Kanye West claims he’s been ‘far more helpful than harmful’ to Taylor Swift
Kanye West has claimed he’s been “more helpful than harmful” to Taylor Swift (Getty)
It doesn’t take a pop culture expert to know that Taylor Swift and Kanye West haven’t exactly been best buddies in the past. But now, the “Runaway” rapper has now claimed that he’s been “far more helpful than harmful” to the singer.
The row between the two dates back to at least MTV VMA awards in 2009, during which West, also known as Ye, stormed the stage as Swift accepted her award for best female video, to tell the singer (and the world) that Beyoncé deserved the recognition instead.
Then, in 2016, West released “Famous”, which contained the lyrics: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that b*tch famous.” The accompanying video depicted a nude waxwork of Swift in bed with other celebrities, including Donald Trump, Rihanna and Caitlyn Jenner. It was weird.
There was then a phone call with Kim Kardashian, West’s wife at the time, implying that Swift had approved the track, followed by a letter from Swift denying she was aware of the exact lyrics and asking to be “removed from this narrative”.
Now, in a new post, West has claimed that he’s been “far more helpful than harmful” to Swift’s career.
Taking to Instagram, where he has 19.5 million followers, West posted an image purportedly showing a Swift fan urging other ‘Swifites’ to stream Beyoncé’s new single, “Texas Hold ‘Em” to prevent him debuting at a number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
In a lengthy caption, West wrote. “Last year was incredibly challenging for me, my wife, my children, friends and family,” he wrote. “I’ve been banned from hotels, kicked out of companies and even not allowed to eat in some restaurants.”
Then, he turned his attention to the Swift/Beyoncé situation, claiming that he was “on Taylor’s side” when her previous manager, Scooter Braun, took ownership of the Midnights star’s back catalogue as part of a takeover of her former label.
“She and Beyoncé are big inspirations to all musicians, we always say how both sell out tours and movies,” West went on to say. “Also, I’m sure I’ve been far more helpful to Taylor Swift’s career than harmful.
“To all Taylor Swift fans, I am not your enemy… I’m not your friend either though, lol,” he added.
