From leading the rap industry to falling into debt, Kanye West is no stranger to publicity. Recently, his latest statements resulted in large amounts of criticism. On April 25, West expressed his support for President Donald Trump and other right wingers on Twitter. Later, during a TMZ interview, West said that slavery was a “choice,” which caused public backlash. But when taking a look at West’s career, it’s clear that these statements are little more than publicity stunts.

West does not shy away from controversy. During the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the rapper infamously took the microphone from Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech. West also stated that George Bush “doesn’t care about black people” during a concert for Hurricane Katrina relief. Then in 2016, West expressed his support for Trump by stating that he would have voted for the president if he voted.

West’s recently released songs give a clear indication of his true motives. Days after posting the tweets about Trump, West released two singles. He promised the first, “Lift Yourself,”  to include a verse that would bring closure to a feud between him and a radio host, but instead he just repeated the nonsensical phrase “poopy-di-scoop.” The second, “Ye vs. the People,” was a direct response to the political criticism in which he argues with rapper T.I., who represents the people, on the recent controversy.

West’s Twitter tirades ultimately paid off, as both singles received millions of views on YouTube. The controversy gained so much notoriety that Saturday Night Live devoted an entire skit to mocking it.

The trite statement “no publicity is bad publicity” is one that West definitely follows, and his newfound popularity only confirms that belief. While many claim that this controversy will end West’s career, the truth is that by getting his critics to talk about him, he has already succeeded.