Panama: so i know a lot of women who absolutely love kanye west and i can honestly say i dont get it. like i cant tell if they want to be with him? or if his swag is attractive to them or what…
kanye being an attractive human being is an oddity to me
Champ: i think they like what he produces and what he’s capable of producing more than anything elsethe art more than the artisti mean, i guess that explains why guys like paul mccartney and lyle lovett have had their pick of beautiful womenthe idea of kanye matters more than he doeswell, not more, but just as muchwomen love big ideas and potential more than they love us, loland kanye is a big f*cking ideaPanama: that is trueChamp: but yeah, you’re right. he’s a sex symbol who women don’t seem to want to have sex withits weird. i’ve never believed any of the “kanye’s gay” rumors, but i have a hard time believing he was sleeping with amber rose, or anyone for that matterPanama: good pointChamp: but, he’s also admitted to a porn addiction, and i’ve heard from a few sources that he’s not particularly shy about whipping it out in public, lolPanama: apparently a lot of guys aren’ti’ve had chicks tell me numerous times of dudes i know who they’ve been with on some one-on-one hang shit and dude will just pull his shit outChamp: i knew a guy in college who’d hand women business cards with a pic of him holding his wangi always wondered who took those pictures for himPanama: lol
Midway through our latest podcast, I made a completely extemporaneous remark about Kanye West being one of the most important black people in the world; a statement so extemporaneous and unexpected you can hear the shock in my own voice when I said it. This surprise was largely based on the fact that I didn’t believe a single word of what I had just said.
But, because the verbal edit button–a device allowing you to delete reckless things you’ve said before anyone actually hears it–hasn’t been invented yet, I went full speed ahead, citing Kanye’s pandemic effect on our culture as proof of my statement’s truth. Surprisingly, the more I spoke, the more I realized this theory wasn’t that far fetched. Culture–the way we behave, how we interact, and what we believe–f*cking matters. And, regardless of how superficial you consider their particular contributions to be, our living and breathing cultural determinants–our Jay-Zs’, our Kardashians, our Beyonces–f*cking matter too.
Kanye, his brand of unabashed and simultaneously insecure self-confidence, and the art this volatile mixture created, has done more to spearhead this current era of hip-hop androgyny we live in than any other entity. Ironically, this makes him a bit of a throwback. His visceral emoting and occasional bouts of hyper-heterosexual aggression hearken back to the 80′s, when lascivious and sexually ambiguous performers such as Prince, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and Boy George ruled the airwaves. I’m not suggesting Kanye is in fact bi or homosexual, but his particular type of emotiveness is unlike any we’ve seen in hip-hop, and by osmosis he’s helped to pave the way to mainstream acceptance and embrace for (among other things) Drake, skinny jeans, Lady Gaga, Rhianna, blazers, Nicky Minaj, eyeglasses, B.O.B., blogging (yes. blogging), Lil Wayne, frohawks, and Twitter.
Despite all of this, I’ve always wondered what exactly it is about Kanye that allows him to wield such a cultural influence. How the hell does this tiny guy from the Chi have so much power? While his persona is (somewhat) original in a hip-hop context, the characteristics contributing to this persona are completely unoriginal. His critically lauded sample-heavy and soulful production is somewhat of a copy of music the RZA was making in 1995. While he’s definitely improving as a rapper, he’ll never be confused for a “natural” like a Nas or even a Scarface. And, by the time “The College Dropout” was released, the emotive eccentricity and eclecticism he’s known for had already been “done” (and, arguably, done better) by Andre 3000. He’s basically an HD compatible betamax.
The insane buzz over his two relatively underwhelming new singles (“Power” and “Hear Me Now”. Although, I have to admit I love “Hear Me Now” and the “Power” remix) have helped me figure it out: It’s not Kanye himself as much as it’s the idea of Kanye–and what we think he’s capable of–that matters so gotdamn much. This explains why each of his albums (even the sucky ones I eventually allowed to grow on me) are cultural landmarks even among those who love hip-hop but hate him and/or his music. This helps me understand how we’ve allowed a man who has made entire albums based around the idea that college is a sham and publicly admitted to not reading books (ha!) to be the de facto musical spokesperson for the young and college educated African-American. This even explains why (many) women are completely infatuated by him despite the fact that they probably wouldn’t sleep with him if given the chance.
With Kanye, it’s not so much about who he is or what he’s accomplished as much as it’s who we want him to be and what he just might do. While he has definitely produced, the power we’ve given him lies in the fact that his otherworldly range of personality makes him potential personified, and this makes him completely unstable and completely impervious to prediction—exactly like culture. He’s a living and breathing cultural cipher for our Id’s and expectations (whatever they might be), and he matters so gotdamn much because we need him to.
—The Champ
***By the way, If you haven’t done so yet, check out “The Black Blog Tea Party“, The Champ’s latest piece at Clutch Magazine***
Regardless of how much of a douchebag I think he is, he gets a free pass in my book solely because the Kanye shrug was one of the greatest things mankind saw this (last? I can never figure this time sh*t out) decade.
i agree with P. 100%. kanye’s music is great, pure and simple. and he creates most of it completely on his own. i love people who write AND produce their own stuff. not to mention he is actually saying something meaningful…well usually lol. even when he’s not, the things he says are highly entertaining, clever, and quotable. these things, compared with his overall image and outrageousness, make him a star. he will be remembered for a very long time, along with the rest of the greats i think. and rightly so.
i think his “power” also has a lot to do with the fact that he says things that people feel but don’t have the nerve to say, and this touches people. he’s just very raw, and people feel that. i went to his “glow in the dark” tour a few years ago, and i was amazed not only at the quality of the show but at the number of people (all races, both genders, various ages) who knew every lyric and truly felt those words. it was a beautiful thing. is he the voice of our generation? maybe…i’m not sure if i’d go that far, but you would certainly think so being in that arena.
p.s. it doesn’t hurt that he has all that respect in the industry. dude has collaborated with everybody who’s anybody, from jay-z to jeezy to justin beiber. his market is ginormous.
just re-read P.’s comment and realized he was talking about the “kanye shrug” and not kanye’s music….so i take back the whole agreeing 100% thing lol. i was talking about the man’s music and sh!t. geez, i need to go to sleep.
