The rapper issues a statement in which he apologizes to viewers and blasts BMAs for his heavily-censored set at the Sunday, May 17 awards show.
- May 20, 2015
AceShowbiz - Kanye West was one of the big names performing at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards which aired live on ABC on Sunday night, May 17. However, many fans were left disappointed because he got bleeped so much for the telecast due to his profanity-filled lyrics.
The rapper was of course not happy about it. On Tuesday, May 19, he issued a statement in which he apologized to viewers and blasted BMAs for his set, saying it was "grossly over-censored" and was "seriously misrepresented."
"Kanye West was grossly over-censored at the Billboard Music Awards," read the statement. "Non-profane lyrics such as 'with my leather black jeans on' were muted for over 30-second intervals. As a result, his voice and performance were seriously misrepresented."
"It is ridiculous that in 2015, unwarranted censorship is something that artists still have to fight against," it continues. "Although West was clearly set up to face elements beyond his control during the live broadcast, he would like to apologize to the television audience who were unable to enjoy the performance the way he envisioned."
A first-time BMA performer, West closed out the event with "All Day" off his upcoming album "Swish" as well as "Black Skinhead" from 2013's "Yeezus". He was on the stage for 5 minutes and 18 seconds, but fans at home could only hear him for about 4 minutes because of the censors.
