Kanye West needs to be more responsible with his words, as a figure of influence

In the past few months, Kanye West has been a regular figure in the news cycle. With his release of five new projects, making irresponsible public remarks and donning a “Make America Great Again” hat, West has once again stirred up controversy — this time regarding topics such as slavery, prison reform and his support for President Donald Trump’s administration.

Free speech is important, and it’s crucial that we do not vilify others for sharing their opinions, even if those individuals have large mass followings, like West does. But just because he says these things doesn’t mean he should.

West’s antics — such as his recent interview on “Fox & Friends” — have conflated his rights with his responsibilities, in an attempt to make them seem synonymous. While there are some intersections between the two, West has navigated this line irresponsibly, requiring multiple retractions and clarifications of comments.

West is an icon who has forever changed the shape of hip-hop, popular music and pop culture. He’s a person with his own life experiences, emotions and perspectives. He has a right to his opinions and to express himself. While it’s West’s right to speak as bluntly as he wants, as a figure with millions of followers and massive influence, it’s his responsibility to not put himself in situations in which his words can be misconstrued to hurt both him and his community.

“Fox & Friends” conservative commentator Candace Owens called West “one of the bravest men in America right now,” because, “the left has declared war on our American values, and Kanye is fighting the cultural front.” Owens seems to offer condolences — talking about the ineffectiveness of the welfare reforms of President Lyndon B. Johnson and Reconstruction era policies.

Kanye later clarified his statements on TMZ. Without producers, writers or staff able to provide correct context, the Fox show misrepresented West’s intentions, making his statements focus on a broader “mental” slavery, while ignoring the tangible masses of black bodies that are currently locked in federal, state and local prisons.

The framing of black issues as “mental enslavement” is a tactic to discredit many of our stories and experiences. By framing concerns about the 13th Amendment — which truly arise from concerns over systemic corruption in our current criminal justice system — as simply a result of the emotional and psychological effects of past decisions, their interpretation fails to acknowledge the modern systems of injustice that perpetuate these cycles.

Millions of people woke up seeing this reinforced narrative that “blacks are suffering from mental enslavement,” sponsored by “black leader” Kanye West. This does a disservice to the truth, a disservice to progress and adds another layer of resistance for activists trying to create tangible policy changes.

The problem with the reporting on “Fox & Friends” wasn’t that it was untrue but that it mischaracterized the truth to support a harmful agenda. And although he wasn’t directly involved, West has to take responsibility for that.

As an artist who once prided himself on lyricism, West is acutely aware of the importance of word choice. As another reckless event, on a long calendar of recent antics, excuses for West are running thin.

He’s a legendary artist, a trailblazer and my personal favorite musician. But as someone who used to pride himself on “being the voice of the people,” he’s falling terribly short, blurring the line between rights and responsibilities — the exact message represented by the MAGA hat on his head.

Jalen Nash is a junior political science major. His music column appears weekly in Pulp. You can email him at janash@syr.edu or follow him on Twitter @ja_nash3.