Kanye West’s friend and longtime collaborator, rapper T.I., has taken to Instagram to support West’s recent call to “abolish the 13th Amendment.”
T.I., real name Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr., posted a video in response to Kanye’s controversial claim, and he started by saying that while he disagrees with most things his fellow rapper stands for, he consented that the 13th Amendment should be altered.
“While I disagree with most of the s*** that Kanye says and his rants, I must say that the part about trying to amend or abolish the 13th Amendment I actually agreed with. And not because I think that slavery should be instilled. No, because the 13th Amendment says that slavery should be abolished unless in prison,” Tip said in the clip.
He also added that the way the 13th Amendment is worded “incentivizes mass incarceration” and that it “increases the amount of scrutiny put on us and the laws that affect us differently than they affect white people.”
This comes after Kanye posted a picture on Instagram wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat alongside the caption: “[T]his represents good and America becoming whole again. We will no longer outsource to other countries. We build factories here in America and create jobs. We will provide jobs for all who are free from prisons as we abolish the 13th amendment.”
The Gold Digger rapper’s confusing statement sparked so much controversy online that he had to take to Twitter to explain what he actually meant, saying “the 13th Amendment is slavery in disguise” and that it should be amended.
T.I., who’s known for being a keen activist and a strong voice in the black community, especially regarding issues such as police brutality and equal rights for minorities, also said that he was willing to give his friend the benefit of the doubt.
“I do see where he was going. I think it was horribly worded. And I think if you’re not careful, you can get carried off into the bulls***. Now I know how I mean it when I say it. I hope he means it the same way,” he concluded.
The two rappers have most recently collaborated on the song Ye vs. the People (starring T.I. as “the People”), in which they debated Kanye’s well-known support of President Donald Trump. Tip hits at Ye, claiming his actions can have real consequences, and that people “expected better” from him.