Right? I mean, that shrug can be applied to a ton of things. Like, I can’t even shrug anymore without it naming it “Kanye.” In fact, I think I like that.
All I can say is he doesn’t matter to me
that doesn’t matter
LOL, I knew it would only be a matter of time before someone said this. Which…valid.
Guess that can be said about everyone, though, right?
Is this a Why I Love Yeezy post? Cuz I’ll go in.
I don’t really wanna have sex with Yeezy. He doesn’t really do it for me, but I still love him lots. His thirst to want to improve himself and his art is what attracts me most. It inspires you to want to do better for yourself, and it makes you want to root for him too. I’m not into egos but Kanye’s ego is like none other. Besides that, I do like his word play, which is why I used to like Jigga so much (not so much anymore; he’s getting old; literally). I could do without his gaudy tastes in interior design as of late, but he’s def cool in my book. I just hope this new album isn’t wack.
And I love our podcasts simply because you can’t edit yourself which is great because your obsessive editing drives me nuts. In a nice way, of course.
YES! I totally agree. I don’t find him attractive. He actually looks like my brother in law A LOT, so it freaks me out a bit. Anyway, I just think he is extremely adorable. He just seems so genuinely into what he does and he produces some great albums. I am definitely a stan! :-/
Double co-sign! My chicks and I are all big fans of Kanye. Not one of us ever calls him sexy, fine, or drool over the idea of sleeping with him. SImply put: he’s one of the most interesting people in the limelight right now, and – right or wrong – he always goes hard.
You guys have captured it quite nicely.
And what The Champ calls the Huge albeit insecure self-confidence definitely rails me in.
I do heart Kanye a whole bunch. I want to give him kisses and stuff and go sit in the park with him while he shares his vision with me and sh!t…
omagawd. I caught a tear sharing this vision of him sharing his vision with you. ’cause I totes feel like that ma damn self, lol. it’s sick really how much I adore him.
I don’t really wanna have sex with Yeezy
thanks for making that clear, liz
His thirst to want to improve himself and his art is what attracts me most. It inspires you to want to do better for yourself, and it makes you want to root for him too.
kanye actually inspires you to be a bigger, better, and greater person? i think this is the first time i’ve heard anybody say that kanye inspires them to be better.
You need to hang out with different people.
yeah what Sula said. When Kanye was his hungriest?? Back during college dropout days? do u not know the story behind through the wire? lol. He’s always been thirsty, aspirational. today hasn’t changed, its just from a different angle. some see it as all ego but part of his ego thing is that nobody else is better than him, so he has to constantly be better than himself. before then, it was that he was so great, but people slept on him…but he’d show them one day.
Maybe if I start talking about important I am and golden goblets, I too can convince others that I matter. O_o
or you can just join the illuminati. that always seems to help
Or the VSBluminati. Where e-celebs reign and sh*t. o_O
it worked for lil wayne. nobody ever considered him as the “best rapper alive” until he started saying it with every other line on the first Carter album. next thing you know, folks started saying, “hey, is lil wayne the best rapper alive?”
if you say something enough, people will start to wonder if its true…then people will start to believe it.
it’s why i’ve been calling myself sexxy for the last decade. visualization breeds actualization. or some such freudian f*ckery.
“it’s why i’ve been calling myself sexxy for the last decade. visualization breeds actualization. or some such freudian f*ckery.”
Mmmhmm. The 3 thing, though? That’s true.
it worked for lil wayne. nobody ever considered him as the “best rapper alive” .
Actually I’ve been saying it since “Lights Out”. What can I say, I’ve always been a fan. *Kanye Shrug*
Actually I’ve been saying it since “Lights Out”. What can I say, I’ve always been a fan. *Kanye Shrug*
wow. you’ve been wrong for a long time
This last line is begging me to say something extremely rude. But I’ll refrain, bc you’re nice in person.
Aww I love the podcast
I found that comment a touch out of left field as well, but you did a good job defending it.
While I don’t think Kanye is the cultural maven he thinks he is (voice of my generation…. really?) I do think he paved the way for this new breed of emo hiphop where we talk about out feelings. Feelings beyond lust and pissed offedness anyway. Now we have Drake talking about how he loves the fame, but he hates the fame, but he’s soooooo over it, and Wale kvitching about how girls in high school wouldn’t talk to him, and BOB who is a ghost in a machine and you can’t see past his shades. Don’t look at me!!! …Sorry just had an emo moment. Anyway, I do think Kanye has fashioned a new school of hip hop, but cultural icon? We’ll see….
You know what’s interesting? I feel like more people would give Kanye the musician his deserved props if Kanye the personality wasn’t such a douchebag. It’s hard to like someone who clearly doesn’t give a rat’s hind parts whether you support them or not…
While I don’t think Kanye is the cultural maven he thinks he is (voice of my generation…. really?) I do think he paved the way for this new breed of emo hiphop where we talk about out feelings
that’s the thing, if you’ve managed to alter a pretty widespread culture (hip-hop) you are a cultural maven (even if your effect might have been accidental)
douchebag though he may be, kanye is definitely a cultural icon. right now, he and lady gaga are probably the most significant measures of where hiphop and pop music are. kanye, lil wayne, gaga, beyonce and to a lesser extent rihanna and jay are all the people folks are paying attention to and we’ll be referencing 20 years from now about this era. what they do inspires other people to do sh*t.
heck, bc of kanye, i’ve been trying to date a racially amibiguous bald headed light skint woman. and i hate mannequins.
“I found that comment a touch out of left field as well, but you did a good job defending it.”
Right, I mean from what Champ has said…it makes sense. But, I still think he’s just as funny unedited as edited, which is no easy feat. Panama, I can’t compare because that ninja is always unedited. Consistent self.
“While I don’t think Kanye is the cultural maven he thinks he is (voice of my generation…. really?) ”
LOL, yeah see, we’ll never compliment Kanye better than he compliments himself. We can say he was the best thing in the history of the word “best”, and he’ll still be all, “Um…I’m better than that, peasant.”
It’s becoming more acceptable for men to be emo in general. Whether your theory of Kanye’s influence effects that fact is probably a chicken-or-egg argument. Maybe he exists to the magnitude that he does because we’re different as a society, thus allowing other rappers like Wayne and Joe Budden to show their emo side.
Either way, I’m tired and I need a hug.
