Paul McCartney and Kanye West are pals and musical collaborators. What could be better than a former member of The Beatles writing melodies for a controversial rapper who wants to run for president? Not a lot. The two collaborated on a series of songs, including the sentimental "Only One," the acoustic "FourFiveSeconds," and the more upbeat "All Day." The tracks were all well received when they were released in 2014 and 2015.
But one listener in particular was especially displeased with a certain word repeated in the song "All Day." That listener was Oprah.
As Vulture reports, in a recent interview with BBC's Mastertapes series, McCartney revealed that Oprah scolded him for allowing West to say n----- in the song. McCartney told the BBC, “People like Oprah, who are a little conservative about that stuff, she says, ‘You shouldn't do it, even Black people shouldn't use that word.’ I said, ‘Yeah, but it's Kanye! And he's talking about an urban generation that uses that word in a completely different way. It's the context. So I was actually pleased with it.’” McCartney called the track "seriously urban" and "a great record."
The language did take McCartney a little getting used to, but he got over it because he not only respects West as an artist, but also loves and trusts him as a friend. "I love Kanye," he said. "He's a crazy guy that comes up with great stuff, and he inspires me."
West successfully charmed McCartney, but it looks like he still has a bit of work to do on Oprah. It seems that the artist's use of the word will not be waning, judging from The Life of Pablo.
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