U.S. rapper Kanye West has said the enslavement of African Americans over centuries may have been a “choice.”

“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 of President Trump.

Black people were forcibly brought from Africa to the United States during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and sold as slaves.

West later tweeted that his comments Tuesday had been misinterpreted and that he “brought up the 400 years point because we can’t be mentally imprisoned for another 400 years.”

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.

Lathan said the rapper’s comments appeared to be made with an “absence of thought.”

“You’re entitled to believe whatever you want, but there is fact and real-world, real-life consequence behind everything that you just said,” he added as the star stood still stroking his chin.

“We have to deal with the marginalization that has come from the 400 years of slavery that you said for our people was a choice,” Lathan continued, adding, “I’m appalled, and brother I am unbelievably hurt by the fact that you have morphed into something to me that isn’t real.”

In the TMZ footage, West refers to Trump as “my boy” and says that the president is “one of rap’s favorite people.”

His comments sparked a backlash on social media with some Twitter users suggesting the rapper should revisit the history books.

It comes just days after West released a song defending his support for Trump, who he has insisted is “fighting for the people.”

West has courted controversy with his support for Trump and conservative commentators like Scott Adams and Candace Owens, who has spoken out against the Black Lives Matter movement. (SD-Agencies)