It’s becoming more acceptable for men to be emo in general. Whether your theory of Kanye’s influence effects that fact is probably a chicken-or-egg argument
i’ve thought about that as well. maybe kanye just rode the anti-50/anti-bush backlash, and happened to be in the right place at the right time
joe buddens has ALWAYS been an emo rapper. in fact, that’s his whole schtick, putting too much of himself and his emotions out there on the table. hell, it might be the reason he always manages to date banging chicks.
you know what i actually blame this entire emo-guy debacle on?
von dutch trucker hats.
i know they’ve always been popular in cali, but when they caught on nationwide, rappers started wearing them. you cant’ rock thug attire with a von dutch hat. so they had to change their wardrobe. everybody looked like pharrell at this point b/c he ALWAYS looked like a skater dude. well once our eyes were opened to skater culture, guys started wearing skinny jeans and next thing you know, everybody looked like they were the guys rappers used to beat up. you cant talk hardcore in skinny jeans, so folks started rapping accordingly.
von dutch is responsible for the emo rapper.
* THIS POST IS ON A THOUSAND BILLION TRILLION!
* I love how creative Kanye is. Love or hate the “Power” video, it’s something brand new. I even give him props for having the balls to make 808 & Heartbreak.
* I have mixed feelings about him unleashing Amber Rose upon the world
* , Aziz Anzari’s parody tweets of Kanye are hilarious
It took me a minute, but 808s really grew on me. That album speaks to me in a way no other piece of music has. I know I sound extra emo but it did lol. It made me laugh, cry, feel sorry for him, wish him well, etc. It might be my fave Yeezy album for some odd reason, even though I enjoyed the others a lot.
i’d like to commission a study on the people whose favorite kanye album is 808s and heartbreaks. i feel like its a big arse support group waiting to happen out there. i haven’t listened to that album in years at this point. and have no intention of ever listening to it again. the only song i liked on it was “welcome to heartbreak”
do you need a hug Liz?
Don’t worry about sounding Emo…
I was part of the first wave of supporters of 808′s & Heartbreaks (well documented on this here VSB)… but I don’t understand people who don’t like it… It’s strange… This stuff is pure, unadulterated feelings on beat… Just dope.
And Panama, I’ll sign up for the study.
OMG – ME TOO!!!
I absolutely LOVE 808. I seriously listen to the album all the way through at least twice a month. And that’s saying A LOT!
I like any artist that makes me really believe and feel what they’re singing/rapping.
yep, fave album after college dropout. withoutadoubt. you captured it perfectly liz. he has this confluence of emotions in 808s and I especially felt his pain. that last song in particular got me shook up when you think about the context.
Here’s this guy with his heart on his sleeve, momma just died, broken engagement, complaining about his lost loves and loneliness to a foreign crowd. they don’t know what the hell he’s saying, so they’re yelling with heaps of joy at all the wrong moments (he’s talking about death and despair and they’re all “yayyy Kanye!!!!”) which highlights the loneliness of fame. He’s practically crying on the mic about something that is coincidentally going on right then and there. Because it’s a live performance it makes it that more real.
I think that’s it. Kanye is just real.
I wanted to imagine some kind of time-space continuum leap, jump in my CD player (yes, those still exist) and give him a hug. Shit I still wanna do that, lol.
I love how creative Kanye is. Love or hate the “Power” video, it’s something brand new.
how integral do you think his “brand new-ness” is to his popularity?
“* THIS POST IS ON A THOUSAND BILLION TRILLION!”
You win the award for aptly doing a Kanye impersonation on a Kanye-related post. See? This is why you my people.
Kanye’s a sex symbol? Huh? Where? I’m sorry but no. I don’t know any chicks who are fawnin’ over Kanye…not a one. As far as his music goes, ehhh. I seem to dig his beats/verses that he does for others more than I do anything he’s done on his own. I don’t even own any of his stuff. Then there’s all the bytchazz behavior as well, let’s just say I’m not a fan. *oh yeah Champie I dig you on the podcasts, especially the Pittsburgh accent…lol
Kanye’s a sex symbol? Huh? Where? I’m sorry but no. I don’t know any chicks who are fawnin’ over Kanye…not a one
lol, a few of them have already come through today.
speaking of pittsburgh accents (but not really) how come i don’t believe at all that wiz khalifa is from pittsburgh. he dresses, acts, talks and swags like he’s from cali. thru and thru. if it wasn’t for his incessant “pittsburgh” hat wearage and chain, i’d need to have his mother tell me straight up that he’s from pitt.
thing is, there are certain parts of pittsburgh (homewood in particular) that have COMPLETELY mimicked the west coast since the mid 90′s. If you walked down Homewood ave, you’d really think you’d stepped on the set of Menace to Society, right down to the “cuz” and the blue dickies and bandanas.
Kanye’s a sex symbol? Huh? Where? I’m sorry but no. I don’t know any chicks who are fawnin’ over Kanye…not a one.
^Agreed! Like. not. never! He’s asexual to me. He’s definitely male, not gay, but there is no sexual heat to me what so ever. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could reproduce on his own (like the science books would say).
But y’all are basically saying what The Champ said… No?
Hey, Sula
I thought Champ was saying despite that, some women still find him sexy or attractive. I do not. Not at all. So I thought that was different than what Champ was saying. Am I wrong? I could be wrong
The idea of someone being a sex symbol you don’t want to have sex with is absurd. Then they aren’t a sex symbol in my book. You just are really fond of them, I guess, lol! I don’t even know if I’d even call it a crush, because even a crush wants a kiss. I don’t want none of that with Kanye.
I begrudgingly admit that Kanye West makes good music. If I acknowledge anything more then that, then his over inflated ego might knock the Earth off it’s axis.
Dude epitomizes what it is to be an attention wh*re, so I give him his props as being a talented musician, and keep it moving.
I begrudgingly admit that Kanye West makes good music. If I acknowledge anything more then that, then his over inflated ego might knock the Earth off it’s axis.
see, i really don’t think kanye’s ego is bigger than any of ours. i just don’t think he has much of a superego
since i dont know what that means, i’m gonna take it as disrespect…
There’s always a way to insert that line into a conversation…Kevin Hart is effing hilarious!
