A CONSERVATIVE US rapper invited on to BBC Scotland to discuss Kanye West’s 2024 presidential bid has hit out at the broadcaster after it cut his interview short.
The BBC host ended the radio interview with Bryson Gray after the conversation moved onto accusations of antisemitism against West, accusations Gray argued were without foundation.
Gray – a MAGA supporter who won fame after Donald Trump thanked him personally on Instagram for attending a political rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina – claimed on Twitter that the BBC had ended the interview because he was defending West.
He also shared a two-minute clip of his full appearance on BBC Radio Scotland.
In the clip, Gray was asked for his reaction to news that West would try to run against Trump in the 2024 US presidential race. He said: “I think it was an exciting announcement.
“Let me tell you something, we’re living in one of the craziest timelines in history. Even at the very least this is like excitement and entertaining, so I like it.”
In October, West lost his partnership with Adidas and was restricted from posting on Twitter and Instagram after making antisemitic remarks on social media. The BBC host brought up West’s “appalling” remarks, which he compared to comments from Trump.
Gray questioned if the remarks were “that appalling”, adding: “I think people overhyped it. I think we’re living in a cancel culture. I don’t even understand what he said that could even be viewed as antisemitic if I’m being honest.
“And of course a lot of the things Trump said he has proven himself to be correct.”
Here is the FULL audio clip from the BBC radio Scotland of them kicking me off the station after defending .@kanyewest pic.twitter.com/aiFnbEKUem
— CCG BRYSON (@RealBrysonGray) November 25, 2022
The MAGA rapper was then challenged on West’s blaming “Jewish media and Jewish zionists for numerous alleged misdeeds, saying that Jewish people have owned the black voice, the Jewish community in the music industry they’ll take us and milk us till we die”.
“Those sound like antisemitic remarks to me,” the BBC host said.
Gray said: “It could sound that way but the reality is all the major labels, everybody knows there’s major labels and there’s the labels under it. But every single, the big three labels, they’re all owned by Jewish people.”
At this point the MAGA supporter was cut off by the BBC, which apologised on air for the “sentiments that were being expressed or about to be expressed”.
WOW. BBC Scotland radio just KICKED me off the station for defending Kanye West. I kid you not.
— CCG BRYSON (@RealBrysonGray) November 25, 2022
The incident led to a backlash from conservatives in the US after Gray posted the exchange on social media, also writing: “WOW. BBC Scotland radio just KICKED me off the station for defending Kanye West. I kid you not.”
Asked for comment, the rapper told The National: “They should have let me finished. I keep the sabbath, and I follow the Torah. Even suggesting that I was about to go on an ‘antisemitic’ tirade is laughable.
“How is it logical to initiate a disagreement then not allow the person to disagree. This is ironic because the Nazis also did things like this.”
The BBC was also approached for comment.
