--- description: West covered a lot of ground during his VMAs speech, from the murder rate in Chicago to a recent controversy with Taylor Swift. title: Kanye West Addresses Taylor Swift Feud in VMAs Speech image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6c4b423183f6c649/6988a3f6a988ca3eb26b938d/kanye-west-vmas.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # See Kanye West Address the Taylor Swift Controversy and Violence Against Black Men at VMAs  by [Eliza Berman](/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Aug 29, 2016 2:44 AM CUT  Rapper Kanye West speaks onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016. Rapper Kanye West speaks onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016.Noam Galai—Getty Images  by [Eliza Berman](/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Aug 29, 2016 2:44 AM CUT It was announced before Sunday night’s VMAs that [Kanye West](http://time.com/4413263/james-corden-has-a-heart-to-heart-with-kanye-west-in-this-taylor-swift-recording-parody/ "undefined") would have the floor for four minutes—and given the rapper’s willingness to court controversy, they were among the most anticipated minutes of the evening. When West took the floor Sunday night, he announced that he planned to debut a new music video—“but before I do that,” he said, “I’ma talk.” West covered a lot of ground during the speech, ranging from the murder rate in Chicago to his idols in the business world to comments on a [recent controversy](http://time.com/4410370/taylor-swift-kim-kardashian-kanye-west/ "undefined") with Taylor Swift (for a full explainer on their drama, see [here](http://time.com/4411055/kanye-west-taylor-swift-kim-kardashian-feud/ "undefined")). He opened on a light note, though, joking that even if his “Famous” video loses to Beyoncé in the Video of the Year category, he won’t be mad because he’s “always wishing for Beyoncé to win”—a reference to the moment, at the 2009 VMAs, when the Swift-West beef first began. He went on to address the latest events in their [melodrama](http://time.com/4410393/taylor-swift-kim-kardashian-kanye-west-feud-memes/ "undefined") by saying that he’s a lover of all, and that’s why he called Swift to ask permission to include a controversial reference to her, which she later denied giving full permission to use, in “Famous.” But West’s remarks took a serious turn from there, as he proceeded to recount an anecdote when a young black Chicagoan told him last year that three of his friends had been killed and wondered if he would be next. He quoted three ways in which people are kept in poverty—by taking away their esteem, their resources, and their role models—and objected to “older rich people, a.k.a. white,” telling him not to compare himself to creative and business icons like Henry Ford, Walt Disney and Steve Jobs. Before introducing his new video for “Fade,” a steamy “Flashdance”-inspired workout featuring Teyana Taylor, he acknowledged one of his idols in the audience, Puff Daddy, as well as his wife and “thought leaders” like Jaden Smith and 2 Chainz. Then, returning to the light mood with which he opened his remarks, he concluded: “Tonight, we’re here to have fun.” ### VMAs 2016: See Celebrities on the Red Carpet  Beyoncé attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Larry Busacca—Getty Images  Nicki Minaj attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Britney Spears attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Nick Jonas attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Amber Rose attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Heidi Klum attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Future attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Rita Ora attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Jaden Smith attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Sean Combs attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty Images  Ariana Grande attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  DJ Khaled attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Kevin Mazur—Getty Images  Naomi Campbell attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Rupaul's Drag Race All Stars attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Angela Weiss—AFP/Getty Images  2 Chainz attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Halsey attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Fashion designer Jeremy Scott and model Stella Maxwell attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty Images  Lance Bass attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Baddie Winkle attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Jay Pharoah attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Chance the Rapper attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty Images  Fabolous attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Tinashe attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Cassie attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty Images  Ty Dolla Sign attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty Images  Flo Rida attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Desiigner attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Nicholas Hunt—Getty Images  Farrah Abraham attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Hailey Baldwin attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28, 2016 in New York City. 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