Chance the Rapper released a statement Friday clarifying comments he made Wednesday about Democrats and black people.
"Black people don't have to be Democrats," Chance tweeted Wednesday
The rapper posted the comment in response to rapper Kanye West, who stirred controversy after posting a number of tweets that had a conservative slant.
On Friday, President Donald Trump mentioned Chance in a tweet, thanking him and West.
The rapper made the comment "at the wrongest time," Chance said in a Friday tweet.
The rapper said in the statement that he weighed in not to support Trump, but to defend West: "Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about my city and my loved ones. Kanye West is not just a mentor or big homie to me. He’s my family. No matter how much I may disagree with him, it’s hard for me to watch people talk about someone I love — even if they were justified in doing so."
"My statement about black folks not having to be Democrats (though true), was a deflection from the real conversation and stemmed from a personal issue with the fact that Chicago has had generations of Democratic officials with no investment or regard for black schools, neighborhood, or black lives. But again, said that **** at the wrongest time," Chance wrote.
Chance also took aim at Trump in the statement. "I’d never support anyone who has made a career out of hatred, racism, and discrimination," he wrote.
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