Kanye's New Song Sparks Controversy Over Taylor Swift Reference
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CBSNewYork/AP) — Kanye West is caught in the middle of another controversy with Taylor Swift after making a reference to the singer on his latest album.
West debuted his album, "The Life of Pablo," at the Yeezy Season 3 fashion show at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. The album included a song called, "Famous," in which he called the "Bad Blood" singer a "bitch" and said he made her famous.
On his Twitter account, he said the lyric was not an insult. "I did not diss Taylor Swift and I've never dissed her," he wrote.
"I called Taylor and had a hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings," he wrote.
West also went to twitter claiming Swift came up with the "idea."
"She was having dinner with one of our friends who's name I will keep out of this and she told him, 'I can't be mad at Kanye because he made me famous!" Kanye tweeted, adding that the information is a #fact.
Tree Paine, Swift's publicist, said in a statement that West did not ask Swift for approval.
"Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single 'Famous' on her Twitter account," the statement said. "She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message. Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric."
West defended his use of the word "bitch," saying it was an endearing term in hip hop. He also said he asked wife Kim Kardashian for permission and that she was "cool with it."
Meanwhile, Swift's friends have come to her defense on social media. Taylor Swift's brother, Austin, posted an Instagram video of him throwing Yeezy shoes in a trashcan.
West famously interrupted Swift's speech during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards when she won for best female video. But the two apparently put differences aside and she introduced him when he won the video vanguard award at the 2015 VMAs.
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