The hip hop mogul that is Jay-Z has voiced his support for Kanye West, who has come in for some criticism since his impromptu bout of Bush bashing during a telethon to raise money to help victims of hurricane Katrina. As previously reported, West slammed the Bush administration's response to the natural disaster in New Orleans, claiming the White House had not prioritised the ordeal unfolding in the Southern states because it affected mainly poor black people. He told the audience at the benefit event, and those watching the live telecast on the East Coast, that: "George Bush doesn't care about black people" adding that America is set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slowly as possible".
With some in the (predominantly white middle class run) American press criticising West for making those remarks, Def Jam boss Jay-Z said yesterday that "I'm backing Kanye 100%". Speaking to Billboard, he first up pointed out: "This is America. You should be able to say what you want to say. We have freedom of speech". He then added that he shared West's views on the American government's slow response to the disaster: "It's really numbing. You can't believe it's happening in America. You wonder, what's going on? Why were people so slow to react? I don't understand it."
Meanwhile Kanye West, while sticking by his controversial remarks, has promised he won't be making any political comment when he performs at the National Football League's opening kickoff concert tonight. Talking at a press conference about the NFL event on Tuesday, West sidestepped questions about his TV rant, and said of Thursday's event: "I don't want to detract from the show at all, because it's entertainment, and a lot of times, in a time of need, we need entertainment to lift people's spirits". He made no other comment about hurricane Katrina, except to point out that the NFL had "done a lot" to support the post-disaster relief effort.
In fact Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden, whose band will also play at today's concert, said more about the media backlash to West's comments, telling the press conference: "The great thing about our country is we all get to say what we feel and believe. Whether you agree with him, or whether I agree with him or not, he has the right to say what he thinks. I think Kanye is very passionate about the tragedy down there. ... He's just trying to get other people as fired up as he is."