The artist formerly known as Kanye West says he’s “the walking, living embodiment of anger.”
Ye, whose 2025 has been largely defined by another wave of Nazi nonsense, recently had an exchange with Jesse Lee Peterson, a pastor perhaps most known for his MAGA-aligned messaging. For example, Peterson has shared multiple social media posts as of late focused on why he believes July should be known as “White History Month.” This, of course, is in line with some of Ye’s recent controversies, including his White Lives Matter t-shirt design circa 2022.
“I think I’m the walking, living embodiment of anger,” Ye said during a church group discussion led by Peterson, who has repeatedly referred to a certain failed steak salesman and present-day sadist as “the great white hope.”
From there, Ye was asked why he hasn’t dropped his anger, followed by an invitation to introduce himself to the group.
“My name is Ye,” he said, adding that he “heard about [Peterson] from Hassan,” presumably Hassan Khaffaf, a Ye collaborator who previously appeared on Peterson’s podcast.
Further questioning saw Ye pointing to “different events throughout my life” as contributing to his anger, prompting Peterson to ask whether Hassan had informed Ye of what he claimed was a need to “forgive your mother,” as, in Peterson’s words, “your anger came from her.” Ye said he had not heard this argument prior to his appearance at Peterson’s meeting, though he expressed a fondness for “this really stern, black-and-white approach” to the topic.
“I feel that I see clarity in it,” Ye said when Peterson urged him to move toward forgiveness of both of his parents.
The discussion also saw Ye talking about what he described as his metaphorical navigation system constantly “re-routing,” with an admission of not knowing “how to answer” when asked who he is.
Footage is available below, if of interest. To prevent being exposed to the full thing, go ahead and fast-forward to about an hour and five minutes in. That’s when the Ye exchange pops up. While Ye can’t be seen in the video, his voice is heard identifying himself.
Donda West, Ye’s late mother and the inspiration behind the title and concept of the 24-time Grammy winner’s 2021 album (not to mention numerous other songs and creative projects), died in 2007 at the age of 58. A year after his mother’s death, Ye released what is arguably his most influential album, the mournful and challenging 808s & Heartbreak.
As for what’s next for Ye musically, a presumably tweaked version of Bully, previously released in an unfinished form, is expected to be released later this month, though plans could certainly shift in the meantime.
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