John Legend Opens Up About Kanye West’s Transformation: 'He’s Not the Same Person I Once Knew'

John Legend is opening up about his longtime friendship and eventual fallout with rapper Kanye West. In a new interview with The Times published on Saturday, May 10, Legend looked back at their bond, which started in the early 2000s. He described West at the time as “very passionate, very gifted,” and said he had "big dreams not only for himself but also for all the people around him.”

“He had so much optimism, so much creativity,” John Legend continued. “It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where he is now.” The two musicians became close while working on music together, especially during the period surrounding the release of West’s debut album The College Dropout in 2004.

Legend shared that being around Kanye West early in his career gave him valuable exposure. He shared that West rose to fame after producing Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint in 2001 and soon gained attention as a solo artist. During that time, Legend was traveling with him, performing as his singer and keyboard player, which also helped him gain visibility as an artist.

He mentioned that before this period, many music labels had rejected him, but West’s rising popularity changed that. After The College Dropout sold 400,000 copies in its first week, there was a surge of interest in their team. According to Legend, the same people who had previously dismissed his music suddenly found it much more appealing.

When asked why Kanye West has changed so much over the years, Legend pointed to a key life event. “I don’t think we’re qualified to psychoanalyze him, but after his mother passed in 2007, there was definitely a difference,” he said. “His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently.”

In recent years, Kanye West has been in the headlines for controversial behavior, including making antisemitic comments and speaking publicly about his personal struggles, particularly regarding custody of his children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian.

On April 30, Kanye went on a livestream where he talked about not being able to see his children, North, 11, Saint, 9, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 5.

“Akademiks put that battery in my back, bro. ‘Cause I was in the airport by myself…I’mma go get these kids, man!” West said in a video shared by Hollywood Unlocked. “I’m talking to the lawyers, it gets to the point where I don’t lose my f***ing mind where I got to get used to not seeing my kids.”

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