Via TMZ comes Kanye West's reported deposition following his altercation with a photographer last July. It includes this portion:
Kanye says there's a parallel between blacks fighting for civil rights in the '60s and celebs fighting for theirs today: "I mean in the '60s people used to hold up 'Die N****r' signs when my parents were in the sit-ins also." Goldberg asks if he equates the struggle of blacks in the past with celebrities today and Kanye says, "Yes, 100 ... I equate it to discrimination. I equate it to inequalities."
This isn't the first time West has sought to compare issues with celebrity photo-journalism to a larger global problems. During a July 4 concert, West said the violations he faces on a daily basis because of paparazzi members are akin to rape.
"I don't care what you do in life, everybody needs a day off, everybody has the right to say, 'You know what, I need a minute to breathe,'" West said at the time (via The Independent). "I want to bring my family to the movies without 30 motherfuckers following me. Everybody here, they like sex right? Sex is great when you and your partner are like, 'Hey, this is what we both want to do.' But if one of those people don't want to do that, what is that called? That's called rape. That is called violation."
West is far from the only celebrity to draw comparisons to sexual assault when discussing the paparazzi. Charlize Theron made similar comments back in May.
"I don’t do that, so that’s my saving grace,” Theron said in an interview when asked whether she Googles herself. "When you start living in that world, and doing that, you start feeling raped."
West pled no contest to the charge of misdemeanor battery against the photographer earlier this year, and was sentenced to two years probation, 24 sessions of anger management and 250 hours of community service. The plea deal struck by West's lawyers allowed West to maintain his innocence.
For more from West, head to TMZ.