Ye, the artist once known as Kanye West, has been targeting Trevor Noah in public for some time.
Ye was removed from Instagram earlier in the year for what the company described as “hate speech, harassment, and bullying” towards the South African comedy.
Last week, in his most recent diss, Ye referred to Noah as “not even from America, he just looks black,” sparking outrage on Mzansi Twitter.
In response to a member of the crowd who asked him why he was beefing with Ye, Noah made some of his most candid and heartfelt words on the subject to date.
“I never had conflict with Kanye West; I was concerned about Kanye West,” he continued, eliciting chuckles from the audience. “No, I truly mean this.”
Noah then criticized society’s apparent disregard for Ye’s claim that he had a mental health condition and wasn’t taking his medication, despite the fact that no one appears concerned enough to intervene.
Ye referred to Noah as being “not even from America, he just look black”, which sparked uproar on Mzansi Twitter.
Responding to a question from an audience member who asked him why he was beefing with Ye, Noah shared some of his most open and sincere remarks on the topic yet.
“I was never beefing with Kanye West, I was concerned about Kanye West,” he said, which drew laughter from the crowd. “No, genuinely I mean this.”
Noah then lambasted how society seemingly ignored how Ye said that he had a mental health issue and that he wasn’t taking his medication but no one seemingly cares enough to step in.
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Then, he drew a parallel between his grandfather’s bipolar disorder and the role of his family in supporting him during his bouts.
Noah further explained that all of his remarks directed at Ye were made out of concern and not malice.
He continued by describing how he had grown up listening to Ye’s songs.
Few hip hop musicians have influenced how I perceive music. The punchlines that he had in every single song were similar to listening to comedy, and he adored stand-up comedy… I still love him despite his foul language.”
Noah then mentioned that when he was younger, people in South Africa would tell you face-to-face if you were out of line, rather than pretending they don’t see what’s going on. He went on to say that he believes Americans do nothing until it’s too late about things they see happening in front of their eyes.
“I have no issues with a person who has openly disclosed that they are suffering with a mental health condition. What I have a problem with is that society doesn’t rally around a person and say, “Hey, maybe this isn’t the time to put a microphone in your face so you can say whatever you want!”
He then went on to share an analogy of how his grandfather had bipolar and his family’s role was to support him even when he was having one of his episodes.
Noah also added that all of his comments towards Ye were coming from a place of concern and not meant to be malicious.
He went on to explain how he grew up listening to Ye’s music.
“There are few hip hop artists who have shaped how I see music. The punchlines that he had in every single song, it was like listening to comedy, the sketches that he had, he loved stand up comedy… I still love him despite the s*** that he talks.”
Noah then made reference to how when he grew up people here in SA would tell you to your face when you were out of order instead of sitting by and acting like they don’t see what’s going on, before adding that he felt like Americans do nothing about the things they see happening in front of their eyes until it’s too late.
“I don’t have beef with a human being that has expressed openly that they’re dealing with a mental health issue. What I have beef with is is as society not coming together around a person and say, ‘Hey maybe this is not the moment to put a microphone in your face so that you just go off saying everything’.”