Interview Magazine: Cover Story Excerpt
Kanye West
MCQUEEN: You've been on the scene as an artist now for 10 years, which is impressive, given the level of interest and artistry that you've managed to sustain in your work. In the process, you've become incredibly influential. So you talk about doing all of these other things, which is great, but there's really no amount of money that could make you more influential than you are now. So my question is: What are you going to do with all of the influence that you have right now?WEST: Well, influence isn't my definition of success—it's a by-product of my creativity. I just want to create more. I would be fine with making less money. I actually spend the majority of my money attempting to create more things. Not buying things or solidifying myself or trying to make my house bigger, or trying to show people how many Louis Vuitton bags I can get, or buying my way to a good seat at the table. My definition of success, again, is getting my ideas out there. The first company that has really given me a shot is Adidas. They did the deal ... I mean, Damon Dash did the deal, at the end of the day. He signed Kanye West 12 years ago. What does that mean now? What does that mean to music? You know, people say things about creativity and jobs and every 10 years, blah, blah, blah. But I don't have a desire to not continue making music. When I left Chicago and moved to New York, it wasn't because I didn't love Chicago; it was because I needed to go to New York. So right now, I've got other innovations and other thoughts that I want to pursue. As I was saying earlier, I create like a 3-year-old. When you're 3, you wake up one morning and say, I wanna ride a bike. And then the next day, you wake up and say, I wanna draw. I don't want to be in a situation where, because I was good enough at riding a bike one day, then that's all I can do for the rest of my life. I mean, you know firsthand, being a fine artist and then moving into the Hollywood space ... You know, I say to Renzo Rosso, Bernard Arnault, and François-Henri Pinault, the heads of Diesel, LVMH, and Kering, Come to my show and look at the mountain I made. Look at these 20,000 people screaming, and then tell me I don't deserve to design a T-shirt. If I want to design a T-shirt in my lifetime, then please help me do it! People say, Well, why don't you just do it on your own? Are you telling me to sew every single T-shirt? People say, Why do you antagonize the high-end companies and your fan base? and this and that. But what I'm saying is that in working with partners like Louis Vuitton and Zanotti and Balmain and Fendi like I have—and please forgive me for using film as a metaphor because I hate when people do that with music—I feel like it's a better form of film that I'm working with when I work with them. I'm working with better cameras. I'm working with better editors ... Steve, please forgive me because I feel like it's super-patronizing whenever someone does an analogy or a metaphor that relates to the field that you currently work inMCQUEEN: No, not at allWEST: I'm sorry. I find it super-insulting whenever people give me a music analogy. It's like, You know, I would have understood it if you just said it in English. You didn't have to put it in music terms, like you somehow know more about music or I would understand it better if it were in music terms. So please forgive me for putting that in film terms. I mean, talking about film to Steve McQueen ...MCQUEEN: [laughs] I grew up in Europe, in London, and you grew up in the States. When was the first time you came to Europe? Do you remember?WEST: I think it was when Damon Dash had me and some other Roc-A-Fella artists come over. He stressed the importance of connecting with London, especially. Then we went to France, and I hated France when we first went there. Now, of