Los Angeles, May 11 (NationPress) Grammy-winning Jazz musician John Legend has expressed his feelings regarding his former friend and collaborator, rapper Kanye West.

Legend remarked that it is “baffling” to witness the transformation of the once-celebrated artist and reflected on the camaraderie and mutual enthusiasm they shared during the mid-2000s, according to a report from Variety.

In an interview with The Times of London, he stated, “In those days, Kanye was incredibly passionate, exceptionally talented, and harbored grand aspirations not just for himself but for those around him. His optimism and creativity were boundless. It’s truly disheartening, and at times, astonishing, to observe his current situation.”

As reported by Variety, West played a pivotal role in revitalizing Legend’s waning music career back in 2004 when he brought the Grammy-winning pianist onto his label, GOOD Music. As one of the label's initial artists, Legend witnessed West's remarkable rise and troubling decline up close.

“Kanye skyrocketed to fame after producing Jay-Z’s album 'The Blueprint' in 2001,” Legend elaborated. “He then gained significant traction as a solo artist, and throughout that period, I was touring alongside him, performing at shows, gaining visibility not only as his singer and keyboardist but also as an artist in my own right. I faced numerous rejections from record labels. Then 'The College Dropout' sold 400,000 copies in its opening week, which sparked interest in our camp, and suddenly, everyone who had previously rejected me now believed my music was much more appealing than they had thought.”

Despite their fallout in 2022 following West's public endorsement of Donald Trump, Legend did not anticipate the situation with West to devolve to such extremes.

“I never foresaw the alarming behaviors we are witnessing now, including his troubling obsessions with antisemitism and anti-Blackness, which is heartbreaking to watch,” Legend remarked. “While we may not be equipped to analyze him, there certainly was a noticeable change after his mother passed away in 2007. That seemed to mark the beginning of his downward spiral, which has notably intensified in recent times.”