Once close collaborators, Legend opens up about the decline of his friendship with Kanye West, attributing the shift to personal tragedy and alarming ideological changes.
Los Angeles [US], May 12:
John Legend is publicly sharing his heartbreak over what he calls the “sad” transformation of former friend and collaborator Kanye West. In a candid new interview with The Times, the 13-time Grammy winner reflected on their once-powerful creative bond — and how it unraveled in the wake of West’s increasingly controversial behavior and rhetoric.
“It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where [Kanye] is now,” Legend said, recalling a much different man in the early 2000s — passionate, creative, and brimming with optimism.
Legend, who was one of the first artists signed to West’s G.O.O.D. Music label, credits the rapper-producer for helping launch his own career. “Kanye blew up after producing Jay-Z’s The Blueprint in 2001,” he explained. “Then The College Dropout sold 400,000 copies in its first week, and suddenly people who had turned me down wanted to know more about me.”
Despite that early success and friendship, Legend acknowledged that things began to shift after the death of West’s mother, Donda, in 2007 — a loss that many believe deeply affected the rapper.
“His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently,” Legend observed. “We’re not qualified to psychoanalyze him, but I noticed a difference.”
The rift widened further when West began embracing political extremism and aligning with figures like Donald Trump, which Legend said contributed to the disintegration of their friendship.
West’s more recent actions have alarmed fans and critics alike. His aggressive antisemitic outbursts, including social media posts praising Adolf Hitler, self-identifying as a Nazi, and promoting a swastika-laden Yeezy design, have led to widespread backlash and loss of brand partnerships.
“I didn’t see a hint of what we’re seeing now — his obsessions with antisemitism, anti-Blackness… it’s just sad to see his devolution,” Legend remarked.
Though no longer close, Legend expressed gratitude for their early collaboration while making it clear he condemns the path West has chosen.
This reflection comes at a time when the industry continues to reckon with how to respond to once-beloved figures whose legacies have been tarnished by hate and controversy.