Quentin Tarantino says Kanye West pitched him a ‘really funny’ slave video idea

Quentin Tarantino has responded to Kanye West’s claims that he stole his idea to plot for his 2012 film Django Unchained.

On Thursday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the 59-year-old director revealed that the pair had talked about collaborating on the rapper’s 2005 Gold Digger music video, but insisted he had a “really funny” idea for a slave video. got.

Tarantino dismissed the rapper’s comments, insisting, “That didn’t happen.”

He explained, “I had the idea for Django for a while before I met Kanye.

He wanted to make a huge movie version of The College Dropout [his debut studio album] the way he did the album.

“He wanted great directors to do several songs from the album and then release it as this giant movie.

“We used it as an excuse to meet and so we met, we had a really good time. And he did have an idea for a video.

“I really think it was before the Gold Digger video that he was going to be a slave. And the whole story was the slave story where he is a slave and sings Gold Digger. And it was very funny. It was a very, very funny idea.’

Fuming: West made the charge when he appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored last week and took up the subject of whether there are limits to free speech

As host Kimmel wondered, “A funny slave video?” Tarantino continued:

Tarantino replied, “It was meant to be ironic. And it’s like a big musical. I mean spared no expense with him in these slave clothes, doing everything. And that was also part of the pushback part at the time.’

In the end, West didn’t make a film montage of his music videos, and the Gold Digger video ended with West and Jamie Foxx dancing around with a handful of pin-up models posing for fictional magazine covers.

Django Unchained started shooting in November 2011 and revolves around a freed slave Django Freeman (Jamie Foxx) who teams up with a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from a plantation.

Fun times: Finally, the Gold Digger video ended with West and Jamie Foxx dancing around with a handful of pin-up models posing for fictional magazine covers

West made the accusation when he appeared on Piers Morgan uncensored last week and addressed the question of whether there are limits to freedom of expression,

“There are no limits to freedom of expression. It’s all context, right?’ the rapper claimed to Morgan when asked if he believes there are limits to free speech.

‘Tarantino could write a movie about slavery where he and Jamie actually are’ [Foxx] they got the idea from me because I pitched the idea for Django to Jamie Foxx and Quentin Tarantino as the video for Gold Digger and then Tarantino made it into a movie,” he claimed.

While West didn’t elaborate on his claims, or why he waited more than 10 years to suggest that his idea was stolen, when talking about how free speech exists with context, he did make a comparison with the film’s slave master ( Leonardo DiCaprio) use the n-word in the movie and not be considered racist.

“In that film, he creates a context in which Leonardo DiCaprio is allowed to use n***** multiple times within that context,” explains the Blame Game rapper. “So it’s Hollywood’s job to frame things. And they allow what content is and isn’t accepted.’

Bonafide hit: Django Unchained became Tarantino’s highest-grossing film, grossing $425.4 million at the worldwide box office on a $100 million budget

West elaborated on the idea of ​​free speech: ‘Everyone has thoughts and ideas and then people try to manipulate your thoughts and ideas. For humanity to move forward, we must be free to think and then actualize.’

Ultimately, the Gold Digger music video had nothing to do with slavery, but the song set a record for the most digital downloads in a week, selling over 80,000 in 2005.

As for Django Unchained, it would go on to become Tarantino’s most financially successful film, grossing $425.4 million at the worldwide box office on a $100 million budget.

It comes after West claimed he lost $2 billion in one day as companies continued to cut ties with the rapper following his anti-Semitic comments.

The rapper returned to Instagram on Thursday after his account was restricted earlier this month following his string of shocking posts.

West – legally known as Ye – discussed the backlash, insisting that “money is not who I am,” while writing a “love letter” to Hollywood superagent Ari Emanuel, who had called for West to be dropped by all the major brands. .

In a post titled “LOVE SPEECH,” he wrote: “Ari Emanuel, I lost $2 billion in one day and I’m still alive. This is love speech. I still love you. God still loves you. The money is not who I am. The people are who I am.’

Return: It comes after West claimed he lost $2 billion in one day as companies continued to cut ties with the rapper following his anti-Semitic comments