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Kanye West just told the TMZ newsroom why he believes slavery is a choice and why he decided to sport his Make America Great Again hat ... and it all went down Tuesday morning on "TMZ Live."

Kanye appeared on the show with Candace Owens where they explained "free thought" and how it can make the world a better place ... from a place of love.

During the conversation Kanye said, "When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years?! That sounds like a choice."

Van from our newsroom took great offense and fired back. Things got intense and ultimately led to a face-to-face at Van's desk.

There's A LOT more that went down -- and it's all on today on "TMZ Live"