Kanye West has learned to embrace his bipolar disorder.
Kanye West
The 41-year-old rap star has claimed that an integral part of his career success has been embracing each and every part of his identity, including his bipolar disorder.
During an appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', Kanye explained: "I think it's important for us to have open conversations about mental health - especially with me being black. Because we never had therapists in the black community. We never approached taking a medication.
"I think it's good that when I had my first complete blackout at age five, my mom didn't fully medicate me. Because I might have never been 'Ye. And there's times where at least I'm happy that I know [I'm bipolar.]
"Like, even like for this interview, I knew I wanted to stay in a calm state."
Kanye has attracted controversy throughout his career, but the chart-topping star thinks it's imperative that people are given the freedom to express themselves.
He said: "People need to be able to express themselves without fear or judgement."
The outspoken rapper has been widely criticised within the hip-hop community for his support of US President Donald Trump.
But Kanye - who has displayed his support for Trump by wearing a 'Make America Great Again' cap - admitted it took him some time to rediscover his confidence after being hospitalised in 2016.
On the issue of the US election, he shared: "Everyone around me tried to pick my candidate for me. And then told me every time I said I liked Trump that I couldn't say it out loud or my career would be over, I'd get kicked out of the black community ... so, even when I said it right before I went to the hospital and I expressed myself... when I came out I had lost my confidence.
"So I didn't have the confidence to take on the world and the possible backlash. And it took me a year and a half to have the confidence to stand up and put on the hat. No matter what the consequences were."
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