course, I love it. But at the time, there was a rapper out of Chicago who wanted me to show up at some event of his, and he was trying to threaten me in some way physically if I didn't show up because we had done a record together. And Dame Dash had to man-up on the situation and apply a bit of gangster to have them fall back, just for me to be able to get on that first flight to LondonMCQUEEN: It's interesting how when Malcolm X ventured out of the United States for the first time, he went to Europe, he went to Africa, he went to Mecca, and then, when he came back to America, he realized that, to some extent, for him, it wasn't about black or white, it was about people. In talking to you now, it seems like you feel the same way—that it's never really been about race for you, but at the same time, it has very much been about that, if you know what I meanWEST: My mission is about what I want to create. It's for people, for humanity. It's about things that can make the world better. I'm not saying that I'm going to make a better world; I'm just saying that I will provide some things that will help, and my glass ceiling that I'm facing is based on my color. You know, I was looking at some cheesy-ass MTV videos a while ago, and it was so funny because it was like, Wow, these videos are pre-Michael Jackson—and people forget that Michael Jackson had to fight to get on MTV because he was considered to be an urban artist. This was, like, the greatest pop star of all time, and they told him, We're not gonna play your video because it doesn't fit our format.MCQUEEN: It actually stunned me to find out that you've never won Best Album at the Grammys. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but it's kind of odd, considering what you've done in music over the last decadeWEST: I wasn't even nominated for Best Album this year. This year, I only got two nominations by the Grammys: for Best Rap Album and Best Rap SongMCQUEEN: Well, that's my problem with all this stuff. It's ghettoization—and I'm talking about country as much as rap. It's all just music. And I've got a problem with people kind of trying to categorize it, where it's either good or it's bad. I find it all odd, to be honest. Have you ever been nominated for Best Album?WEST: I've been nominated for Best Album maybe three times. I made Dark Fantasy and Watch the Throne less than a year apart and neither of them got nominated. Ni**as in Paris [off Watch the Throne] wasn't nominated for Best Song either. But let's go into the fact that I have the most Grammys of any 36-year-old or 40-year-old or whatever, and I've never won a Grammy outside of the Rap or R&B categories. Jesus Walks lost Best Song to some other song; Ni**as in Paris wasn't nominated in that category. But those are the labels that people want to put on you. People see you in a certain way, so if I was doing a clothing line that had rock tees in it or whatever we just did for the Yeezus tour, which sells $400,000 of stuff in two days ... You know, I like Shame [2011] as much as 12 Years a Slave, but Hollywood likes the idea of a black director directing 12 Years a Slave more than it likes the idea of a black director directing Shame
Lyrics by Kanye West
.Cinos-Brief Challenge For God .Cinos-Horus .I Don't Like (Remix) '03 Electric Relaxation **Bonus TRACK**Diamonds From Sierra Leone 2 Words 2 Words (featuring Mos Def, Freeway & The Harl... 2 Words (Featuring Mos Def, Freeway, & Harlem Boys... 30 Hours A Million And One A Million And One Freestyle A Million Freestyle A Million... Freestyle Addiction All Day All Day (feat. