Kanye West, now known as Ye, has once again sparked debate after publicly pleading with U.S. President Donald Trump to release hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs from jail.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Ye posted a simple yet bold message: “FREE PUFF.” His post immediately set off speculation, with fans questioning what prompted his sudden demand for Diddy’s freedom.
Diddy has been behind bars since his arrest last September on sex trafficking charges—a dramatic downfall for the Bad Boy Records founder, who once dominated the music industry. While there’s no indication Trump has any power to intervene in the case, Ye made his appeal clear, tagging the former president directly in another post: “@realDonaldTrump PLEASE FREE MY BROTHER PUFF.”
The outspoken rapper didn’t stop there. He continued his unfiltered stream of thoughts, taking aim at what he called “woke shit” and voicing his frustrations over the music industry’s treatment of Chris Brown. But what truly reignited controversy was his revival of a comment that shook the internet in 2018—his claim that “slavery is a choice.”
Bringing back his infamous stance, Ye appeared to double down on his original words from a now-infamous TMZ Live interview. Back then, he shocked audiences by saying:
“When you hear about slavery for 400 years — for 400 years? That sounds like a choice.”
On Thursday, his latest posts suggested he still stands by that sentiment, reinforcing his belief that the Black community remains mentally imprisoned. He previously argued that the word “imprisoned” was more fitting than “slavery” because it applies to all races.
As usual, Ye’s statements ignited an online firestorm, with some defending his right to free speech and others slamming his remarks as reckless and harmful.
For now, Diddy remains in legal limbo, Trump has yet to respond, and Ye—never one to stay silent—continues to push buttons in ways only he can.
