"When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice," he said during an appearance on entertainment site TMZ.
"We're mentally imprisoned," the star added. He recently made headlines for his support for President Trump.
Black people were forcibly brought from Africa to the US during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and sold as slaves.
To the interviewers at TMZ, West said that "right now we're choosing to be enslaved", which provoked an angry response from a black member of staff at the company, Van Lathan.
His comments sparked a backlash on social media with some Twitter users suggesting the rapper should revisit the history books.
You can see the full interview HERE!
Source: BBC