When Kanye West said he liked the way conservative Candace Owens thought and praised President Donald Trump — even posting photos of himself in a MAGA hat on social media — he got the attention of millions. Over the weekend, the rapper kept this support going with the release of a new track called “Ye vs. the People,” a collaboration with fellow rapper T.I.

In “Ye,” short for Yeezy (West’s nickname), West essentially has an open dialogue with T.I. about their political disagreements. During the rap, West doubles down on support for the sitting president.

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Perhaps the most notable lyrics in the rap came from West himself. He says, “See, that’s the problem with this damn nation. All blacks gotta be Democrats. Man, we ain’t made it off the plantation.”

Although not a conservative, West has been promoting freedom of thought lately on social media — and he’s continued doing so with his new song.

At one point in the rap, T.I. tells Kanye, “It’s bigger than your selfish agenda. If your election ain’t gon’ stop police from murderin’ n*****, then s***…”

Kanye responds to this assertion with, “Bruh, I never ever stopped fightin’ for the people. Actually, wearin’ the hat’ll show people that we equal.”

T.I. also comes at West hard, implying he’s selling out his race because of his allegiance to Trump. He says, in part, “Who you choose as your political party. You representin’ dudes just seem crude and cold-hearted. With blatant disregard for the people who put you in position. Don’t you feel an obligation to them?”

West, of course, disagreed with that notion.

“I feel an obligation to show people new ideas,” he raps. “And if you wanna hear ’em, there go two right here. ‘Make America Great Again’ had a negative perception. I took it, wore it, rocked it, gave it a new direction. Added empathy, care and love and affection. And y’all simply questionin’ my methods.”

At a time that rap music often contains violent and hateful messages, West provides some hope for those who are concerned about American culture. But not everyone has been so appreciative of his honesty.

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This is too bad for those who are upset — free thought and right-of-center ideas have been making it into mainstream culture lately. One of the most prominent platforms for this would be the successful television reboot of “Roseanne,” in which actress Roseanne Barr plays a Trump supporter. The revival debut drew an average of 18.1 million viewers and earned a 5.1 rating in the 18 to 49 age group, The Hollywood Reporter noted — making it the most popular running sitcom on television today.

The Right has been enjoying its share of success in the culture wars, whether or not the Left wants to admit it. Perhaps these recent successes and West’s ability to reach a different audience will result in more wins for conservative culture.

Tom Joyce is a freelance writer from the South Shore of Massachusetts. He covers sports, pop culture, and politics and has contributed to The Federalist, Newsday, ESPN, and other outlets.

(photo credit, homepage image: Kanye West @ MoMA, CC BY-SA 2.0, by Jason Persse; photo credit, article image: Kanye West Concert, CC BY-SA 2.0, by Marcus Linder)