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & ... All Day (Remix) All Falls Down All Falls Down (Mixtape) All Falls Down (Original Demo) All Falls Down [DVD] All Falls Down [with ad-libs] All Of The All Of The Lights All of the Lights (Interlude) All Of The Lights (Remix) All of the Lights [Interlude] All Of The Lights Remix All The Lights Alright Amazin Amazing Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy) Amazing Grace American Boy American Boy (feat. Estelle) American Boy [Album Version] American Boy [Radio Edit] Another You Anyway Anyway (paranoid) Anyway Tagged Apologize Arguments Awesome Awesome (Freestyle) Roseland Ballroom Ay Ay Ay Back to Basics Bad News Bad News (Remix) Barclays Rant Barry Bond Barry Bonds Barry Bonds (feat. Lil Wayne) Be-Cleve In Yourself Because of You Bet Cypher Better Than Yours Better Than Yours (Freestyle) Big Brother Biiter Sweet Poetry Bittersweet Bittersweet (Def Poetry Jam) Bittersweet (From Def Poetry Jam) Bittersweet Poetry Bittersweet Poetry (iTunes Bonus Track) Black Bruce Wayne Black Out (Ghostface Killah, M.O.P. and Pharoahe M... Black Skinhead Black Skinhead (Remix) Blame Game Blame Game / The Best Birthday Bliss Blood On The Leaves Blueprint Complication Bonnie & Clyde Bonnie & Clyde Freestyle Bound Bound 2 Bound To Brand New Brand New (Remix) Breath In Breath Out Breathe In Breathe Out Breathe In Breathe Out (Feat. Breathe In Breathe Out (Featuring Ludacris) Breathe In, Breathe Out Brief Challenge For God Bring Me Down Bring Me Down (f/Brandy) Bring Me Down (feat. Brandy) Bring Me Down (feat. Brandy) Bring Me Down (Featuring Brandy) Bring Me Down Featuring Brandy Can You Be Can't Tell Me Nothin' Can't Tell Me Nothing Can't Tell Me Nothing (Remix) Can't Tell Me Nothing [Edited Version] Can't Tell Me Nothing Feat. Fabolous Can't Tell Me Nothing Celebration Chain Heavy Champion Champions Champions (Round & Round) Champions (Round & Round) Child Rebel Soldier Christian Dior Denim Flow Christian Dior Denim Flowa Christian Dior Flow Christmas In Harlem Cinos-Bad Habit Zone Cinos-Illumination Zone Cinos-Lighthouse Zone Classic Classic (Nike Air Force Remix) Clique Closest Thing To Einstein Cold Cold Winter Coldest Winter Come and Go Could've Been Somebody Crack Music Crack Music Featuring Game Crack Music Ft. Game Crack_Music_(Feat_The_Game) Creepers CRS D-D-Don't Talk to Me Dark Fantasy Devil in a New Dress Diamonds Diamonds (From Sierra Leone) (Remix) (Clean) Diamonds (From Sierra Leone) (Remix) (Clean) (Feat... Diamonds Are For Forever Diamonds Are Forever Diamonds Are Forever(with Sierra Leone) Diamonds From Sierra Leone Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Bonus Track) Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Edited) Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix feat. Jay-Z) Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) Featuring Jay-Z Diamonds from Sierra Leone [*] Diamonds from Sierra Leone [Album Version] Diamonds from Sierra Leone [AOL Sessions] Diamonds From Sierra Leone [Video] Diamonds In Mywatch Diamonds Remix Diamonds Remix feat. Jay-Z Digital Girl Dilated People Dilated People Feat. Kayne West Doin Girls Wrong Doing Fine Doing Girls Wrong Don't Look Down Don't Stop Don\u2019t Like Don't Look Down Don't Stop Dont Look Down Dont Stop Down Dream Come True Dream Killers DreamKillers Dreams of F***in Lil' Kim Dreams Of Fuckin' Lil Kim Dreams Of Fucking Lil' Kim Drive Slow Drive Slow (f/Paul Wall & GLC) Drive Slow (feat. Paul Wall, GLC) Drive Slow (feat. Paul Wall, GLC) Drive Slow (Remix) Drive Slow Featuring Paul Wall & GLC Drive Slow featuring Paul Wall & GLC Drop Dead Gorgeous Drunk & Hot Girls Drunk & Hot Girls Drunk and Hot Girls Drunk and Hot Girls (feat. Mos Def) Drunk Hot Girls Drunk In Love (Remix) Drunk In Love Remix E.t E.T. Electric Relaxation Electric Relaxation 2003 Electric Relaxation 2003 (featuring Consequence) Erase Me Everything I Am Everything I Got Everywhere I Go Excuse Me Miss Again (Remix) Excuse Me Miss Again (Remix) (featuring Jay-Z) Extravaganza Eyes Closed Facts Facts (Charlie Heat Version) Facts charlie heat version Fade Fade [Explicit] Family