Kanye West has said he 'doesn't regret' sharing an anti-Semitic tweet and said he "fought fire with fire" when posting the comment during a grilling from Piers Morgan.
The 45-year-old rapper has been widely condemned and had his Twitter account restricted after he said: "I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.
"The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda."
Kanye, legally known as Ye, later said he is "sorry for the people that I hurt" during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Talk TV.
In a teaser for the interview, Kanye initially refused to apologise as 57-year-old Piers asked: "My question to you is, do you now regret saying 'death con 3 on Jewish people', are you sorry you said that?"
Kanye replied: "No, absolutely not. Absolutely not."
The host said Kanye "should be" sorry, adding: "When you insult the Jewish people and say you're going death con 3 on the Jewish people, that is as racist as anything you say you've been through and any pain that you've experienced.
"It's the same thing. Racism is racism and you know that."
Kanye said that was the reason he said it and confirmed he knew it was racist when he posted the comment.
"I fought fire with fire. I'm not here to get hosed down. I'm a different type of freedom fighter," he said.
When pressed about his anti-Semitic comments further, he apologised for the pain and hurt he had caused.
He said: "I will say I'm sorry for the people that I hurt with the death con, with the confusion.
"I feel like I caused hurt and confusion and I am sorry for the families of the people who had nothing to do with the trauma that I had been through.
"I used my platform where you say, I hurt people, and I was hurt."
Piers responded: "It’s an Uncensored interview, you said something which you now wish you hadn’t said and you’ve apologised. I actually think that says a lot about you.
"That shows that you have got that ability to be self-aware, to know when you cross the line."
Kanye added: "It’s wrong to hold an apology hostage and I gotta let go of that and free myself of the trauma.
"And say I’m just going to give it all up to God right now and say to those families that I have hurt, I just want to give you a big hug. I say I am sorry for hurting you in my comments."
To watch the Kanye ‘Ye’ West interview watch Piers Morgan Uncensored's two hour show this Friday from 8pm.
Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV. Find TalkTV on Sky 526, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 and Sky Glass 508, live and on demand on the TalkTV app, streaming services and at Talk.TV.
