Longtime friends John Legend and Kanye West have had a professional and personal relationship. Not only do the two admire each other’s work, but Legend and West were friends too.
Not so long ago, Legend and West had a very public feud over President Trump, black people, and Democrats. What happened to that? Are West and Legend still friends or did political differences drive them apart? Here’s what we know about their relationship.
How John Legend and Kanye West met
Legend and West met years ago through mutual friends. Well, cousins. Legend had a roommate in college that wanted Legend to meet his cousin. “He was just some cousin that made beats as far as I knew. But he was Kanye West, before everybody knew who Kanye West was,” Legend told Sara Bareilles at the Tribeca Film Festival, as reported by Insider.
Soon the two began collaborating. “I would go to his place and we would work on songs. He would give me beats for my demo and I would write to them, and then I would sing hooks on his,” Legend explained. When West signed a deal with Roc-A-Fella records, he recommended they sign Legend as well. Eventually, West helped Legend get a deal with Columbia records. The rest is music history as the two artists rose to the top, but managed to stay friends through their journey.
John Legend and Kanye West’s political feud
The friendship hit some rocks in 2018 when the entire country was embattled in a political rivalry. Trump had taken office earlier that year and many in Hollywood, including Legend and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, were very, very unhappy about this.
West; however, decided to go against the grain, and show his support for president Trump with a tweet. “You don’t have to agree with Trump but the mob can’t make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don’t agree with everything anyone does. That’s what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought,” West tweeted.
The entire world basically went berserk when they saw West’s tweet. But that wasn’t all, West then posted a photo of himself wearing a MAGA hat, and then interacted with Trump on Twitter. It became too much for his friend Legend to handle, and he texted West to express his concern.
Legend told West that he was way too powerful and influential to align himself with what Trump represents and that he hoped the artist would reconsider. The two went back and forth in a text conversation that stayed relatively civil, considering the high emotions at play. The conversation was later posted to Twitter by West to be read by all.
Are John Legend and Kanye West still friends?
After the public argument, many weren’t sure where Legend and West stood as friends. Political arguments had been breaking up relationships all over the country, and some assumed this would be the end for the musical pair. However, it appears the two were able to work around their differences.
Legend told The Wall Street Journal that the argument didn’t damage their friendship, it opened it up in a new way. Teigen also confirmed to Vogue that her husband and West are still getting along fine. Teigen said: “The thing with Kanye is that his opinions have always been super strong… He’s never been the guy to push them on you, but he will say what he wants to say. Same with John. That’s why I loved that they were able to have this civil discourse.”
It appears the feud actually brought Legend and West closer. They were able to understand each other’s perspectives, and agreed to let each other have their own opinions. If only all arguments could end this way.
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