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Will.i.am criticises Kanye West’s presidential bid: ‘It’s a dangerous thing to be playing with’

‘If you’re not serious, you don’t play with that, especially now’

Louis Chilton
Monday 13 July 2020 08:10 BST
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Will.i.am: Donald Trump support is 'the saddest thing in the world'

Will.i.am has described Kanye West‘s hypothetical presidential campaign as “a dangerous thing to be playing with”.

West announced earlier this month that he hoped to run for office this November, although some experts have expressed doubt that the rapper will be logistically able to follow through.

Will.i.am told The Mirror: “It’s a dangerous thing to be playing with. If you’re not serious, you don’t play with that, especially now.

“Like, what the f***, seriously, I don’t even know what community service you do.”

The Black Eyed Peas frrontman, whose real name is William Adams, said that there were “so many ways” to help out communities besides getting into politics, noting that “you don’t have to run for office to change people’s lives for the better”.

He added: “For the past 11 years I went back to the ghetto where I’m from and started a school. I started with 65 kids – now I have 720 kids and growing.”

Will.i.am is the latest in a number of celebrities who have criticised West’s prospective presidential campaign. Last week, Katy Perry gave a radio interview in which she said that “the presidential job is best suited for someone with experience, and that is a pro in their field”.

The “Roar” singer-songwriter also speculated that a Kanye West presidency could get “a little wild”.

TV personality Sharon Osbourne recently condemned West as well, calling the billionaire rapper “embarrassing” for accepting a loan worth between $2m and $5m (£1.6m and £4m) to avoid layoffs at his footwear company Yeezy.

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