Irrespective of how he may come across, Kanye West has always been unapologetically himself. He is extremely vocal about who he is, whether it is his relationships, mental health issues, or political views. In fact, his political ideologies ruffled many feathers in the industry and severed ties with his once close friend, John Legend. 

Despite their strained friendship at the moment, the All of Me singer and songwriter bestows credit upon Kanye for his initial hits.

John Legend illustrates how Kanye West contributed to his career

An EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) winner today, one simply can’t imagine that the extremely talented John Legend was also once a struggling artist. In his latest Audible Original titled Living Legend, the Green Light singer opened up about his challenges and Kanye West‘s influence in the nascent stage of his musical journey. In fact, as an executive producer, Kanye provided a modern touch to Legend’s 2004 debut Get Lifted. That album put John Legend on the map as a rising R&B star.

The Wonder Woman singer had only good things to say about West’s “creative genius“ and how paramount working with Ye was for him. “He really elevated my sound,” said Legend, and further elaborated how West made sure John’s work was “ready for prime time.”

“He brought his hip-hop drums and sensibility together with my musicality and my roots and gospel and soul, and we made something that was fresh and beautiful,” shared the Minefields artist.

The rapper and producer signed John Legend to his G.O.O.D. Music label, playing a noteworthy role in his career. By John’s own admission, “my music wouldn’t have been as cool without someone like Kanye influencing me.” He owes the success of that album to their collaboration, their connection, and the merging of their sounds. Additionally, not many are aware that, among others, John was a part of Kanye’s album, The College Dropout.

It wasn’t until Kanye’s 2020 presidential campaign that the two friends drifted apart. The fact that Legend chose to not support West in his presidential running didn’t sit well with the Power singer.

What are your thoughts about Kanye West and John Legend’s friendship and eventual fall out? Let us know in the comments. In the meantime, you can watch Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy streaming on Netflix.