Rapper 50 Cent defends ‘gay’ comments

Rapper 50 Cent has said his comments were taken out of context after apparently saying that a joint tour between Kanye West and Lady Gaga was for gay people.

In an interview with New York radio host Angie Martinez, he said that West targeted the gay community to sell more records.

50 Cent said: “I have nothing against them, but he’s cool with them. He goes, drops his video off to them. Remember 808s & Heartbreak? Where’d he premiere it? Ellen DeGeneres. He went there to premiere his video.

“He’s conscious of the gay community and wants them to buy his CDs.”

He added that the tour between West and Lady Gaga, which was cancelled without explanation this week, was “the gay tour”.

After gay celebrity blogger Perez Hilton called him “an effing moron” for the comments, 50 Cent issued a statement on his website.

He wrote: “During an interview with Angie Martinez yesterday, certain comments I made were taken entirely out of context.

“When I referred to the Lady Gaga tour as ‘the gay tour,’ I was basically repeating what I thought she had referred to the tour in the past.

“It was not my intention to offend anyone. I don’t have a problem with anyone’s lifestyle and have no issue with Lady Gaga. She makes great music.”