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Kanye West Responds To Taylor Swift Fans' Attempt To Block "CARNIVAL" From Going No. 1
On Wednesday (Feb. 14) night, Kanye West responded to efforts by Taylor Swift‘s fans to prevent his song from reaching the top of the charts.
On Instagram, West shared a screenshot of a stan account’s tweet that rallied others to stream Beyoncé’s “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” to block “CARNIVAL” from hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. He wrote, “When I said that I’m the new Jesus, b**ch, I wasn’t even thinking about Taylor Swift. That was a whole line before, but I appreciate the free promo.”
West also acknowledged Swift’s influence in the industry. He said, “Remember, I was on Taylor’s side when Scooter [Braun] bought her masters behind her back. She and Beyoncé are big inspirations to all musicians. We always say how both sell out tours and movies.”
Elsewhere, the Chicago rapper clarified his stance toward the pop icon’s followers. “To all Taylor Swift fans, I am not your enemy. I’m not your friend either, though,” the post read. West later addressed rumors of being removed from the Super Bowl, which were sparked by former NFL player Brandon Marshall.
“Also, I didn’t get kicked out of the Super Bowl. We left our seats to go to YG’s box and see different friends,” West explained. “My wife had never been to a Super Bowl, so I wanted to walk around and have a nice time. We had such a fun day.”
The lengthy statement arrived on the heels of West sharing a screenshot showing him dethroning Swift on Spotify’s Daily Top Artists Global chart. His complicated history with the “Bad Blood” artist dates back to a 2009 VMA incident, where he suggested that Beyoncé should’ve won the award for Best Female Video.
Shaquille O’Neal was another person mentioned in West’s Instagram post. The Yeezy designer said, “Oh, and to Shaq, I grew up looking up to you. I would love to hang with you and Jamie sometime. Jamie Salter is like a father figure to me.” It was a direct response to the former NBA player calling him a “lil’ boy” on the social media platform days earlier.