“see, i really don’t think kanye’s ego is bigger than any of ours. i just don’t think he has much of a superego”
So, do you think the difference is that he vocalizes the ego we all have? Because that’s what he thinks. See, “Down, All Falls.”
I agree Cheekie—I was telling a friend of mine that Kanye is like the mascot for a generation of young adults, that’s why we relate to him so well and feel his music.
Bond.
I actually believe Kanye does it to a beat and makes it a lifestyle. We all bite our tongues and don’t say what we feel at the time some bs is going down (call it superego or tact, its the same thing). Our superego keeps us employed and his id keeps him relevant and us entertained.
And I don’t understand why people don’t see that? Kanye is a self-proclaimed insecure dude… Knowing you are good doesn’t mean you have an ego. Sh!t, I know I’m smart and I’ll say it to anybody who wants to hear it… If that means I have a superego, then I guess… *’Ye shrug*
it doesnt mean you have superego. it means that perhaps you don’t have much of a superego…like kanye.
Am I slow or is your sexxyness too much for me because, yeah, I didn’t get that.
get thee to a dictionary or wikipedia and look up superego.
it doesnt mean “really big ego”
Actually, yeah, I can get down with that explanation. His superego is gimpy, and does an inadequate job of managing his id and his ego.
…but that doesn’t change the fact that he is an attention wh*re that I refuse to support financially. Some people see a tortured artist and an iconoclast. I see a spoiled a*s man child throwing public temper tantrums, demanding validation for what he’s supposed to do.
i kind of do and kind of don’t want to weigh in on anything concerning ‘Ye, mostly considering that he’s the type of dude that will probably google himself and read everything that everyone writes about him and then link it to his blog.
Case in point, him being a ‘representative’ of this era that we live in. I think that he is a by-proxy or de facto representative because of his insatiable self-promotion, which is the essence of American (and Hip-hop) braggadocio. The fact that he advertises fashionable purses simultaneously is just the classic consumerist icing on the cake.
he may not be the voice of a generation, but he does quite a job of generating his own voice.
And cosign on the Aziz Ansari bit.
he may not be the voice of a generation, but he does quite a job of generating his own voice.
nice play on words and sh*t (even if i dont agree)
Pretty damb good points there Humpty. Kanye is indeed a sex symbol who is SLIGHTLY asexual. Sorta like MJ was. People would squeal and fall out at the sight of Kang Miko but did anyone actually wanna DO him? Umm… not quite. ALTHOUGH after his death, ppl have been lusting after him.
And I still look at the whole “I’d DO Prince” thing with utter confusion. Prince looks like a REALLY pretty 15-year-old girl. I just wanna take him shopping and have us play in each other’s hair while we talk about boys.
Maybe I’m just weird. No. I’m pretty sure I am.
Any sexy ‘Ye could have had was killed by that Theo Huxtable hair he rocked last year
Lol@ prince looking like a 15yr old girl. . . . . So true. He kind of reminds me of this chic we went to high school with.
Pretty damb good points there Humpty. Kanye is indeed a sex symbol who is SLIGHTLY asexual. Sorta like MJ was. People would squeal and fall out at the sight of Kang Miko but did anyone actually wanna DO him? Umm… not quite. ALTHOUGH after his death, ppl have been lusting after him.
somebody much smarter than me needs to write something about the appeal of hetero but androgynous men
YES. Sex appeal clearly doesn’t always have to do about actually wanting to have sex with them. Sex as an idea is such a wide spectrum. Hmm. Wide spectrum. I’m gonna stop there because this is getting dirty.
I think someone on Twittah said it best when they said (I’m paraphrasing, and or jacking up their glorious quote), “Prince is the guy who will rock your world in bed, then wear your shoes afterwards.” Ish was so poignant. And hilarious. I bout died.
Luvvie, I have to disagree with you here. For the first time eva, I’m disagreeing with you. I had to come out of lurking to make it known that…Prince can hit this every which way from Sunday. He can do splits on it. He can slide across the flo on it. He can do whateva he wants as long as he doesn’t try to sell me a “Watchtower” afterwards. That is all.
***goes back to lurking***
@DeannaDivine,
http://bit.ly/9gYm0M
@Cheekie,
I’m cracking up you sent that to me! But you have to admit his eyes are mesmerizing! And, how cool do you have to be to have a shirt with YOUR OWN PICTURE on it??!! The best part of the night was the side eye he gave young Trey for doing his song! Good times!
“And, how cool do you have to be to have a shirt with YOUR OWN PICTURE on it??!!”
There’s no denying that he is one of the few ninjas that can get away with that. Like, Paris Hilton did that before and I roasted her for days. Ok, minutes. But, Prince? I bowed before him. Actually, I curtsied. I was feeling girly that night.
Before reading this, I commented he was asexual. Yet, you bring up a valid point with MJ. Yet, my craze over MJ was when I was in elementary school. My regard of MJ as I got older was respect for his talent, legacy, artistry, music, and skill (amongst other things I just can’t name or put into words right now). I would argue Prince is androgynous, but very sexual. I got a feeling Prince can put it on you and leave with his hair looking better than yours.
Wow Champ. Your sentiments regarding Kanye made during the podcast must have really been eating at you to warrant an entire post dedicated to clarifying and articulating your thoughts. My question to you now is, do you feel a sense of redemption now that you have explicated? Or in the words of Martin, “Are you happy now”?
My question to you now is, do you feel a sense of redemption now that you have explicated? Or in the words of Martin, “Are you happy now”?
happy, but not content. thanks for asking and sh*t though
hmmm….under certain lights, at certain angles, and from a particular distance, Kanye is kinda cute. Sexy? Negative. He reminds me of boys in high school desperately trying to lose their virginity: full of bravado but hopelessly immature.
i think your post makes a compelling case for his cultural importance, tho. i do marvel at his creativity and candor- especially considering how insecure and paranoid he has revealed himself to be. you would think all his neurotic-ness would get in the way of his talent. nope. but it do stop him from getting all his due shine.
” i think your post makes a compelling case for his cultural importance, tho. i do marvel at his creativity and candor- especially considering how insecure and paranoid he has revealed himself to be.”
