After ‘Slavery…a choice' Blooper, Kanye Invited By Nigerian Senator to Tour Slave Routes in Africa

A Nigerian senator has invited American rapper Kanye West to visit slave ports in Africa for an education on the slave trade. The invitation for this unusual tour follows the hip-hop artist’s statements on entertainment site TMZ, “When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... For 400 years? That sounds like a choice."

Shehu Sani, a Nigerian senator, criticised Kanye’s comments, saying the musician's statements on the historic slave trade and its dark legacy was a slight on its victims.

Shehu tweeted out to the singer at @kanyewest and said, "If Kanye West thinks slavery was a choice, we will offer him a free ticket and tour guide to visit slave routes and camps in Badagry, Lagos, Ouida, Benin Republic, Ghana and Goree Island in Senegal to 'experience the choices in chains. Kanye defecated on the graves of victims."

The lawmaker in his tweet referred to trading posts on the coast of West Africa where people were enslaved and sold to the Americas. Africans were brought as slaves to the U.S. during the 17th and 18th century as a new country still under the crown’s rule began crop cultivation on a mass scale and needed cheap labour. The trade of Africans started by the British who brought them to their various colonies as field labour was continued by those populating the new world. U.S.’ granted equal rights to African-Americans in 1865 after the Civil War but it took a law in 1965 that ensured African-Americans across the U.S. could cast a vote.

After the backlash on social media as well as being criticised by a TMZ employee moments after his statement, Kanye has attempted  to clarify his statements on slavery.

"[T]o make myself clear. Of course I know that slaves did not get shackled and put on a boat by free will. My point is for us to have stayed in that position even though the numbers were on our side means that we were mentally enslaved," West said in a tweet.

The rapper said he was being attacked "for presenting new ideas."

The rapper has found himself embroiled in controversy these past few days, as West recently made headlines over his support for U.S. President Donald Trump, whom he referred to as his ‘brother’, in a tweet. He reiterated his support for the President in the TMZ interview, as West referred to Trump as "my boy" and says that the president is "one of rap's favourite people".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 05, 2018 11:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).