'You are a great friend. Thanks': Donald Trump gives Kanye West a signed copy of his TIME magazine Person of the Year cover after the pair met to discuss 'multicultural issues'

  • The 39-year-old rapper tweeted out a photo of the magazine cover just a day after the meeting in Trump Tower 
  • 'To Kanye you are a great friend. Thanks,' read Trump's autograph, accompanied by his signature in silver permanent marker 
  • After their meeting on Tuesday, Kanye sent out a series of tweets saying he had wanted to discuss several issues, including 'bullying' and 'violence in Chicago'
  • The 15-minute meeting, however, did not include a request or an offer to perform at the presidential inauguration next month 
  • West was cleared by the Secret Service to meet Trump despite concerns he had been under a psychiatric hold in a California hospital until last week 

Kanye West received a parting gift from Donald Trump after their meeting on Tuesday - a signed copy of the President-elect's TIME magazine Person of the Year cover.

The 39-year-old rapper tweeted out a photo of the magazine cover just a day after the meeting in Trump Tower, in which he said they spoke about multicultural issues.

'To Kanye you are a great friend. Thanks,' read Trump's message, accompanied by his autograph in silver permanent marker.

Just after their meeting, Kanye sent out a series of tweets saying he had wanted to discuss 'multicultural issues', which he said were 'bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago', with Trump.

President-elect Donald Trump gave Kanye West a signed copy of his TIME Person of the Year magazine after their meeting

The 39-year-old rapper tweeted out a photo of the magazine cover just a day after the meeting in Trump Tower

'I feel it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change,' he said.

Finally he tweeted: '#2024.'

The 15-minute meeting, however, did not include a request or an offer to perform at the presidential inauguration next month, TMZ reported.

Trump also met with NFL royalty Ray Lewis and Jim Brown, as well as Microsoft's Bill Gates on Tuesday.

Trump posted a photo to Twitter of Brown and Gates, saying: '.@BillGates and @JimBrownNFL32 in my Trump Tower office yesterday- two great guys!'

West was cleared by the Secret Service to meet Trump despite concerns he had been under a psychiatric hold in a California hospital until last week.

Trump told reporters after the meeting that he and the rapper 'discussed life'. Kanye, Trump and his daughter Ivanka then posed for photos in the president-elect's personal office.

Then Trump descended to the lobby of Trump Tower to say goodbye to West, an honor he has extended to just one other visitor, and to none of the people he interviewed about top-level posts in his administration.

'We're just friends, just friends. He's a good man. Going well. Long time – We've been friends for a long time,' Trump said. 'Life, we discussed life.'

After their meeting on Tuesday, Kanye sent out a series of tweets saying he had wanted to discuss several issues, including 'bullying' and 'violence in Chicago'

Trump also met with NFL royalty Ray Lewis and Jim Brown, as well as Microsoft's Bill Gates on Tuesday. Trump posted a photo to Twitter of Brown and Gates, saying: '.@BillGates and @JimBrownNFL32 in my Trump Tower office yesterday- two great guys!'

Kanye - who until last week was in hospital in Los Angeles recovering from a reported nervous breakdown - did not respond to questions about whether he would run in 2020 and said: 'I just want you to take my picture right now.'

As Kanye left Trump said: 'Man, you take care of yourself, I'll see you soon.'

It was a reference to the rapper's hospitalization due to a nervous breakdown. The Secret Service had assessed that West was not a threat to the president-elect's personal safety, TMZ reported.

During the meeting, Kanye gifted a book of photos of nudes and people in hoodies and tattoos to Trump, though the title of the book is unclear.

A source told TMZ that it would not be going on the Trump office's coffee table - possibly in reference to its content.

West, who was born and brought up in Chicago, was said to have planned two meetings with Trump, one without a focus on Chicago and the next raising how he can help bring down the murder rate himself.

Kanye feels great again: The rapper posed with a smiling President-elect Trump and Ivanka inside the Republican election winner's personal office in Trump Tower. On Ivanka's shoulder are ratings from Variety magazine, showing The Apprentice as the most-watched show. Above her to the right is a picture of her father and John F Kennedy Jr taken at his Mar-a-Lago resort and club in February 1996. JFK Jr died in July 1999

Meeting: Kanye spent 15 minutes talking with Trump about 'life' the president-elect said - but did not offer to play the inauguration. The photographs in the background include Trump meeting Ronald Reagan at the White House (top left), which was shined by Reagan, and the cover of Playboy's March 1990 edition which showed him with Brandi Brant. Between the two men is a cover of New York magazine from February 11, 1985 featuring Trump

There has been no independent confirmation from the Trump transition team of the nature of the discussion.

The rapper had swept into Trump Tower with an entourage which included his mother-in-law's 35-year-old boyfriend shortly after 9am for the meeting with the man he recently called a 'genius'.

TMZ reported that the meeting was at Kanye's request and that Trump had agreed to it.

The 39-year-old, who until last week had been recovering from a nervous breakdown in hospital in Los Angeles having been hospitalized on November 21, was taken upstairs without speaking to reporters.

Trump's transition team is currently looking for performers at the inauguration on January 20, and the addition of one of rap's biggest names would clearly be a huge coup.

Trump's inaugural committee is hoping to attract some star power to the presidential inauguration in January, but efforts are reportedly coming up short.

Friends: Donald Trump embraced Kanye West after a 15-minute meeting at Trump Tower which the rapper had requested

Trump power: Donald Trump escorted Kanye West to the lobby of Trump Tower after their 15-minute meeting, with daughter Ivanka also present

A Hollywood source told TheWrap that the inaugural committee was talking to Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, Lee Greenwood and possibly Garth Brooks, who told TMZ that he's open to the idea of performing.

West spoke in support of the president-elect last month at a concert, in the wake of Trump's victory of Hillary Clinton to back the Republican.

'If I would've voted, I would've voted Trump,' he told a crowd during the concert in San Jose, California.

He also told the crowd that Trump was a 'genius' for winning.

He then added: 'Specifically to black people, stop focusing on racism. This world is racist, ok? Let's stop being distracted. It's just a f***ing fact, we are in a racist country, period.'

The endorsement of the president-elect reportedly earned him boos. California voted heavily for defeated Hillary Clinton.

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now