I’ve maintained since College Dropout that Kanye West has ADHD, which is why he’s a college dropout and simultaneously a genius. his mind moves so quickly, but he’s intelligent so the combination breeds insane creativity.
he’s not sexy though. like, at all.
yep, that boy know he ADHD “special”. ain’t we all tho? (i know my attn span has been razzle dazzled by technology- hence this 2am post)
I’ve maintained since College Dropout that Kanye West has ADHD, which is why he’s a college dropout and simultaneously a genius. his mind moves so quickly, but he’s intelligent so the combination breeds insane creativity.
you can blame that on him being a Gemini too. i’m JUST like that (though i aint gonna say i’m as creatively brilliant as kanye…lol). i have the hardest time sticking to stuff b/c i move onto the next big idea. it’s one of the things i both love and hate about myself the most.
@Panama
“you can blame that on him being a Gemini too. i’m JUST like that (though i aint gonna say i’m as creatively brilliant as kanye…lol). i have the hardest time sticking to stuff b/c i move onto the next big idea. it’s one of the things i both love and hate about myself the most.”
I was just about to go there with my comment. As a fellow Gemini…I sort of get his hodge podge of personas. Mysterious, but not……..Outgoing, yet reclusive….Outspoken, yet….umm…Outspoken. In my opinion, no one will ever really KNOW Kanye (except for his late mother).
Well, you may infact be ADHD too. Here i am a 25 yo gemini and I just found out that I have ADHD, and have been working in the mental health field for the past 4 years. I also happen to be a genius (seriously, 140 IQ) but can’t get nothin done, go figure, don’t rule out a diagnosis, treatment is helpful for me (plus meds). and sorry to be on my soap box.
i do marvel at his creativity and candor- especially considering how insecure and paranoid he has revealed himself to be
THIS!!!!
Kanye is cool, never really thought of him as original he’s bitten a lot of artist styles from Rza to Daft Punk to T-Pain. If he is in anyway responsible for Drake, skinny jeans, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, the frohawk or present day Lil Wayne then he should be given 40 lashes for each abomination.
Kanye is cool, never really thought of him as original he’s bitten a lot of artist styles from Rza to Daft Punk to T-Pain
thing is, at this point, who really is original? Everybody bites everyone else. The world is basically one big ass vampire orgy
yeah i agree with champ. nearly all artists nowadays are derivitative of their influences. and its evident as hell. i will say that at least, at this point, kanye is pushing the envelope. while i liked “power” and havne’t cared for any of the other songs he’s put out recently, he’s probably the only artist who i anticipate. well, he and my man 3 stacks.
it has to be hard to be completely innovative when nearly every facet of music has been done over and over again. that’s why pop music resonates to much with people. it stopped trying to be innovative and just focused on being good.
3 Stacks never fails to impress me. He has just been jumping on people’s remixes for the past 4 years and I just want to cut the songs off after his verses because the tracks are wrecked after he spits.
@CBG
“I just want to cut the songs off after his verses because the tracks are wrecked after he spits.”
(shaking my head in agreement). Uh huh
@CBG, @CNotes,
“I just want to cut the songs off after his verses because the tracks are wrecked after he spits.”
This reminds me of how Gza would often go last on some Wu-Tang songs. One hell of a rapper to follow.
@Wu Young
“This reminds me of how Gza would often go last on some Wu-Tang songs. One hell of a rapper to follow”
Oh, they knew better! LOL! For me, he’s the best lyricist in the group. Liquid Swords still gets heavy rotation from me.
sidenote: I saw them at Rock the Bells this past weekend. They brought it!
@Wu,
True. I think on a posse cut, in many cases the sickest verses come from the person who is first and who is last. Not always, but for a period of time that seemed to be the formula.
co-signature eternal.
Bond.
PS–Bond. Blog. Beginning again…next week.
I think the obsession with Kanye stems from him being one of the few people who tends to always say what he wants — in his rhymes, in his interviews and on stages at awards shows — and somehow improves his profile for it.
People want to say what they think in whatever forum, but don’t have that power without severe consequences. Dude does and he does, and most everyone keeps listening. I do believe he’s far more crazy than genius. But he somehow knows how to balance the two in the right moments — especially in his music.
Also, he has complete creative control over his work, something most artists don’t have. Thus, you almost always get from him what he wants you to get, which is often an unfiltered version of him (funny considering The Champ’s disdain for being unfiltered via podcast), and people love that, so long as you’re not, you know, Mel Gibson.
Dame i agree 100%
i marvel at how he’s able to be himself, not to say you have to like it, but you have to admire how “raw” (for lack of a better word) the liitle negro keeps it.
Mel Gibson…*bows his head*…i’d rather not say anything.
(funny considering The Champ’s disdain for being unfiltered via podcast),
Champ just thinks too much, whereas i dont think at all. i just talk. shoot first ask questions last. Champ likes to really think out his points…ya know, like smart people.
People want to say what they think in whatever forum, but don’t have that power without severe consequences. Dude does and he does, and most everyone keeps listening. I do believe he’s far more crazy than genius. But he somehow knows how to balance the two in the right moments — especially in his music.
Also, he has complete creative control over his work, something most artists don’t have.
good points and sh*t
“I think the obsession with Kanye stems from him being one of the few people who tends to always say what he wants — in his rhymes, in his interviews and on stages at awards shows — and somehow improves his profile for it.”
This is the Truth Ruth. Like, how many times has he did some ish on MTV that had folks like, “OMG, this mofo is DONE. MTV will not put up with this mess.” and them niccas keep bringing him back. Like, folks were MIFFED at the T Swift incident and now MTV is USING his image to promote this year’s VMAs. I have to give him so much mad props for that, you’d think I was a prop master.
Also, Mel Gibson can go eat a peen.
@Cheekie
““OMG, this mofo is DONE”
Bottom Line: Kanye has masterfully managed to be a likeable arse. I think that is why he manages to get away with things like the T Swift stunt. Sure he can be a jerk and say inappropriate/ridiculous things, but he clearly loves music, has a kid-like smile and he loves his mama. People like that.
THIS!!!
(ok, this might be my greatest contribution of the day. Get used to it.
)
@Sula
(Kool-aid smiling)
Yeah, you hit the nail on the head and whatnot.
Don’t ever believe MTV. Not ever. If it will give them viewership or money, it’s happenin’. I knew after it all went down, Kanye would be welcome with open arms the next year.