Business Famous Famous [Explicit] Father Stretch My Hands Father Stretch My Hands (Pt. I & Pt. II) Father stretch my hands pt 2 Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 (Remix) Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 2 Father Stretch My Hands, Pts. 1 & 2 Father Stretch My Hands, Pts. 1 & 2 Father Stretch My Hands, Pts. 1 & 2 Feed Back Feedback Flashing Lights Flashing Lights (feat. Dwele) Flashing Lights (Remix) Flashing Lights (Remix) [feat. Raheem DeVaughn] Flashing Lights (Remix) Feat. Colin Monroe, Lupe F... Flashing Lights 2 Flight School FML FML (OG Demo) Freestyle Freestyle (Live At The Blue Note) Freestyle 4 G.O.O.D. Friday Gangsta Wannabe Gansta Wannabe Gay Fish Get By Get By (Remix) Get Em High Get Em High (feat. Talib Kweli & Common) Get Em High Ft. Talib Kweli Get Up Get Your Way (Sex Is a Weapon) (Idle Warship) Gettin' It In Gettin' It In Ghetto University Gifted Girl Tonight Girls (remix) Girls, Girls, Girls (Remix) Glenwood Glory Go Go Hard God Level Gold Digga Gold Digger Gold Digger (2003 Version) Gold Digger (album Version) (explicit) Gold Digger (f/Jamie Foxx) Gold Digger (Mtv Version) Gold Digger [AOL Sessions] Gold Digger [Video] Gold Digger Featuring Jamie Foxx Gold Digger/Album Version (Explicit) Gold_Digger_(Feat_Jamie_Foxx) Golddigger Gone Gone (Explicit) Gone Featuring Consequence & Cam'Ron Gone featuring Consequence & Cam'Ron Good Ass Job Good Friday Good Life Good Life (feat. T-Pain) Good Morning Good Night Good Things Don’t Last Goodbye Gorgeous Gossip Files Gotta Have It Gotta Pose Graduation Day Graduation Day (Album Version) Graduation Day! Grammy Family Grammy Family (DJ Khaled, Consequence, John Legend... Guerilla Monsoon Rap Guilt Trip H.A.M H.a.m (Hard As A Motherfu**er) H.A.M. Half Price HAM Happiness Diamonds Have It Your Way Heard 'em Say Heard 'Em Say [Michel Gondry Video] Heard 'Em Say Featuring Adam Levine Heard 'Em Say Featuring Adam Levine Of Maroon Heard 'Em Say Featuring Adam Levine Of Maroon 5 Heard 'em Say Heartless Heartless (Remix) Heartless Vh1 Storytellers Heavy Hitters Heavy Hitters [*] Heavy Hitters [Feat. GLC] Hell Of A Life Hell of Life Here We Go Again Hey Mama Hey Mama (Grammy Remix) Hey Mama (Mixtape) Hey Mama (Remix) Hey Mama Grammy Remix High Lights Higher Higher ft. Do or Die Highlights Hold Hold My Liquor Hold On (Feat. Dwele) Hold On (Remix) Home Home (Windy) Homecoming Homecoming (feat. Chris Martin) Homecoming [*] Homecoming [*] Hope (Remix) Horus Hot 97 Hot 97 Freestyle I Am A God I Am God I don't like I Don't Like (Remix) I Don\'t Like I Don't Like I Don’t Like I Feel Enslaved I Feel Like That I Forgot to Be Your Lover (The Revelations and Tre... I Got A Love I Just Wanna Love U (Offcial Kanye West Mumtribute... I Love Kanye I Love Kanye (Key Wane Remix) I Love Kanye (Murda Beatz Remix) I Love Kanye (Stefan Ponce Remix) I Need 2 Know I Need To Know I Wanna Be Edward Cullen I Won I Wonder I'll Fly Away I'm in It I'm So Appalled I\'ll Fly Away I\u2019m In It I'll Fly Away I'm In It Illest Mother Alive Illest Motherfucker Alive Im In It Im So Appalled Impossible Impossible (Radio Edit) Impossible [Radio Edit] Improvise In A World Like This In Common In Common Remix Intro It's Amazing It's Over Jesus Walks Jesus Walks (Intro) Jesus Walks (Remix) Jesus Walks [Album Version Explicit] Jesus Walks [Album Version] Jesus Walks [Chris Milk Version][Multimedia Track] Jesus Walks [Church Version][Multimedia Track] Jesus Walks [DVD] Jesus Walks [DVD][Mix] Jesus Walks [DVD][Version] Jesus Walks [DVD][Version] Jesus Walks [Live in Paridiso 2004] Jesus Walks [Live Version] [Live] Jesus Walks [Live] Jesus Walks [Mase Remix] Jesus Walks [Remix Explicit] Jesus Walks [Remix][*][Mix] Jesus Walks [Street Version][Multimedia Track] Jesus Walks [Video Version 2] Jesus Walks Remix Jesus Walks Remix ft. MASE Jimmy Kimmel Interview Pt. 