American rapper and fashion mogul Kanye West has stirred intense reactions online following a deeply personal and disturbing revelation shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Easter Monday.
In the post, the 47-year-old artist announced an upcoming track titled Cousin, which he says is inspired by a relative who is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of a pregnant woman.
West has previously mentioned having a cousin incarcerated but had not shared specific details until now.
Along with a music video for the track, Kanye shared an emotional and unsettling statement, implying that he blames himself in part for the violent path his cousin later took.
According to the rapper, they were exposed to adult materials as children, which led to them “acting out what [they] saw.”
He wrote:
“This song is called COUSIN, about my cousin that’s locked in jail for life for killing a pregnant lady — a few years after I told him we wouldn’t ‘look at dirty magazines together’ anymore.
Perhaps in my self-centered mess, I felt it was my fault that I showed him those dirty magazines when he was 6, and then we acted out what we saw.
My dad had Playboy magazines, but the ones I found in the top of my mom’s closet were different.”
His Tweet reads: “My name is Ye and I sucked my cousins d**k till I was 14.
The post has sparked widespread concern, debates, and calls for mental health support, with many fans and critics alike unsure whether it was a moment of vulnerability, artistic expression, or a plea for help.
