammy for Greatest New Artist that 12 months.
Along with producing John’s albums, Kanye additionally acted as John’s supervisor for a time, and the 2 collaborated on a number of tracks all through their careers.
Nevertheless, in 2018 their long-time friendship got here beneath pressure when Kanye began to publicly help controversial president, Donald Trump.
In truth, John was so involved that he privately reached out to Kanye to induce him to rethink his help for Trump in messages that Kanye screenshotted and shared on social media on the time.
“Hey it’s JL. I hope you’ll rethink aligning your self with Trump,” John’s first textual content learn. “You’re approach too highly effective and influential to endorse who he’s and what he stands for. As you understand, what you say actually means one thing to your followers. They’re loyal to you and respect your opinion.”
“So many individuals who love you’re feeling so betrayed proper now as a result of they know the hurt that Trump’s insurance policies trigger, particularly to folks of shade,” he continued. “Don’t let this be a part of your legacy. You’re the best artist of our technology.”
Within the screenshot, Kanye replied: “I like you John and I admire your ideas. You mentioning my legacy is a tactic based mostly on worry used to govern my free thought.”
After sharing the messages, Kanye tweeted: “I tweeted the John textual content to point out that there are folks round me that disagree with me and voice their opinion. I respect everybody’s opinion however I stand my floor.” He later added: “If you happen to really feel one thing do not let peer strain manipulate you.”
He additionally shared John’s reply, which learn: “Assume freely. Assume with empathy and context too. Your phrases and actions have penalties. A lot love.”
“I actually admire this dialogue with John Legend as a result of I am really very empathetic,” Kanye then instructed his followers. “I am nonetheless the child from the telethon. I really feel when folks consider MAGA, they do not consider empathy.”
The next 12 months, John downplayed the character of his and Kanye’s relationship as he admitted that he discovered the rapper’s help for Trump significantly “difficult” as a result of Kanye didn’t have a historical past of being political.
Chatting with Vainness Honest, John mentioned of their differing political stances: “I’m not attempting to disown Kanye as a result of I nonetheless love him and love the whole lot we’ve completed collectively creatively, however we had been by no means the closest of pals.”
“I believe what was at all times difficult about it was Kanye has by no means been political,” he added. “He simply type of embraced Trump’s spirit and the power of himself being countercultural in supporting him.”
And the 12 months after that, in 2020, Kanye introduced that he was working for president — one thing that John refused to help.
In November 2021, Kanye known as John out for turning his again on him, calling him a “sellout” as he confirmed that they’re not pals and demanded an apology.
Talking on the Drink Champs podcast, Kanye mentioned: “Each John Legend and Huge Sean, after I ran for workplace, obtained used fast by the Democrats to return at their boy who really modified their life, and that is some sellout shit. And I do not rock with neither of them. And I would like my apologies.”
And now John has confirmed that Kanye’s presidential run mixed along with his help for Trump grew to become “an excessive amount of” for his or her friendship to outlive.
“We aren’t pals as a lot as we was as a result of I actually suppose as a result of we publicly disagreed on his working for workplace, his supporting Trump, I believe it grew to become an excessive amount of for us to maintain our friendship,” John mentioned on The Axe Information podcast on Thursday.
“He was upset that I didn’t help his run for presidency of america of America for comprehensible causes,” John mentioned. “I wasn’t alone in that. However, you understand, he was not pleased about that. And we actually haven’t been shut since then,” he added.
Regardless of their tough relationship, John went on to reward how “open” Kanye is, and insisted that the general public know the “actual Kanye.”
“I believe he’s been very open with who he’s and his struggles with psychological well being. And he’s very actual, actually. So I believe there’s not quite a bit about him that individuals don’t get,” he mentioned.
“He’s been fairly upfront along with his opinions, his struggles, all of the issues that he’s coping with. And I believe what you see with him is just about what you get. I don’t really feel like he’s an entire separate particular person in non-public than he’s in public,” John went on. “I believe you’re just about seeing the actual Kanye publicly.”
John’s podcast look got here simply sooner or later after his spouse, Chrissy Teigen, introduced that she is pregnant — two years after the stillbirth of their son, Jack.
John and Chrissy additionally share six-year-old Luna and four-year-old Miles.
