Watch Kanye West Back Off Taylor Swift In A Big Way

Kanye West and Taylor Swift are in a weird, unsettling feud of the month. We’ve stated before that we’re somewhat over both it and him—but really, there’s no putting this hot potato down. After West called out Swift—in a quite ugly fashion—on The Life of Pablo, Swift shot back with a nice bit of positive shade at the Grammy Awards. Days later, leaked audio revealed that West had used the previous weekend to slam her again (for no apparent reason) during a backstage “meltdown” during prep for his Saturday Night Live appearance.

Add in the history of West bum-rushing Taylor at the Grammys in 2009, and you’ve got a picture of a man with a weird, unhealthy obsession with another artist who has done nothing wrong to him. It’s one-sided and troubling.

Well, hopefully, some comments West made to a group of paparazzi yesterday will go ways in ending this ugly story. When pressed by a gaggle of reporters, West gave up this quote to the crowd on his persisting beef with Swift. “I want the best for that person,” he said. “But it’s people going through real issues out here. It’s people that’s out of work. It’s people that’s in debt that can’t make it out of the debt. There’s people in debt that don’t have a shoe. There’s people that’s in debt that don’t have a hit album out, also. The media tries to make this ongoing story and everything for hits. I don’t think people care about me or her in that way. People care about they families, they kids. If you like my music listen to it. If you like her music, listen to it.”

Um, okay? Again, this is West doing his best as an advocate for the disenfranchised, albeit through his sometimes warped view of what’s important. (What shoes and albums have to do with a good life is beyond us.) As well, it’s highly disingenuous to claim that it is we, in the media, who are forcing this story. West has been doing that quite well—and arguably intentionally—all by himself.

That said, the brusk end of his quote there and the way he delivered them in the video below, suggest he’s about as over this as we are. To be clear, this isn’t burying the hatchet. What it does sound like, however, is that he’s giving the hell up on this. At least, that’s what we’re truly hoping for here.  

To see his comments yourself and get some clarification on his personal debt crisis, click play.