Lyor Cohen was oblivious to Kanye West's 'MAGA' hat during infamous photo
“Kanye is a beautiful host, we walked into his gorgeous place where he does the clothing and the sneakers. I’m here having an incredible time being with him and he was obviously interested in having us hear music. So no, I didn’t look at his hat at all.”
Lyor Cohen appeared on The Breakfast Club this week, where he discussed his current role at YouTube Music, the new age of streaming, and the debate on “exclusives” (“Exclusives aren’t cool”). Of course, considering his long history in the business, other topics were addressed, like that infamous photo from April of himself, Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge, and a red “Make America Great Again” hat wearing Kanye West. “We got love,” West captioned the very much displeasing photo.
Asked about his thoughts on Kanye wearing the very noticeable bright red cap, Cohen said he was unaware. “Didn’t see the hat,” he shared. “I was so mesmerize by being invited. I got my crew, we just flew down from San Francisco [and] we were in Calabasas. Kanye is a beautiful host, we walked into his gorgeous place where he does the clothing and the sneakers. I’m here having an incredible time being with him and he was obviously interested in having us hear music. So no, I didn’t look at his hat at all.” Asked further about being oblivious to the hat, he mentioned, “I was fully immersed in the experience. I was so honored to be there.”
Of course, after the photo came a storm of reactions. From John Legend to J. Cole, Jaden Smith and more, everyone had something to say. For Lyor, that flood of responses hit him in less than an hour. “[Afterwards] I had to run to the airport, I had to go. Everybody’s saying, “Yo, what’s up with the hat.” I didn’t know what they were talking about because I’m trying to make the flight. My phone is blowing up, Julie [Greenwald], Kevin [Liles], Mike Keiser, Jay — and then that’s when I realized what happened.”