NEW YORK - Rap superstar Kanye West's professed love for President Donald Trump sent new shockwaves Saturday through the music world with Chance the Rapper apologizing for seemingly sympathetic remarks.

West, re-emerging from a year-long absence as he promotes upcoming albums and his fashion line, on Thursday tweeted his "love" of "my brother" Trump and appeared wearing one of the president's signature "Make America Great Again" caps.

Twitter observers noted an exodus of leading artists who unfollowed West including Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

But one rare voice of support was Chance the Rapper, a fast-rising star from West's hometown of Chicago who tweeted, "Black people don't have to be Democrats" and predicted that the next US president will be an independent.

Trump, unaccustomed to defenders in the celebrity world, on Saturday thanked Chance on Twitter and said that "eyes are being opened for the first time in decades" as he touted low unemployment rates among minorities.

Chance, whose father is a Democratic operative in Chicago who worked for the then future president Barack Obama, on Saturday apologized and said he only wanted to support West, whom he said was such a mentor that he felt like family.

"I'd never support anyone who has made a career out of hatred, racism and discrimination," Chance tweeted in reference to Trump. - AFP