Kanye West called for a celebrity civil rights movement against paparazzi during his deposition for a civil case involving an alleged attack against a paparazzo. TMZ reportedly got ahold of the transcript from the hearing, which shows West addressing his accuser's lawyer without holding back.
"I'm the smartest celebrity you've ever f**king dealt with. I'm not Britney Spears," he said, according to the gossip site.
West explained to the photographer's lawyer, Nate Goldberg, "I'm in the business of trying to make dope s**t for the world. You're in the business of representing scums and trying to make as much money as long as there's this lapse in the law."
During the deposition Goldberg referred to West's song "Flashing Lights," which complains about paparazzi. He quoted the song's line, "Till I get flashed by the paparazzi, damn, these n***a's got me."
At the point, TMZ reports, West interrupted him saying , "You have to ask for a hall pass. You can't just say the 'n' word around me. It offends me because you're a white person saying 'n***a."
West also compared the plight of the celebrity to the civil rights movement of the '60s, saying that celebrities are fighting that fight today. "I mean in the '60s people used to hold up 'Die N***r' signs when my parents were in the sit-ins also."
When Goldberg asked him if he equates the modern-day celebrity's struggle with the struggle of blacks in the past he said, "Yes, 100 ... I equate it to discrimination. I equate it to inequalities."
West went on to say, "We, as group of minorities here in L.A., as celebrities have to ban together to influence guys like this -- guys trying to take the picture, guys trying to get the big win, guys trying to get the check."
TMZ notes that the deposition was "riddled with Kanye's sarcasm."
The civil lawsuit West is facing was filed by Daniel Ramos, who is suing West for a July 2013 incident in which West smashed Ramos' camera and allegedly assaulted him at LAX airport.
