Kanye “Ye” West is claiming artistic therapy.
Following widespread criticism over his new music video for his track, which depicts violence against his ex Kim Kardashian‘s boyfriend Pete Davidson, the 44-year-old rapper took to Instagram to explain his vision.
“Art is therapy just like this view,” Ye wrote on March 6. “art is protected as freedom of speech. art inspires and simplifies the world. Art is not a proxy for any ill or harm.”
He added, “Any suggestion otherwise about my art is false and mal intended.”
Ye, who is in the midst of a contentious divorce from Kim, released the controversial animated music video last week. The footage shows a claymation figure of Pete being kidnapped, tied up and buried alive. The song, released in January, includes the lyrics, “God saved me from that crash just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s ass.”
At the end of the video, the words, “EVERYONE LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER / EXCEPT SKETE YOU KNOW WHO” appear, referring to the rapper’s derogatory nickname for the 28-year-old Saturday Night Live star.