Kanye West's 'serious' plans for 2024 presidential run

Kanye with President-elect Donald Trump. Photo / Getty Images

When Kanye West announced his presidential ambitions at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2015, declaring he would run for the top job in 2020, we all laughed it off as another classic, crazy Yeezy moment. It turns out the only thing the rapper was joking about was the year.

In a tremendously succinct tweet today, West, 41, made his intentions crystal clear when he wrote: "2024".

2024

— ye (@kanyewest) September 8, 2018

West's social media announcement has come just after his long-time friend and fellow songwriter John Legend said the rapper's presidential bid is something to take seriously.

"He said it multiple times. I think he's serious," Legend told The Sun 's Dan Wootton on his namesake podcast.

"He's never told me anything about what party. I'd guess he'd run as an independent, but he's never told me anything about what party he would run from. But he's said multiple times that he's interested in running for president."

The Grammy Award-winning artist went on to say that West's interest in politics might also be the reason why he has been supporting and getting to know the current president, Donald Trump.

You don't have to agree with trump but the mob can't make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don't agree with everything anyone does. That's what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought.

— ye (@kanyewest) April 25, 2018

"I think that's part of why he likes Trump is because I think he sees some aspects of himself in Trump and sees that Trump winning makes it feel like he could do it too," Legend explained.

Much like Mr Trump — who won with a campaign branding him as a DC outsider who would "drain the swamp" — West previously told Vanity Fair that his position as an outsider would be his selling point in a future presidential bid.

"I hate politics. I'm not a politician at all. I care about the truth and I just care about human beings. I just want everyone to win, that's all I can say, and I think we can," he said.

West has also expressed support for his wife Kim Kardashian West, 37, to run for president of the United States.

After rapper Offset told TMZ he believed the reality TV star should run for office after her push for prison reform, the music producer and fashion designer tweeted his support for the idea.