People don’t want to have sex with Kanye. Not because he is unattractive…i mean Weezy has 3 baby mamas and most of them are good looking. Personally as much as I love Kanye, I don’t think he is sexy in anyway. He is just very talented and adorable! I don’t think he was marketed in that way ever and even when he talks about fuckin’ bitches, it just seems like the obligatory “i’m a rapper, i get groupies” line rather than something he wants people to take away from his raps.
*shrugs*
lil wayne has 4 baby mommas. don’t be shorting none of his womenses.
there’s toya, nivea, lauren london, and the other chick.
“He is just very talented and adorable”
***filed under “positive but somewhat backhanded compliments you probably don’t want a woman to ever say about your wang”***
I really wouldn’t call Kanye West a sex symbol. I cannot think of one woman I know who would want to get with Kanye like they would like to get with, say, Boris Kodjoe.But, I think every woman I know, at least my friends, all have to agree that even though he’s a D-bag, he’s still a genius and his concerts are a great time.
so, i wonder if it isn’t just that it’s so rare that a rapper comes about that women of all SES brackets universally appreciate him, that you’re mistaking profound collective admiration for physical attraction? it’s not often we get to see smart/clever rappers, or black men of any profession in the limelight.
so, i wonder if it isn’t just that it’s so rare that a rapper comes about that women of all SES brackets universally appreciate him, that you’re mistaking profound collective admiration for physical attraction?
i never said women were physically attracted to him. in fact, i said many of them are completely infatuated and smitten with him, despite the fact that (relatively) few of them would actually want to sleep with him
This is a little long…..
Well, I think he does deserve lil’ recommendation in the hip hop culture so I don’t disagree with your statement. His ‘importance’ came with his first album when hip hop was in a sea of Thug Life. Before his introduction all rappers had to look and sound like they “came from the hood” whether they went to college or not. Even Common and Talib had to follow the image to make sales. Then comes this guy with a bright polo shirt and a backpack that made singles reflecting on different issues.
‘Ye also thought outside of the box and became more hands-on in the creativity aspect of Hip Hop. Homeboy made a rap song about Jesus mainstream, sold records without using the Gangtas image, made a song about his own greed and how it affects people in Africa that gets played at the club, tells the truth in the dumbest fashion(Yes, Bush did not care about black people in Orleans. Yes, ‘Single Ladies’ was the best video of that year), and He pushes Hip Hop more as an Art Form to the public.
I’m 23 so I don’t consider him the voice of my generation and I doubt you would for yours. But he represents the next generation of Hip Hop music. Now we get artists that actually don’t sell fame like a get out of jail free card or toss money at the camera sooo much. Kanye tested his limits as a hip hop artist(What other rapper you know is gonna make a album to Heartbreak and have the nerve to sing)
Kanye West help broke the mold of what a Black Hip Hop artist can do: Be arrogant as all hell AND still have a conscience.
I wish I could “like” this comment.
O! I want to add something about how arrogant he is.
We have seen in the past that he is way more insecure with himself than arrogant. In Hip Hop you have to be arrogant, actually what Hip Hop artist isn’t arrogant when they spit verse?? It pretty much comes with the job.
Matter of fact what is he doing that’s really arrogant for his career. Many artist have spoke about being the best a hundred times over. If you step out of the music genre about the way he acts, he wouldn’t be allowed in building for for the biggest ego in the world.
That one (HANDS DOWN) goes to Glenn Beck. This guy does a rally for “Restoring America” on the same day and place the ‘I have a dream’ speech was introduce and tell people on the radio he ‘didn’t know’ his rally was on that day.
Kanye head is big…..anyone else been reading some of the tweets 50 Cent post??
YES! 50′s tweets are out of control! Was it just one day last week? He was going at everybody. Talmbout, “I’m just telling you so when I fcuk you up, you know why.” I’m just waiting for the opportunity to say that (or some variant of it) to somebody.
THIS!!!!!!
Great job Mr. Gundam!
What other rapper you know is gonna make a album to Heartbreak and have the nerve to sing?
Several artists did it before Kanye, folk…Cee-Lo, Devin the Dude, Mos Def, 3 Stacks, Queen La, etc…hell, Queen La made a jazz standards album a few years back, and Ja Rule made a career out of singing duets w/ Ashanti. In terms of MCs singing and/or testing the limits of their creativity, ‘Ye def ain’t the first…
I agree, he is not he first. Althought, he does get more ‘mainstream’ success. Which blows cus Queen La and Cee-Lo does put out great stuff.
Cee-Lo New single is won’t get radio play
@Mr Gundam
I LOOOOOVE Cee-lo’s new song. and they shouldn’t play it on the radio cuz ‘forget’ you just doesnt have the same panache. yes. i said panache.
What other rapper you know is gonna make a album to Heartbreak and have the nerve to sing?
Several artists did it before Kanye, folk…Cee-Lo, Devin the Dude, Mos Def, 3 Stacks, Queen La, etc…hell, Queen La made a jazz standards album a few years back, and Ja Rule made a career out of singing duets w/ Ashanti. In terms of MCs singing and/or testing the limits of their creativity, ‘Ye def ain’t the first…
i will say that he is the first to make a completely emo hip-hop album.
*Facebook thumbsup/likes this comment.
I am attracted to Kanye, in theory. Well, the Kanye that I first met back in ’03(ish). He was raw and boldly human, rapping about his hypocrisy and religion and family/girl/money issues and insecurities and that was RARE. He did concerts for $5 in Centennial Park in Atlanta back then, which was a big honkin’ deal for me back in those days of Ramen and Circumstance. I was hooked. Any person who is optimally talented in what they do, and seems genuinely passionate about it, and loves it and is appreciated by millions for doing it…well, that is sexy. Hand down.
The Mr. West of late…not so much with the attraction. The weird thing is, I can’t fantasize about him in that way anymore. There’s something…creepy about it. I think it’s because sometimes, as I’m *smh* to one of his crazy antics, I feel like I’m looking at a little brother or something. *shrugs*
I think if you add up the whole picture of Ye’s career, his early struggle to be accepted into the game which seems to have fueled his insecurities, the car crash that sparked his ascent (/descent) into fame and the succeeding martyr/Jesus complex that came with it (see Rolling Stone cover), his brazen unpolished honesty about the whole process of being famous, his “moment” during the Katrina benefit, the blog, his own personal tragedies, his weird, overpriced Peter Pan pop-art aesthetic, his “moment” with Taylor Swift and pretty much every awards show before that, Amber Rose, and finally, what looks like the beginnings of him closing the door of his life/fame to us, his faithful audience…you will see a stunning example of the American Dream, souped up for the Brave New World. He is as much a pop icon as MJ or Marilyn Monroe, only he is ours and we are watching him stand dead center at his fork in the road. Will he be our Quincy Jones or our Marvin Gaye? It’s fascinating (and completely masochistic and effed up on our parts) to watch…though, I imagine, not so much fun to be living it.
