Rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West has announced that he is "distancing" himself from politics.
West outlined his new apolitical stance in two tweets late on Tuesday, adding he realizes he has been "used to spread messages" he doesn't believe in.
West has been closely associated to President Donald Trump, first by visiting him in Trump Tower shortly after the president's 2016 election victory, and then more recently at the White House.
Now however, the music star has said he wants to exit the political arena. On Twitter, the rapper said his decision was made by the suggestion that he had supported a campaign encouraging black Americans to leave the Democratic party.
https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1057382888520499201
The 'Candace' namechecked by West is Candace Owens, a right-wing commentator that regularly features on U.S. political television shows.
In a subsequent tweet, the rapper added that his "eyes are now wide open" and that he is to step away from politics and focus on creative projects.
https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1057382916760707072
West has previously been criticised for his association with Trump by other artists including rapper Snoop Dogg and singer-songwriter John Legend.
On October 11, along with former NFL star Jim Brown, West visited Trump at the Oval Office surrounded by reporters and embarked on a rambling tirade.
Sat opposite Trump and wearing a red "Make America Great Again" Trump campaign hat, West riffed on topics including prison reform, presidential airplanes, racism, and his own mental health.
After receiving a hug from the rapper, Trump described the meeting as a friendly lunch "with two people that I like."