New York – Kanye West met Republican President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss what he said were "multicultural issues" including bullying, education and violence.
West's meeting at Manhattan's Trump Tower sent social media into a frenzy and fuelled speculation about a possible performance at Trump's January 20 inauguration or an informal administration role for the rapper.
So will #Kanye do the inauguration poem....?
— Mary Karr, Author (@marykarrlit) December 14, 2016
The chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, Tom Barrack, told CNN in an interview later on Tuesday that West would not be performing at the inauguration.
West, 39, said on Twitter he had wanted to meet Trump "to discuss multicultural issues."
"These issues included bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago," tweeted the singer who was raised in Chicago. "I feel it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change."
I wanted to meet with Trump today to discuss multicultural issues.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) December 13, 2016
These issues included bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) December 13, 2016
I feel it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) December 13, 2016
The 15-minute meeting was the first major outing by West and generated his first tweets since he was released on November 30 after a week in a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital with an unexplained condition.
The "Jesus Walks" singer again teased the prospect of running for president himself, adding a last tweet that said simply #2024. Last year, West declared he was planning to run in 2020, but has given no details.
Asked about the purpose of the meeting, Trump told reporters afterward: "Friends, just friends. He's a good man. Long time. Friends for a long time."
Trump added that the two had "discussed life."
The meeting quickly became the top trending topic on Twitter.
Trump is too busy to be bothered with intelligence briefings, but has time for an important meeting with Kanye West. Think about that.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) December 13, 2016
#trump #KanyeWest #TrumpKanye pic.twitter.com/qceBXFuiSa
— tata (@Tatabp21) December 14, 2016 I hear #PEOTUS& the #TrumpTransition team are considering @kanyewest for the coveted Court Jester position. #kanyetrump #TrumpTrain wreck!
— Paul Greenstone (@paulgreenstone) December 14, 2016 Coming Soon To A Theater Near You. #Kanye pic.twitter.com/ZAdJtO9sXA
— Saj (@SajTheOne) December 13, 2016
West, sporting a new blonde hairdo, was without his wife, reality television star Kim Kardashian.
He made headlines in November when he was booed at a concert for declaring his support for Trump, although he said he had not voted in the November 8 presidential election.
E! News, whose E! network broadcasts reality show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," said earlier that Trump reached out to West. "Trump thinks he's a great role model when it comes to business," E! quoted a source close to the rapper as saying.
Trump also was shown in a video for West's single "Famous," released last year. It also featured Rihanna, former President George W. Bush, Anna Wintour and Bill Cosby.
Music stars including Beyonce, Katy Perry and Bruce Springsteen backed Democrat Hillary Clinton in the election and no celebrities have yet been announced as taking part in the inauguration, although country singer Garth Brooks is in discussions to perform.
West was hospitalized last month following a series of rants and after he abruptly cancelled the rest of his U.S. tour. No official explanation has been given about his condition, which was initially attributed to exhaustion.