Controversial rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, has sparked debate after comparing himself to God and confessing to having “issues with Jesus” in a recent interview.
Ye was recently interviewed on Youtube show Big Boy TV, along with rapper Ty Dolla Sign, a collaborator on his new album Vultures 1.
Ye seemed to embrace Christianity over the past few years with his previous album Jesus is King, as well as leading his Sunday Service Choir.
But now he appears to now have a problem with his faith, claiming that he prayed for a lot of things and didn’t see “Jesus show up”.
He also said Christians depend on Jesus too much instead of “putting in the work themselves”.
“The main thing that really that I don't rock with is it's just always like, 'I'mma pray for you.' And it's just like, you can actually physically do something yourself too, more than just pray,” he told interviewer Big Boy.
“We're so in this mentality that that's all that needs to happen but we ain't praying our way out of prison. We ain't praying our way out the abortion clinics. We ain't praying our way to get our land back that was always ours after gentrification, after the Harlem Renaissance and Black Wall Street was burned to the ground. Them prayers ain't working."
The rapper also said he’s faced many threats that he didn’t pray his way through. “I had so much to do, I didn’t have time to pray…. And look where I’m at today,” he said.
During the hour and 19 minute conversation, Ye also suggested that he was the God of himself, when asked how he managed to stay relevant in the music industry for decades.
His recent comments are in stark contrast to ones made at a listening party in 2019, in which he said he was a "born-again Christian" and wanted to share the gospel.
Some YouTube comments on the Big Boy TV video were ones of encouragement for the rapper.
One YouTube user said: “God is with you Ye just continue to seek God's grace and trust God . The devil is doing everything to destroy you but because the faith you have in Jesus the devil cannot control you.”
Another posted: “I can relate to Ye; you pray about it, but then you must go out and do the work. God will be with you!”
However, others have posted about how they were put off by his comments on Christianity.
Christian YouTuber Nick Jones posted a reaction video to the interview said he’s convinced Ye is not a Christian. One commenter said: “His faith was never in Jesus. His faith is in his wealth, and people.”
