Kim Kardashian has taken to Twitter to defend husband Kanye West against accusations from longtime pal, Rhymefest.
Rhymefest is one of Kanye West’s oldest friends, having met as young musicians in Chicago, but the pair appear to have had a falling out over their charity, Donda’s House.
Longtime collaborator Rhymefest has called the rapper out on Twitter for having ‘abandoned’ the charity, and Kim wasn’t having any of it.
Here’s what went down.
It all started when Rhymefest got involved in Kanye and Pusha T’s beef with Drake
This week, Pusha T released ‘Infrared’ from album ‘Daytona’, a track where he mocks Drake’s alleged use of a ghost writer.
Drake responded with a new freestyle he dubbed ‘Duppy Freestyle’, where he disses Pusha T’s label boss Kanye West, rapping about sending an invoice over for the publicity.
After Pusha took to Twitter to request said invoice, Drake followed through, invoicing Pusha’s label for $100,000 for reviving his career.
Rhymefest then waded in, tweeting Drake and asking for money to ‘help us rebuild Kanye’s mother’s house for the youth of Chicago. I spoke to Kanye about it. His response was “fuck the youth of Chicago”‘.
I’m asking @Drake to help the part of Chicago Kanye has Abandoned! Please contact @DondasHouse
— Rhymefest (@RHYMEFEST) May 26, 2018
@Drake when G.O.O.D. Music sends the money they owe you, will you please help us rebuild Kanye’s mothers house for the youth of Chicago. I spoke to Kanye about it. His response was “fuck the youth of Chicago”
— Rhymefest (@RHYMEFEST) May 26, 2018
Wait, Kanye’s mother’s house?
He’s referring to Donda’s House, the charity that he, his wife Donnie Smith, and Kanye set up in 2011, in memory of Kanye’s late mother, Dr Donda West, who died in 2007 of complications following surgery.
It’s an initiative in the musicians’ native Chicago, where at-risk young people are given a leg-up into the music industry, offering them skills in music writing and recording.
Kanye is a Founding Board Member, with Donnie Smith as Executive Director and Rhymefest working as Creative Director.
Why is Kanye accused of abandoning the charity?
On Friday, Donda’s House released a statement distancing itself from Kanye, ‘due to Kanye’s statements and tweets’ – referencing the rapper’s recent vocal support of Donald Trump.
‘We have been tagged in comments on social media about Kanye West, and we have been questioned by our foundational supporters and corporate supporters about Kanye’s public involvement in our organization,’ the statement reads.
‘While we cannot and do not speak for Kanye West and his views, we can and will speak up for the youth that we serve. We ask that those who feel hurt, angered by or frustrated with Kanye West not penalize or throw away their support, respect and advocacy for us.
‘We ask that as you boycott and protest Kanye West, that you not forget that we are a non-profit organization that like other non-profits needs donations, corporate support and volunteers.
‘We do not want your rejection of Kanye West, to be a rejection of Dr. Donda West and the thousands of lives she impacted including her own son.’
Due to the high volume of traffic on our website, the site keeps going in & our. Please view our statement via the attached screenshots. It is also available in full on our Facebook Page. pic.twitter.com/U0MITce8eg
— Art of Culture, Inc. (@ArtofCultureInc) May 26, 2018
So how did Kim Kardashian get involved?
Staying quiet following the above statement, it seems Rhymefest’s tweet to Drake was the straw that broke the camel’s back, resulting in a barrage of tweets from Kim, accusing Rhymefest of twisting the truth.
U haven’t been right since u got kicked out of the studio in Hawaii wearing fake Yeezy’s @RHYMEFEST ? You’re over levergenging Kanye’s name & asked Kanye to donate money to u so stop w your fake community politics & lies. Truth is you haven’t been able to sustain the foundation
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 26, 2018
I saw you at our studio a few weeks ago so why didn’t you bring this up then @RHYMEFEST ? You were trying to get Kanye to listen to your sub par beats. You have the audacity to use Kanye’s mom name to try to shead a negative light on Kanye.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 26, 2018
You didn’t say this when Kanye paid you up front then you disappeared during Pablo #RealFriends @RHYMEFEST
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 26, 2018
Fuck i spelled leveraging wrong. Typing while pissed will do this to you ?
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 26, 2018
We’ve all been there.
Kim then warned Rhymefest that she would make it her mission ‘to take Donda’s House from you and let my children run it the way it should be run!’ before making what appears to be a dig at the rapper about his work on Kanye’s upcoming album.
She also took a swipe at Rhymefest, saying none of her followers know who he is.
You better believe I will make it my mission to take Donda’s House from you and let my children run it the way it should be run! @RHYMEFEST
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 26, 2018
Oh and lastly your flight cancelled to Wyoming. You thought you were really worthy to be on this album ???
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 26, 2018
Sorry to all of my followers for flooding my timeline I know you have no idea who Rhymefest is.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 26, 2018
How did Rhymefest respond to all this?
The rapper took to Twitter to post a lengthy response, making a dig at Kanye’s alleged abandonment of the local community by retorting: ‘I don’t care if no-one on your timeline knows who I am. The people in my community and in my city do, and that’s what truly matters to me.’
He then goes on to say that while in the studio with Kanye in the last couple of months, he tried bringing up the future of Donda’s House but Kanye ‘was more interested in his record’.
The rapper also accuses Kim of never having never actually been to visit the charity.
Hey @KimKardashian good to hear from you. Here’s my response pic.twitter.com/dWvwZfr1b5
— Rhymefest (@RHYMEFEST) May 27, 2018
Regarding her threat to take the organisation off him, he responds: ‘If you and Kanye want us to dissolve the organisation so that you can do the work, we welcome that.
‘As we will continue from our home on the South Side of Chicago, to do what we can to support the community we”ve worked for five years to build in spite of you and Kanye’s lack of interest or support.’
He also takes a dig at the reality TV star, saying: ‘In your position of privilege from God knows where in the world…’.
Has Kim responded to this?
As yet, no. She has posted to Twitter since though, promoting her fragrance.
However, Donda’s House has now posted a ‘final statement’, announcing that it will no longer go by that name.
‘This has been an incredibly difficult decision but the social media quotes from Kim Kardashian West, as well as the expressed interest of her family running the organisation, has brought us to this decision,’ it reads.
The charity ‘encourages Kim and Kanye to indeed pick up the baton of service’ and informs supporters and partners that it will reach out in the coming weeks ‘to discuss next steps’.
Please read the attached final statement regarding the future of @DondasHouse, effective immediately: @kanyewest & @KimKardashian. pic.twitter.com/aNVWbJ1h49
— Art of Culture, Inc. (@ArtofCultureInc) May 27, 2018
Has Kanye West responded to any of this?
Again, not publicly, no.
At time of writing, he hasn’t been on Twitter since Friday (May 25).
The Donda’s House website is now offline.