In a rare moment of raw honesty, John Legend has opened up about the painful transformation of his former friend and collaborator Kanye West — a man he once knew as a brilliant dreamer with a head full of ambition and a heart full of music.
While reflecting on the 20th anniversary of his breakout album ‘Get Lifted’, Legend couldn’t help but talk about the man who played a huge role in shaping his early career.
Back in 2004, Kanye West wasn’t just riding a creative high — he was ‘the’ creative high. With his debut album ‘The College Dropout’ turning heads and ‘Get Lifted’ dropping under his GOOD Music label, West was a force in the music industry.
Kanye West served as executive producer on ‘Get Lifted’, working alongside Dave Tozer, will.i.am, and Devo Springsteen, and helped propel John Legend into the spotlight.
The album went on to sell over three million copies and won three Grammy Awards.
“He was passionate, gifted, and full of optimism,” Legend recalled in a new interview. “He had big dreams for himself and the people around him.”
But that’s not the Kanye we see today.
Legend didn’t mince words when he described West’s dramatic shift over the past decade. “It does feel sad, sometimes shocking, to see where he is now,” he admitted. And it’s not hard to see why.
In recent years, West has sparked outrage for everything from donning controversial clothing to spreading deeply offensive rhetoric, including antisemitic and anti-Black remarks. He’s even been banned from social media platforms like X for his troubling posts.
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“I didn’t see a hint of what we’re seeing now,” Legend said. “His obsessions with antisemitism, anti-Blackness… it’s sad to see his devolution.”
Legend believes the turning point may have been the tragic loss of West’s mother, Donda, in 2007. “I don’t think we’re qualified to psychoanalyse him,” he said, “but after his mother passed, there was definitely a difference. His descent started then and seems to have accelerated recently.”
The conversation took place as Legend celebrates two decades of ‘Get Lifted’ with a special anniversary tour. Looking back, he shared some behind-the-scenes stories about the album’s creation, including the emotional messiness that inspired its lyrics.
“I was 25 when the album was made. I had cheated, and felt guilty about it,” he said, referring to songs like ‘She Don’t Have to Know’. “It’s a soap opera. I don’t think my life was ever that interesting.”