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Kanye West held SNL cast “hostage”, says Kenan Thompson

By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 3 October 2018

‘Saturday Night Live’ cast member Kenan Thompson has spoken about Kanye West’s impromptu pro-Trump speech at the end of last weekend’s show. He said that it was like the rapper was holding the other cast members, who were invited to join him on stage, “hostage”.

West appeared on the show as the musical guest, in theory to promote his new album ‘Yandhi’, although that wasn’t released on Saturday, as had been promised. More on that in a moment. At the end of the show, West invited the cast back up on stage following his final performance, and then went into a rant that carried on after the show had finished airing.

Interviewed on ‘Late Night With Seth Myers’, Thompson said that he had not been on stage, rather watched “the circus unfold” from backstage.

“We’re all entitled to our opinion”, he said of West’s controversial speech. “I don’t know if that’s the moment, necessarily, to hold people hostage like that, but hey…”

Of his castmates, who largely stood silent while West ranted in front of them, he added: “I felt so bad for those guys because it’s hard to stand there and not be able to debate somebody who goes so far against your personal opinion and just stand there and take it”.

Now, that album. West twice announced that it would be released on Saturday 29 Sep. He even predicted that it would come in at number two in the US album chart, below Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter V’. But come the big day, nothing was forthcoming. Now, according West’s wife Kim Kardashian, the release has been delayed until November as a post-Thanksgiving treat.

“Nov 23”, she tweeted. “Black Friday. ‘Yandhi’. TRUST ME, it is worth the wait”.

So, you’ll be able to listen to it while you punch an old woman trying to get the cheap TV you want.