After Kanye West shared his support of President Donald Trump on Twitter, many publicly criticized the 40-year-old rapper who defended calling the president “his brother” and wearing an autographed “Make America Great Again” hat as a form of free-thought. His wife, Kim Kardashian-West, came to the rapper’s defense but also made him clarify his comments. John Legend tried to reason with West after his tweets.

On Thursday, West shared a text exchange he had with longtime friend. It appears Legend contacted to the “New Slaves” rapper to explain the power of his platform and how his alignment with Trump could pose some danger.  “I hope you’ll reconsider aligning yourself with Trump. You’re way too influential and powerful to endorse who he is and what he stands for,” wrote the singer/actor/producer. “So many people who love you feel so betrayed right now because they know the harm that Trump’s policies cause, especially to people of color. Don’t let this be part of your legacy. You’re the greatest artist of our generation.”

West replied, “I love you John and I appreciate your thoughts. You bringing up my fans or my legacy is a tactic based on fear used to manipulate my free thought.” The rapper went on a rant about how fear can be crippling to society the day before. Legend responded and told his friend to remember empathy and context as a part of his free-thinking.

Many criticized West for sharing the private moment, but he explained why shared it. “I tweeted the John text to show that there are people around me that disagree with me and voice their opinion,” he wrote. “I respect everyone’s opinion but I stand my ground. If you feel something don’t let peer pressure manipulate you.”

Donald Trump
john legend
Kanye West