Rapper Kanye West insists he is "consumed" by a mission to help others a day after his former colleague suggested the star should seek counselling.
Songwriter Che Smith, who goes by alias Rhymefest, took to Twitter.com on Friday (12Feb16) to let fans know he has no desire to work with Kanye anymore, even though the pair have collaborated on hit songs such as Jesus Walks and New Slaves in the past.
According to Che, Kanye has become difficult to work with, explaining on Twitter: "my brother needs help, in the form of counseling. Spiritual & mental. He should step away from the public & yesmen & heal (sic)".
The 38-year-old Flashing Lights star has been tremendously controversial in recent days, as many people are upset over misogynistic lyrics aimed at Taylor Swift in his new song Famous from fresh album T.L.O.P. (The Life of Pablo). The offending lyrics - "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why, I made that b**ch famous" - prompted several celebrities, including Ruby Rose and Jaime King, to criticise him for being sexist and undermining women.
But on Saturday (13Feb16) Kanye responded to critics, including his former collaborator Rhymefest, by posting a series of longwinded tweets on his Twitter account.
In the messages, the hip hop star claims his life mission mirrors the goals possessed by Christian icon Saint Paul the Apostle, who is credited with spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in Ancient Rome through preaching and opening up several churches.
"Paul ... The most powerful messenger of the first century... Now we stand here 20 centuries later... Because he was a traveler... (sic)," Kanye wrote in the first of several rambling tweets. "He was a learned man not of the original sect so he was able to take the message to the rest of the world...
"He was saved from persecution due to his Roman citizenship... I have the right to speak my voice..."
Kanye closed out the tweets by insisting he wants to make a positive difference in other people's lives, just like Saint Paul.
"Please forgive the profanity and give hugs and blessings to my brother Kirk for standing by me... In a few hours the journey begins...," he wrote. "All memes are wrong... The Life of Paul... The life of Pablo... Ultralight beams... Moms dads daughters sons stand up...
"Let's dance in the streets. I am consumed by my purpose to help the world."
