Features
Kanye West Remarks Cut From Storytellers
A program like “Storytellers” seems tailor-made for a performer like West, an artist known for speaking his mind no matter the possible blowback.
But when the hip-hop star complained about Radiohead and defended Chris Brown, the program’s producers evidently decided some of West’s stories didn’t need telling.
During a Feb. 13 taping of “Storytellers,” West said Radiohead’s Thom Yorke snubbed him backstage at the Grammys. West said the alleged non-attention hurt him because he idolizes Radiohead, a band he considers as one of his few creative equals, Reuters reports.
“So when he performed at the Grammys, I sat the f— down,” West said.
Shortly after dropping a Radiohead-directed f-bomb, West told the VH1 audience that Chris Brown deserves a break.
“Can’t we give Chris a break?” said West, referring to all the media attention Brown has received since being arrested for allegedly beating Rihanna on the morning of the Grammy Awards. “I know I make mistakes in life.”
And, for good measure, West also told the audience that Michael Jackson, O.J. Simpson and Michael Phelps are, in his words, “Amazing.”
“Michael Jackson, amazing. Michael Phelps, amazing … He’s a real f—in’ person; he makes mistakes,”
“O.J. Simpson, amazing. Is he not? What he did, when he did, what he did. Was he not amazing though?”
Olympic swimming champion Phelps has seen his share of controversy lately since a photo depicting him taking bong hits surfaced a few weeks ago. Jackson and Simpson have often been epicenters of controversies over the years including a child-molestation trial resulting in acquittal for the Jackson; an acquittal for Simpson on charges he murdered his ex-wife, and a more recent conviction on robbery charges.
Apparently the Radiohead and Chris Brown remarks were edited out of the final version of the program, and remarks about Phelps, Jackson and Simpson will air, presumably without the cuss words.
But don’t blame it on any conspiracy to silence the outspoken performer. VH1 says some of West’s remarks merely went longer than necessary.
“A lot of the stories that Kanye told went long,” executive producer Bill Flanagan told Reuters. “I tried to get to the essence of his comments.”
Flanagan also said “Storytellers” encourages artists to talk and producers regularly edit out any “gotcha moments.”
West’s appearance on “Storytellers” is scheduled to debut on VH1 Feb. 28.
Read Reuters’ report here.