Kanye West, now generally known as Ye, is making headlines as soon as once more—this time together with his new observe “Cousins.”
The track delves right into a traumatic expertise from his childhood, the place he says an early publicity to specific materials led to a sexual encounter with a male cousin. Ye additionally claims that the identical cousin is now serving a life sentence for homicide. The discharge of the track has sparked intense reactions on-line, referring to heavy themes like trauma, guilt, and the lasting results of early experiences.
Discover out extra concerning the track and what we all know concerning the cousin Ye sings about under.
What Is Kanye West’s Track “Cousins” About?
The Grammy winner’s track “Cousins,” launched on April 21, 2025, delves into deeply private and controversial experiences from his youth. Within the observe, West recounts a sexual encounter with a male cousin throughout their childhood, an expertise he attributes to early publicity to specific materials.
Within the music video, West blends childhood residence movies with jarring scenes of gun violence, provocative imagery, a slur-filled signal, and a burning cross.
Kanye West’s “Cousins” Lyrics
The lyrics of “Cousins” are specific and autobiographical, detailing the occasions and feelings surrounding the incident. A few of the most talked-about lyrics embrace:
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“Hanging with my cousin studying soiled magazines”
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“We seen some n***** kiss and we ain’t know what that s*** imply”
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“Then we begin reenacting every little thing that we had seen”
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“That’s after I gave my cousin head”
In a put up on X, Ye echoed the track’s themes, saying he discovered the magazines in his late mom Donda’s closet and wrote, “Maybe in my self-centered mess I felt it was my fault that I confirmed him these soiled magazines when he was 6 after which we acted out what we noticed.”
He added, “My title is Ye and I sucked my cousins d**okay until I used to be 14,” and concluded his message by including, “Tweet despatched.”
Who Is Kanye West Referring to in His Track “Cousins”?
The id of the cousin talked about in “Cousins” has not been publicly disclosed. West has referred to this cousin as somebody who’s presently incarcerated for all times as a consequence of a homicide conviction. “This track is known as COUSINS about my cousin that’s locked in jail for all times for killing a pregnant woman a couple of years after I advised him we wouldn’t ‘take a look at soiled magazines collectively’ anymore,” Ye wrote on X.
In a 2018 interview with Jimmy Kimmel, whereas endorsing Donald Trump, West additionally mentioned, “My cousin is locked up for homicide, and I like him. He did a foul factor, however I nonetheless love him.”
As of now, no credible shops have confirmed the cousin’s title or shared additional particulars.
