Kanye West has claimed his dad Ray West, a former Black Panther, "loved" his controversial 'White Lives Matter' T-shirt.
The rapper, 45, received an onslaught of criticism after he wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan at a surprise fashion show in Paris earlier this month.
He wore the same top again while cheering on his eldest daughter during a basketball game in Los Angeles.
The Anti-Defamation League has previously called the phrase 'White Lives Matter' a hate slogan and it is widely recognised as an attack on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Kanye has now said that his dad, an advocate for social justice, praised his choice to wear the ''White Lives Matter' top.
"My dad loved the White Lives Matter T-shirt because what audacity does a black man have to wear the exact same T-shirt that a white man could wear?
"You know, my dad was a Black Panther," he said in an explosive interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored.
Ye's dad Ray embarked on his activism journey when he joined the Black Panthers in the 60s. The political organisation was set up to challenge police brutality against the African American community.
Kanye previously posted a message about Ray on Instagram, as he said he had made his dad "proud".
Writing in all capitals, he said: "For the first time in 45 years I made my super-educated former Black Panther father proud."
He also shared a screenshot of a conversation between him and his father. In the post, Kanye asked Ray what he liked about the 'White Lives Matter' T-shirts.
His dad replied: "That a Black Man was declaring the obvious."
Following his 'White Lives Matter' controversy, Kanye made a series of anti-Semitic comments on social media, leading to both his Twitter and Instagram accounts being restricted for a violation of their policies.
He had his Instagram account suspended after sharing a post which involved anti-Semitic tropes, accusing Sean "Diddy" Combs of being controlled by "the Jewish people".
He later tweeted: "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 blackball anyone whoever opposes your agenda."
The posts have since been removed.
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