John Legend says Kanye West’s devolution’ started…
John Legend has a idea about Kanye West’s downfall.
The “All of Me” singer, 46, spoke about West, 47, who has sparked current backlash for his antisemitism, in the wake of their friendship fallout in a new interview with The Sunday Times.
“Back then Kanye was very passionate, very gifted, and he had big dreams not only for himself but also for all the people around him,” Legend stated while trying back on when West helped catapult his profession to success after they labored collectively on the rapper’s 2004 album, “The College Dropout.”
John Legend and Kanye West at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. FilmMagic
“He had so much optimism, so much creativity,” Legend added. “It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where he is now.”
The EGOT winner admitted that he “didn’t see a hint” of West’s present “obsessions with antisemitism, anti-blackness,” including, “It is sad to see his devolution.”
Kanye West, John Legend in 2005. Getty Images
John Legend at an occasion for Audible in Los Angeles in March 2025. Getty Images for Audible
When requested about why West has modified so a lot, Legend responded, “I don’t think we’re qualified to psychoanalyse him.”
“But after his mother passed in 2007 there was definitely a difference,” Legend shared. “His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently.”
West’s mother, Donda West, died of a coronary heart assault at age 58 in 2007, at some point after she had a number of beauty surgical procedure procedures, including liposuction, a tummy tuck and breast discount.
Kanye West with his mother Donda in 2007. Getty Images
Donda West and Kanye West at a post Grammys occasion in 2007. WireImage
The rapper named his 2021 album, “Donda,” and 2022 album, “Donda 2,” after his mom. He also named his Christian personal college in California, Donda Academy, after her.
Kanye West with his mother Donda at a e book signing in London. Getty Images
Legend also recalled how West helped turned his profession around over 20 years in the past.
“Kanye blew up after producing Jay-Z’s album ‘The Blueprint’ in 2001,” he stated. “Then he experienced a buzz as a solo artist and the whole time I was traveling with him, doing shows with him, getting exposure not only as his singer and keyboard player but also as an artist myself.”
Kanye West, John Legend at the thirty eighth Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony in 2007. WireImage for Songwriter’s Hall of Fame
“I had been turned down by labels everywhere. Then ‘The College Dropout’ sold 400,000 copies in its first week, everyone wanted to know what was happening in our camp, and all those people who turned me down suddenly decided that my music sounded a lot better than it did the first time round,” Legend added.
John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in New York in 2015. Dimitrios Kambouris
Kanye West, Big Sean and John Legend at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. Getty Images
Back in 2022, Legend stated the musicians couldn’t “sustain our friendship” because of West’s vocal assist for Donald Trump.
“He was upset that I didn’t support his run for presidency of the United States of America — for understandable reasons,” Legend defined on “The Axe Files” podcast. “I wasn’t alone in that, but, you know, he was not happy about that. And we really haven’t been close since then.”
In 2020, Legend famous in an interview with the Sunday Times that he and West have been “in different places” in their lives.
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