The love of family. Kanye West would do anything for his kids — even if that means buying a house next to his estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, to keep them closer.
“My solace comes from seeing my kids and getting a solid schedule,” the 44-year-old rapper told Jason Lee in a teaser for the Monday, January 17, episode of Hollywood Unlocked. “That’s why I even got the house.”
The Yeezy designer claimed in the clip, released on Friday, January 14, that the media “flipped [it] into [saying that] there was something wrong with me getting a house next to my kids.”
In December 2021, West — who split from 41-year-old Kardashian 10 months prior after six years of marriage — purchased a house across the street from his and the Skims founder’s family home. The estranged couple share four kids: North, 8, Saint, 6, Chicago, 3, and Psalm, 2.
The “Jesus Walks” rapper revealed during his Hollywood Unlocked interview that he knows what it feels like to live apart from one of his parents.
“When my mom took me from Atlanta to Chicago, my dad didn’t come to the coldest and most-dangerous city in the world to be next to me,” West explained, noting that his dad chose to stay back in Atlanta for his career. “There’s nothing with my career, whether it’s rap [or designing], none of that is going to keep me from my children.”
The “Off the Grid” musician further insisted that he wanted “everyone to know” how important his four children are to him.
“Don’t play with me and don’t play with my children,” he concluded. “Ain’t no security going to get between me and my children.”
West raised eyebrows last month when he secured a property in the same neighborhood as Kardashian and his kids for $4.5 million. Us Weekly reported at the time that the Grammy winner paid $421,000 more than the original asking price to be on the same Hidden Hills, California, street as his loved ones.
Two months prior, the KKW Beauty founder paid West $23 million for his share of the Hidden Hills home they bought together in 2014 amid their divorce. “[Kim] wants Kanye to be a big part of the kids’ lives,” an insider exclusively told Us in December 2021. “[He] will be invited to all holidays and family celebrations.”
West, for his part, has been vocal about wanting to keep Kardashian as his wife after she started dating Pete Davidson. The reality star and the Saturday Night Live star, 28, were first linked in October 2021 after the two shared a kiss during an SNL sketch earlier that month amid her hosting gig.
“My kids want their parents to stay together,” the “Stronger” rapper said during an appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast in November 2021. “I want their parents — I want us to be together.”
A second source exclusively told Us in December 2021 that the Selfish author was “surprised” by West’s comments, noting that Kardashian does think her estranged husband is a “good person” whom she “respects.”
Amid the duo’s ongoing divorce proceedings, West has started a new romance of his own. He was first spotted with model Julia Fox on January 1 after meeting on New Year’s Eve in Miami.
“It was an instant connection. His energy is so fun to be around,” the 31-year-old actress told Interview magazine on January 6. “He had me and my friends laughing, dancing and smiling all night.”