Ha! I was at that $5 concert at Centennial Park. It was Atlanta’s “On the Bricks” series and John Legend played piano & sang background for him. GREAT SHOW! I’ve been a strong fan (of both) ever since!
Haha! Small world! I didn’t even *know* that was John Legend on piano! *sigh* Remember Music Midtown? $45 dollars for 3 solid days of like 50-eleven well-established musicians of every imaginable genre? And an inevitable rainstorm (and entrepreneurial brothers selling “dry T-shirts”) every single year during? Good times…
The thing I remember about that concert is that, at the exact same time, there was a huge Joel Osteen convention going on, which made for an interesting mix of personalities on the train ride home.
Ok, from now on, whenever you finish commenting, I’ll just say Whatever BrownIvy says or is about to say.
You captured why I loved him in the first place, while I’m scared for him now, and most importantly why he’s more relevant than a lot of other people in that public space right now.
He is the quintessential consumed/tortured artist.
Well said.
Thanks!
In middleschool had a mega crush on Kanye I remember where I was and when I heard Through the Wire, I was like this is different he came on the scene when Hiphop was throwbacks and bandaid under eye and b2k ruled the airwaves, he was a breathe of freshair, even with his Onlychildsyndrome and ego I still love him bc he doesn’t give a flying #$eff what he says which isn’t a good/bad trait..he says what we Are thinking! lmbo even with the hurricane Katrina VMas things I agreed with what he said! just bad timing and not on camera ‘yE! He LoST his DAYUm mind when his Mommy passed away and he brok eup with Alexis I love Kanye LLike a favorite cousin or BiG Brotha..he’s educated articulate and yet a ninja at times and I love that about him he was REAL with his raps he wasn’t Fresh Prince but didnt grow up 8mile/precious and I can relate to being black middle class but yet struggling he spoke to Us..In pray he gets his mind right and continues to rap produce etc
“In pray he gets his mind right and continues to rap produce etc”
when your done paying for kanye, pray for some punctuation.
lol, seriously though, it’s interesting hearing someone from a truly younger perspective (“In middleschool had a mega crush on Kanye I remember where I was and when I heard Through the Wire”) speak about the people i consider to be part of my generation. i wonder if ye (or jay or anyone else) means the same to you all as he does to us
Wow, middle school. . . Champ, please send me an email once you figure out where we line up for our AARP cards. . .
Which grades are middle school again?
*filed under questions foreigners ask*
@Sula
Usually it’s 7th and 8th grades but in some school districts the 6th grade is included.
Damn I do feel old.
Yeah… I already feel old talking to you guys… Now, there goes a VSB-er even younger than my baby sister. Ay Dios Mio.
lalalalaa wait til I get my money right, lalalaala then you can’t tell me nothin’ right….sorry about the typos/punctation..it was late on phone can’t see, I will do better the Champ
“He’s basically an HD compatible betamax.” <—-Hilarious
I have wondered the same thing countless times, cause I surely don't want to jump him. Kanye is NOT an attractive man, his confidence/arrogance makes you rethink that attractiveness sometimes, but when it all comes down to it he's not the biz. But then again I look past the idea of an artist when I choose to have my celeb crushes. I don't want to jump Common because of the idea of the smooth backpacker real hip hop dude… I want to jump Common cause he's bomb (to me). *shrug*
“I don’t want to jump Common because of the idea of the smooth backpacker real hip hop dude… I want to jump Common cause he’s bomb (to me). *shrug*”
***making sure not to seat beremore next to common at the vsb bbq***
What other rapper you know is gonna make a album to Heartbreak and have the nerve to sing?
Several artists did it before Kanye, folk…Cee-Lo, Devin the Dude, Mos Def, 3 Stacks, Queen La, etc…hell, Queen La made a jazz standards album a few years back, and Ja Rule made a career out of singing duets w/ Ashanti. In terms of MCs singing and/or testing the limits of their creativity, ‘Ye def ain’t the first….
panama, this post is so on point. hands down. analysis and critique.
Umm… ya know. Champ actually wrote this. They recalled his kind and he don stepped his game up. Pressure does that. It pushes some folks to their best.
“I am the abomination of the Obama nation…”
I call bullshit on all this “do women want to sleep with him nonsense.” Chicks sleep with famous rich dudes. Exhibit A: Weezy aka The Nightcrawler. If he can lay eggs, so can Kanye. So what if you can’t “see” women giving him some ass. I bet he’s getting more ass than most of us because “money never sleeps. (gekko).
The real question: Why Is Kanye West Important? Kanye is an artist just like Prince (was an artist before Jehovah’s Witnesses kidnapped him), Miles Davis, and Coltrane.
Yes, Mr. West is insecure and at times an asshole (he wasn’t lying about Taylor Swift). His music is painfully honest and sincere – he’s painfully honest and sincere and that’s why we should appreciate him.
I bet you your entire bank account that neither Jay Z, Tiger Woods, or Michael Jordan would have the balls to go on live television and say, “George Bush doesn’t like black people.”
Kanye reminds me a lot of Jean-Michel Basquiat – they don’t fit the “black artist mode.” He’s not punching or cracking champagne bottles upside people’s heads (Puffy), going to jail (Weezy), releasing sex tapes (take a number), or doing drugs (that we know of).
At the end of the day, Kanye West is an innovator and innovation is uncomfortable for most of you…
At the end of the day, Kanye West is an innovator and innovation is uncomfortable for most of you…
Interesting comparision to Basquait, but can you turn down some of the smug condescension?