1 Kanye West All Of The Lights featuring Rihanna fro... Kanye West Black Skinhead is a track on the album ... Kanye West Blood On The Leaves is track #7 on Kany... Kanye West Clique is a new single featuring Big Se... Kanye West Cold also known as "Theraflu" or "Way T... Kanye West Gorgeous from the album "My Beautiful D... Kanye West Guilt Trip feat. Kid Cudi. Track 8 off ... Kanye West Hold My Liquor is track #5 on Kanye's a... Kanye West I Am A God is a song from his sixth stu... Kanye West I'm In It feat. Justin Vernon. Track 6... Kanye West Lost In The World from the album "Dark ... Kanye West Monster from the album "Watch the Thron... Kanye West New Day is a new track included on Kany... Kanye West On Sight is a song from his sixth studi... Kanye West Power the lead single taken from Kanye'... Kanye West Prime Time is a new track included on K... Kanye West Runaway Love featuring Raekwon and the ... Kanye West Runaway performed at the 2010 MTV Video... Kanye West Send It Up feat. King Louie. Track 9 of... Kanye West Watch The Throne is from the collaborat... Kanye West White Dress is a new song included on t... Keep It G Keep The Receipt Keep The Receipt (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard) Keep The Receipt (premix) Kinda Like A Big Deal Kinda Like a Big Deal [Instrumental] King Of Hearts (Kanye West Remix) Knock Knock Knock Knock (Remix) Knock You Down [Instrumental] Know The Game Last Call Last Night Late Late (Hidden Track) Late [*] Late [Hidden Track] Late Registration Latitude Let's Get Married Reception Remix Let's Get Married Reception Remix Lift Off Like This Like This [07 Jam] Lil Jimmy Skit Line For Line Livin' Livin' A Movie Livin' in a Movie Livin' In A Movie Living Room Floor Living So Italian Lollipop (feat. Lil Wayne) Looking For Trouble Lord Lord Lord Lord Lord Lord [feat. Mos Def, Swizz Beatz, Raekwo... Lost In The World Lost In The World (remix) love is blind Love Lock Down Love Lockdown Love Lockdown (Remix) Love Lockdown [electro Mix] Love Lockdown LMFAO Remix Love Locked Down Remix Love Lockedown (Remix) Low Lights Made In America Magic Man Make Her Feel Good [Remix] Make Her Say Mama's Boyfriend Mama's Boyfriend Mercy Million Money In Ur Pocket Monster Monster (Feat Rick Ross) Monster (Single) More Movie Life Murder To Excellence Muzik My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy My Chain Heavy My Diddy Moment My Way My Way Home My Way Home (f/Common) My Way Home Featuring Common Need Somebody Need To Know Never Let Me Down Never Let Me Down - Ft. Jay Z Never Let Me Down [*] Never Let You Down Never Let You Down (featuring Jay-Z & Saul Wil... Never Letting Go (The Stalker Song) Never See Me Again New Angels New Day New God Flow New Slaves New Slaves (Single) Niggas In Paris No Church In The Wild No More Parties in L.A. No More Parties In LA Not Enough Time Number One Number One [DVD] Number One [Live] NYC Freestyle Cypher On Sight On Site One Night Extravaganza Only One Only One (feat. Paul McCartney) Onsite Open Letter 2 Otis Out of Your Mind Out The Game Over Again Overnight Celebrity Paranoid Peace Perfect Bitch Pinocchio Story Pinocchio Story (Freestyle Live From Singapore) Pinocchio Story (Live) Playa Playa Playa Poker Face Poppin' Tags Poppin' Tags (Remix) Poppin' Tags Porno (Interlude) Power Power (Feat. Dwele) Power (Remix) Power (Single) Power [Edited Version] Power [Explicit Version] Power Remix Prime Time Primetime Pro Nails Pro Nails [Remix] Prolific Pt. 2 Punch Drunk Love Put On Put Your Face In The Bag Real Bad News Real Friends Real love Right On Time Robocop Roses Round And Round Runaway Runaway (Single) Runaway [Edited Version] Runaway [Explicit Version] Runaway Love Runaway Part 2 Kanye West Saint Pablo Saint Pablo (Closest Thing to Einstein) Saint Pablo (WondaGurl & Daxz Remix) Sanctified Say You Will Say You Will (Remix) School