AceShowbiz - Rapper Common has come to the defense of his pal Kanye West, branding the hip-hop star "courageous" for speaking out about his uncomfortable interview on U.S. TV this week. The "Stronger" hitmaker hit headlines after he took to his Twitter.com page to rant about his appearance on America's "Today" Show, claiming the questioning left him feeling "alone, used and tortured".

The bitter fall out with TV bosses escalated when he subsequently scrapped a planned New York performance for the program, which was due to take place later this month. But West's friend and collaborator Common is adamant the star did the right thing by standing up for himself.

He tells Hollyscoop, "Kanye is a courageous individual. You have to be courageous to say 'Hey I'm not doing that anymore' or 'I'm not going to accept this from the media and I'm done' with that aspect. Kanye to me... that's my brother. I love him, he is just a great example of somebody who is honest, true to who they are. Not persuaded by the way the media is trying to portray or whatever, he is going to speak his mind. I think it's courageous to do that."

West's ex-girlfriend Selita Ebanks has also offered her support to the beleaguered rapper. She tells NBC New York's Niteside blog, "He's a big boy. He's been through this. I wrote him some kind words, just (encouraging) him to stay positive and just concentrate on his music... He has a great gift and he should be appreciated for it."