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Kanye West: 'Glastonbury petition was not about race'

Written by . Published: June 30 2015

Rapper Kanye West has dismissed suggestions a petition calling for him to be axed from the line-up of Britain's Glastonbury Festival was driven by racism.


The Gold Digger hitmaker headlined at the traditionally rock-orientated event over the weekend (27-28Jun15) but his inclusion on the bill met with controversy in the run-up to the festival.


A petition calling for him to be removed from the bill attracted more than 130,000 signatures, but West ignored the comments and put on a typically confident show which divided critics.


Now he has spoken out to dismiss suggestions the petition was motivated by racism but admits he fears many of his enemies dislike him because he is a black man who is not afraid to speak his mind.


He tells Q magazine, "I'm not concerned about race. I don't think it has to do with race at all. There's something abnormal about anyone speaking their mind in today's society. It's even more shocking or radical for someone to see a darker skin be so confident. Because we've been advertised against it. So it's surprising when someone darker really believes in themselves and speaks up about it."

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