Rapper Kanye West blasts Bush on TV benefit show

West, who is black, suggested moments earlier that delays in providing relief to survivors of the hurricane that hit the U.S. Gulf Coast on Monday and flooded New Orleans were deliberate. He said America was set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible."

The Grammy award-winning singer, who was paired with comedian Mike Myers, also said in what NBC described as unscripted remarks, "We already realized a lot of the people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way, and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us."

He was apparently referring to shoot-on-sight orders issued to National Guard troops to halt violence and looting in New Orleans.

West also criticized the media's portrayal of blacks, saying: "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food."

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"George Bush doesn't care about black people," West said from New York during the show aired live on Friday on the East Coast on NBC, MSNBC, CNBC and Pax, just before cameras cut away to comedian Chris Tucker.

West, who is black, suggested moments earlier that delays in providing relief to survivors of the hurricane that hit the US Gulf Coast on Monday and flooded New Orleans were deliberate.

He said America was set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible".

"We already realised a lot of the people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way, and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us," the Grammy award-winning singer, who was paired with comedian Mike Myers, also said in what NBC described as unscripted remarks.

The rapper was apparently referring to shoot-on-sight orders issued to National Guard troops to halt violence and looting in New Orleans.

Media attacked

West also criticised the media's portrayal of blacks, saying: "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food."

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/85A3FD8F-F6C6-4A13-9FE1-4BF54FD3CEF4.htm

Hip-hop star Kanye West criticised President Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina at a televised benefit concert in New York on Friday.

The show, which raised funds for relief efforts, featured Leonardo DiCaprio, Richard Gere, Glenn Close, Harry Connick Jr and Wynton Marsalis.

But West told the audience: "George Bush doesn't care about black people."

The comment went out live on the US east coast, but was cut from a taped version seen on the west coast.

West also claimed the US was set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible".

He appeared alongside comedian Mike Myers for a 90-second segment which began with Myers speaking of the devastation Katrina has caused to southern states of the US.

But to Myers' surprise, West departed from his script and said: "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food."

Cut off

He conceded "the Red Cross is doing everything they can", but said authorities were deliberately holding up getting aid to the Gulf coast.

West was cut off mid-speech after he criticised Mr Bush, and the cameras switched to comedian Chris Tucker.

There has been widespread criticism of the US government's response to the storm, which struck on Monday. The scale of the casualties is not yet known, but tens of thousands of people remain in the devastated city of New Orleans while 75,000 people have been forced to take shelter in neighbouring Texas.

NBC, which broadcast the event, said "it would be most unfortunate if the efforts of the artists and the generosity of millions of Americans are overshadowed by one person's opinion".

Country star Tim McGraw, who is from Louisiana, sang two songs and said: "I know the citizens that weren't affected by this are gonna stand up and do good things for people."

Aaron Neville - who, like Connick Jr and Marsalis, is from New Orleans - performed Randy Newman's Louisiana 1927 with the chorus "they're trying to wash us away, they're trying to wash us away".

Actresses Hilary Swank and Lindsay Lohan also took part in the concert, while New York governor George Pataki presented the Red Cross with a cheque for $2.5 million (£1.3m) with a promise of further assistance.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4210808.stm