The Game Defends Kanye West Over 2022 Grammy Awards Performance Ban: 'Continuous Disrespect'

Kanye West is nominated for five awards at the 2022 Grammys, which will be hosted by Trevor Noah on Sunday, April 3

Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage

The Game is defending Kanye West after the Donda rapper was banned from performing at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

In an Instagram post shared Friday evening, the 42-year-old rapper referenced the Grammys' decision to pull West, 44, from the show, writing, "as if we didn't know it was coming."

West's rep confirmed to PEOPLE on Saturday that he was prohibited from performing at the awards show due to his "concerning online behavior."

For the photo portion of his post, The Game shared a brief message atop a black background: "When will all the BLACK entertainers, Athletes, Actors, Producers, Writers, Directors, Media etc… figure it out."

"Time & time again they show us that they only want to STEAL the culture, not allow you to ever be their equals. In a more than obvious move for reasons of minuscule actions," The Game wrote in the caption.

He later noted that West's ban "could be" because Trevor Noah is hosting the event before suggesting that "there was a conversation held amongst his team & the academy that led to the decision."

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The Game also suggested that the decision may have been due to Instagram's recent decision to suspend West's account for 24 hours "for reasons unknown" after the rapper allegedly used a slur on Noah's page after the Daily Show host, 38, commented on West's split from Kim Kardashian.

"We'll just say it's all of the above & a continuous disrespect for us & all that we have brought to the table in entertainment, media & sports over the last 100 years especially," The Game added in his caption.

"Speak your mind in this country for yourself, family or your people & you're ostracized immediately & if you push them hard enough they will stop at no ends to try and put an end to you as a whole," he continued. "I for one, have never been scared to speak my mind even understanding what the consequences may be."

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Earlier this month, West released a music video for his single "Eazy" featuring The Game, in which a claymation version of Kardashian's new boyfriend Pete Davidson appears to be kidnapped, tied up, and buried. West later took the video down.

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Afterward, a source told PEOPLE that Kardashian, 41, was "furious" and "upset" about the music video. "She thinks it's way too violent and is upset," the insider explained, noting that the reality star is "completely over all of this and she wants it to stop."

Kanye West. Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

After a 12-post rant regarding his concerns about Kardashian's parenting, all of which have since been deleted, Davidson reportedly reached out to West to demand he stop harassing his new girlfriend on social media. The SNL star allegedly later offered to help West get assistance for his mental health.

However, The Game rejected the mental health narrative surrounding his friend in Friday's Instagram post: "I can't sleep at night knowing I was quiet about issues burning holes in my heart or narratives incorrectly pushed by the mass agenda to create a mind set that the person at hand is krazy or has issues internally that are beyond repair."

Trevor Noah will host the 64th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, April 3, on CBS.