Hip-hop star Kanye West has responded to the Anti-Defamation League’s claim that he made antisemitic remarks in a series of radio interviews.

In a radio discussion with DJ Sway on New York City's 105.1 FM last month, Mr West said: “Black people don't have the same level of connections as Jewish people."

In another interview, Mr West said: “People want to marginalise me from the top to the bottom, people at the top are like, just perform at my son’s batmitzvah.”

The ADL called his comments "classic antisemitism", adding:"There it goes again, the age-old canard that Jews are all-powerful and control the levers of power in government."

This week, he defended his comments in an interview with Chicago radio station B96, saying they were just an “ignorant compliment”.

He felt he was being misunderstood, he said: "I don’t know how being told that you have money is like an insult.

"That would be like if somebody complimented black guys and said, ‘all black guys have big penises.’

“You don’t want to be the black guy who raises his hand and says like, ‘that’s not true. I have proof.’"

Mr West is currently on tour to promote his new album, Yeezus.