Spirit School Spirit (Radio Edit) School Spirit (Skit 1) School Spirit (Skit 2) School Spirit Skit School Spirit Skit 1 School Spirit Skit 2 See Me Now See You In My Nightmares Self Conscious (A.K.A. Yeah) Self-Conscious Selfish Send It Up Shake It Up Silver Surfer (Intermission) Silver Surfer Intermission Sin City Six Directions of Boxing (Wu-Tang Clan) Skit #1 Skit #2 Skit #3 Skit #4 Skit Number 1 Skit Number 2 Skit Number 3 Skit Number 4 Sky Might Fall Slow Jam Slow Jams Featuring Twista & Jamie Fox Slow Jamz Slow Jamz (College Dropout Remix) Slow Jamz (Featuring Twista & Jamie Foxx) Slow Jamz [DVD] Slow Jamz [DVD] So Appalled So Appauled So Awesome (Fragment) So Soulful Soulful Southside Spaceship Spaceship [Live] [Live] Speech at Harvard Graduate School of Design Stand Up (Feat. Jay-Z) Stand Up (Remix) Start It Up Still Dreaming Stircrazy Stratosphere Of Love Street Lights Street Lights [*] Streetlights Stronger Stronger (A-Trak Remix) Stronger (remix) Summer Jam Freestyle Sunshine Swagga Like Us Sweet Baby Jesus Take Back The Night Take One For The Team Talk About Our Love Tampa Visionary Stream of Consciousness 11\/30\/20... Tell Everybody That You Know Tell Everybody That You Know (feat. Lil Wayne) Tell Everybody That You Know Ft. Lil Wayne That Shit Crazy That's My Bitch The baddest man alive the black keys and rza The Food The Glory The Good Life The Good Life (remix) The Good, The Bad & The Ugly The Good, The Bad & The Ugly The Good, The Bad And The Ugly The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (featuring Conseque... The Good, The Bad, The Ugly The Joy The Mind is Powerful The Morning The New Work Out Plan The New Workout Plan The New Workout Plan (Remix) The New Workout Plan [DVD][Version] The New Workout Plan [DVD][Version] The New Workout Plan [Remix][*][Mix] The One The Roc In Here Theraflu Therapy They Say They Say Ft. Common and John Legend This Way This Way (& Dilated Peoples) Through The Wire Through the Wire (Freestyle Remix) Through The Wire (Main) Through The Wire (Remix) Through the Wire [Explicit] Through the Wire [Main Version] Throw Some D's Tick, Tock (Pusha T, Raekwon, Joell Ortiz and Dann... Tim Westwood Freestyle To The World Touch It Touch The Sky Touch the Sky [Album Version] Touch the Sky [DJ Clinton Sparks Remix] Touch the Sky [DVD] Touch the Sky [Music Video] Touch The Sky Featuring Lupe Fiasco Touch The Sky Ft. Lupe Fiasco Two Words Two Words [*] Two Words [Clean] Two Words [DVD] Two Words Feat. Mos Def, Freeway U Aint Neva Gotz Ask Ultra Light Beam Ultra Light Beams Ultralight Beam Ultralight Prayer Unhappy Us Placers Used To Love U Voices Linger Wack Niggas Wack Niggaz Wake Up Mr. West Watch The Throne Waves Way Too Cold We Are Young We Can Make It Better We Can Make It Better (album Version) (explicit) We Don't Care We Don't Care [Live Version] [Live] We Don't Dare We Major We Major (f/Nas & Really Doe) We Major (feat. Nas, Really Doe) We Major (Featuring Nas & Really Dope) We Major Featuring Nas & Really Doe We Major featuring Nas & Really Doe We Should Have Never, Ever Let Michael Jordan Play... Welcome Back (Remix) Welcome To Heartbreak Welcome To The Heartbreak (remix) Welcome To The Jungle What It Is Whatever You Want (feat. Big Sean) Whatever You Want Ft Big Sean Wheely Shit When I See It Where U At Where U At (The Whole City's Behind Us) Feat. Luda... Where You At? Where You At? (The Whole City Behind Us) White Dress Who Gon Stop Me Who Will Survive In America Who's Gonna Stop Me Whole Life Why I Love You Why U Mad Wolves Wolves (Blue Viuda Edit) Work Out Plan Workout Plan Workout Plan (part 2) Wouldn't You Like 2 Ryde (Malik Yusef/Kanye West &... Wouldn't You Like To Ride Wow Wow! Wylin' Cause I'm Young Yeezus You Ain't Got The Answers You Don't Know You Know You Know (& White Boy) Young Folks Your Good Thing (Is About to Come to an End) (Mabl...