Kanye ‘Ye’ West Once Opened Up About How He Still Loves His Cousin Who’s ‘Locked Up For Murder’
Kanye “Ye” West has once again thrust himself into the cultural spotlight after releasing his new single, “COUSINS.” The track delves into deeply personal and controversial territory. West recounts his childhood experiences with his cousin, who is now serving a life sentence for murder. The song’s lyrics detail an incestuous relationship that began at the age of 6, sparking widespread media attention. Here’s what West previously said about his cousin while on late-night TV, well before the release of his single.
Kanye ‘Ye’ West once talked about his cousin, whom he references in his new track, ‘COUSINS’
Kanye “Ye” West caused widespread controversy after posting to X about his new single, “COUSINS.”
“This song is called COUSINS about my cousin that’s locked in jail for life for killing a pregnant lady a few years after I told him we wouldn’t ‘look at dirty magazines together’ anymore,” West wrote. “Perhaps in my self centered mess I felt it was my fault that I showed him those dirty magazines when he was 6 and then we acted out what we saw My dad had playboy magazines but the magazines I found in the top of my moms closet were different [sic].”
Those following West likely haven’t heard West talk so candidly about this cousin before. However, he once mentioned the same cousin while speaking to Jimmy Kimmel.
“It’s funny, the world we live in, there’s two main motivating forces. And I tweet about it all the time — it’s love or fear,” West explained while speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2019. “And you can’t explain love. You know, my cousin is locked up for murder, and I love him. And so he did a bad thing, but I still love him.”
West went on to discuss how his politics didn’t typically align with what people expected of him, thus angering them.
“I quite enjoy when people are mad at me about certain things,” he said.
Bianca Censori allegedly wants to stick by Kanye ‘Ye’ West after his release of ‘COUSINS’
After Kanye “Ye” West released his song, “BIANCA,” the public assumed Bianca Censori left West for good. The couple tied the knot in 2022. In 2025, they reportedly hit a few road bumps after their Grammy Awards stunt. Despite the rumors of a split, Censori and West were spotted together in Spain in April 2025. Now, a source says Censori plans to stick by West’s side amid the controversy over his song, “COUSINS.”
“Kanye and Bianca went to Spain for the release of this video because they knew it would stir up a lot of attention,” the source told DailyMail.com. “Bianca is fully supporting him through it. What Kanye did was incredibly brave and will help a lot of people. The song’s message speaks to survivors of childhood sexual abuse — something that happens far too often in families but is never discussed. This is going to help so many people who are suffering in silence, and she is proud of him.”
Kim Kardashian wants to protect their 4 children amid her ex’s controversies
Kim Kardashian and Kanye “Ye” West were married from 2014 to 2022. They have four children together and appeared to co-parent well until recently. However, sources now claim that Kardashian doesn’t want anything to do with West in light of his 2025 posts on X. From Nazi worship to upsetting personal admissions, Kardashian allegedly hopes to remove West from her life and keep their children safe.
In March 2025, a source told The U.S. Sun that Kardashian’s legal team planned to have Kardashian go for full custody. “Kim is determined to get Kanye and his threats removed from her life; she says she can’t live like this anymore,” the source said. “So despite her fears and worries over it, she knows it’s her only course of action to protect her and her children.”
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
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