Oh Yeezus, Kanye eyes role as 46th US president
Once a staunch supporter of US President Donald Trump, Kanye West has announced that he is to run for the presidency himself.
The 43-year-old rapper, reportedly the highest-paid musician in the world, announced his candidacy in a social media post on Twitter.
“We must now realise the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future,” he wrote. “I am running for president of the United States! #2020VISION.”
However, West may have left his bid for the Oval Office a bit too late, with the filing deadline for independent candidates having passed in several major states.
He will have to move fast to get his name on the ballot in Florida, Oklahoma, Michigan and South Carolina – states which hold 61 votes in the Electoral College but it was unclear whether West has started to file the necessary paperwork to get his name on the November ballot.
West has already secured one high-profile endorsement, with Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, saying the rapper had his full support.
The 21-time Grammy winner’s presidential ambitions surfaced a few days after he released a single, Wash Us in the Blood. He is also due to release a new album, God’s Country, soon.
A frequent visitor to the White House, West – the husband of reality TV star Kim Kardashian – was one of Trump’s highest-profile supporters.
Frequently pictured wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, West once said he and the president shared “dragon energy”.
Whether West will have a significant impact on the election is questionable, although some speculate that he could help Trump by peeling off black votes from the Democrat candidate.