Kanye West reveals childhood incestuous relationship with his male cousin

Kanye West, now known as Ye, has sparked controversy after sharing details about a childhood experience involving a relative, alleging he had a sexual relationship with his cousin until he was 14. The American rapper claimed that the experience inspired his upcoming song "Cousins," which is about his cousin who is in jail for life for killing a pregnant woman.

He made these claims in an April 21 post on X, formerly Twitter, prompting immediate backlash, concern for his mental health, and discussions about childhood trauma and accountability. The post also included disturbing details about his youth and exposure to inappropriate content, leading to widespread discomfort and calls for sensitivity and professional help.

Ye shared that his new song "Cousins" is about his cousin who is incarcerated for the murder of a pregnant woman.


"This song is called COUSINS," Kanye said in an April 21 post on X (formerly Twitter) teasing the new track, "about my cousin that’s locked in jail for life for killing a pregnant lady a few years after I told him we wouldn't 'look at dirty magazines together' anymore."

He suggested that his exposure to explicit material may have contributed to traumatic incidents. Ye also detailed where he allegedly found the X-rated publications.

"Perhaps in my self centered mess I felt it was my fault that I showed him those dirty magazines when he was 6," Kanye continued, "and then we acted out what we saw."

"My dad had playboy magazines but the magazines I found in the top of my moms closet were different," Kanye added.

The rapper also made a graphic statement about his relationship with his cousin.

"My name is Ye and I s****d my cousins d**k till I was 14."

The post quickly went viral, generating immediate backlash and concern. Social media users expressed discomfort, with some calling for the post to be reported. Others questioned Ye’s intentions and mental state. Some speculated that the confession might be an attempt to raise awareness about unspoken childhood abuse.

Ye has been open about his struggles with mental health in the past. He has not offered further clarification or follow-up regarding the post. As of now, no legal action or response from family members has been publicly confirmed.

This controversy follows a series of unpredictable moves from Ye in recent years.

Earlier in April, Kanye apologized to Jay-Z for a since-deleted message he shared on social media. The message questioned the mental capacity of Jay-Z and Beyoncé 's twins, Rumi Carter and Sir Carter.

“I’m sorry Jay Z,” Kanye wrote on X April 10. “I be feeling bad about my tweet but I still feel I gave my life to this industry and thought so many people were my family but when I needed family on some real s--t none of these rap n----s had my back.”