Rapper Kanye West has apologised for comments he made earlier this year about slavery being "a choice" and also addressed the controversy that erupted after he wore a Make America Great Again hat.
Last May, West provoked anger among fellow performers and fans when he posted a picture of himself on Twitter wearing a red MAGA cap after he voiced his support for US President Donald Trump, whom he first met in the aftermath of the reality star's victory in the 2016 Presidential Election.
During a visit to the offices of gossip website TMZ, West was filmed saying: "When you hear about slavery for 400 years, for 400 years?! That sounds like a choice. We’re mentally imprisoned."
In a surprise visit to Chicago radio station 107.5 WGCI on Wednesday morning, the rapper said: "I have never really approached or addressed the slavery comment fully.
"And it’s not something for me to overly intellectualise. This is something about the fact that it hurt people’s feelings and the way that I presented that piece of information."
He went on to apologise for the way he expressed his thoughts, saying he could have done so in a "more calm way" but that he was "ramped up".
He described his slavery comments and the wearing of the MAGA cap as ‘one-two effect’ and added, "I don’t know if I properly apologised for how the slavery comment made people feel.
"I’m sorry for the one-two effect of the MAGA hat into the slave comment, and I’m sorry for people that felt let down by that moment."
