Kanye West has once again ignited firestorms across the internet—this time with his newest track, “Cousins” which includes disturbing claims about his past. To promote the track, the rapper took to X (formerly Twitter) and detailed how both he and his cousin would have incestual relationships. Let’s break down the three most shocking parts of the song:
1. “Hanging with my cousin, reading dirty magazines”
Kanye introduces the track by referencing a male cousin currently serving life in prison for the murder of a pregnant woman. “I saw you outside again, just hanging out with your friends. Hanging with my cousin, reading dirty magazines,” marking the song’s initial lines.
Though the identity of this cousin remains unclear, Kanye had previously discussed a family member who’s behind bars during a 2018 interview with Jimmy Kimmel. “My cousin is locked up for murder and I love him. So he did a bad thing, but I still love him,” he revealed.
Kanye West says he used to give his male cousin oral sex until he was 14 years old on new song “Cousin” 👀 pic.twitter.com/VvLChYBVdQ
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) April 21, 2025
2. “That’s when I gave my cousin head”
In the song, Kanye recounts how he and his cousin allegedly imitated what they saw in the magazines. “Then we start re-enacting everything that we had seen. That’s when I gave my cousin head, gave my cousin head. Gave my cousin head, I gave my cousin head. I gave my cousin head.”
In his X post describing the song, Ye revealed that this material possibly belonged to his mother: “My dad had Playboy magazines but the magazines I found in the top of my moms closet were different.”
3. “I don’t think they understand That I’m not attracted to a man (They thought I was gay)”
Kanye then alludes to being told to bury the experience forever by telling his male cousin to keep the secret. “Told my cousin not to tell nobody (Please, no, don’t tell nobody). People tell me take it to my grave. ‘Truth will set you free someday’. I don’t think they understand That I’m not attracted to a man (They thought I was gay).”
This part comes after past comments that went into homophobic territory, which led to his account being deactivated in December last year. Back then, the rapper made a series of xenophobic, anti-Semitic, misogynistic, and homophobic messages.