Most of the people who are best at what they do or did are smug, arrogant or whatever you want to call it. Think Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Miles Davis. Seriously, who gives a f$&k about smug? I gives a “f$%k about people who push boundaries to show us something different. Let’s grow grown folks.
pretty sure puremagnetism was talking about your smug condescension, not kanye’s.
pretty sure puremagnetism was talking about your smug condescension, not kanye’s.
LOL
Actually, I know what he meant. I don’t see the “smug condescension” in my previous comment. It wasn’t my intention to be “haughty.” Was making the point that some folks aren’t comfortable with change. When Prince released Dirty Mind (w/thigh highs and garter belts), people freaked. When Basquiat popped, the “art establishment” trivialized Basquait work. Opps, there I go being superior… SMH.
hahaha. thanks Panama! im sure WMR is pushing boundaries and being all innovative and whatnot in his/her own right. so imma grow grown wit ‘em.
Damnit … you guys figured it out. WMR is Kanye West. PureMagnetism – that’s funny.
The sun goes down and the freaks come out..
“they don’t fit the “black artist mode.”
You put into words what i’ve been thinking this entire post, a lot of people have a hard time coming to terms with them tight jeans and love for decor
I saw a video clip this week-end from those kids. I don’t recall what the name of the song was but the album was Skinny Jeans and a Mic… And I was beaming like a darn proud mama! I was this close to shout back to my TV, “Tell ‘em kiddos!!!”
I don’t understand the whole universal stance against skinny jeans on young black men…. What is it to them? It’s as though the “collective” feels threatened because black boys are no longer hypermasculinized… *shrugs*…
I say rep your skinny jeans if that floats your boat, and let those old geezers talk!
I don’t understand the whole universal stance against skinny jeans on young black men…. What is it to them? It’s as though the “collective” feels threatened because black boys are no longer hypermasculinized… *shrugs*…
because, just like super baggy and/or sagging jeans, it looks stupid
And the award for “Best Kanye’s Publicist Impersonation” goes to…
I’m making a prediction that clicking the link to even the sucky ones that I allowed to grow on me will lead me to Late Registration. Okay… clicking the link now.
wrong. guess again
What? 808s? It can’t be. I LOVE
DIT! It stays in rotation. And it is excellent long distance driving music – at least when you’re in the car by yourself.The link didn’t work for me. But it was Late Registration, right? I didn’t buy LR b/c I was boycotting Kanye at the time b/c he was at the height of his douchebaggery – throwing tantrums at awards shows and whatnot. Even though The College Dropout is a classic, and one of four albums that I picked for Album of the (Last) Decade, I abstained from listening to LR for several years until just before Graduation (which I love). When I finally heard it, I didn’t feel like I’d missed much.
I don’t really lust after ‘Ye, but talent and passion are sexy and Kanye has them both oozing out his pores. That George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People moment? Unbridled passion about what was going on at the moment. That isht is sexy. But at the same time, a grown man should be able to control his emotions (whole lotta gender role hyper-masculinity minutiae in what I just said – dah well). I feel the same way about the Big Brother song about Jay. I LOVE that song!! I LOVE the that he’s putting his heart out there like that, I LOVE that he’s expressing his purely heterosexual love for another man in public. But at the same time, a (very tiny) part of me is like, MANTHEFCUKUP!! So what you ain’t get enough (free) tickets to the Madison Square Garden show! Stop cryin’ like a bish! LOL. As I’m typing this, I’m realizing how hard you men have it. It is a delicate balance indeed.
Musically, he’s a genius. Upthread Mr. Gundam has already said everything that I wanted to say way better than I ever could’ve said it so just read that comment and then put a Yonnie co-sign on it.
@yonnie 3000
“As I’m typing this, I’m realizing how hard you men have it. It is a delicate balance indeed”.
You know what. I’m on pause. Men don’t have it easier than women (in some aspects they do), they just have it different.
*stroking imaginary beard…
Rather than the idea that the celebrities we most admire must have some special trait that makes them good, great, compelling, interesting, more likely our choices for admiration reflect a combination of what a relatively small group of media people collaborate to shove in our faces repeatedly, our habit of taking in whatever we are fed by the media without question, and our particular mental predilections (which are shaped by media/society, and education – particularly the lack and substandard nature thereof). I reference, as an example, Sarah Palin, upon whom few sane people are wondering about her compelling traits as key to her popularity, but rather to the extensive population of idiots and racists roaming our land who needed a leader who wouldn’t confuse them.
Rather than the idea that the celebrities we most admire must have some special trait that makes them good, great, compelling, interesting, more likely our choices for admiration reflect a combination of what a relatively small group of media people collaborate to shove in our faces repeatedly, our habit of taking in whatever we are fed by the media without question, and our particular mental predilections
are you saying that kanye is popular because the powers that be (and not us) want him to be?
First off!….nice (in the Hip Hop sence) post
This post reminds of previous convos i’ve had, no one can say that Kanye doesn’t make G.O.O.D music, College Dropout alone is a heavy testament on how dope the kid is. What made him super dope for me was that i knew that lyrically he was no Jay-Z/Pharoahe Monch/Nas/Elzhi, but you could feel that his music was driven by unwavering sincerety and heart.
Yes and everyone knows about his public tantrums, but i think that stems from really beleiving in his work, but yeah he could’ve been more “tactful”. and as for the ego thing, we are taught to be modest about our achievements and moderate when commenting on capabilities….F***k that, if i can back it up, why the F***k not, someone go get my speedo.
What makes me curious is why hasn’t anyone really gone at Kanye? i mean there are Rap Fueds that spring up over spilt Kool-Aid and misinterpreted shout outs, why not Ye? i mean he basically spearheaded the Tight jeans and fashion conscious wave we find ourselves in, which according to many has signalled the death of THE COOL.
Out of curiosity (came the demise of a cat) who do you think best “Represents our Generation”, which artist embodies best the hopes, fears and shortfalls of our generations.
P.S No one man should have all that Power.
Sidenote: Is it me or was that Jay-Z line on Monster colder than the shoulders of a Gold Digging ho* when a broke ni**a aproaches. I have yet to recover
Ok, first I wanted to quote this part of your post –> you could feel that his music was driven by unwavering sincerety and heart., then I realize that I friggin’ co-sign the entire comment.
Especially the fact that if I can back it up, I should be able and free to talk about it. Dead @ the speedo!
He’s an artist and artists just do what they do. I’ve yet to meet one that I didn’t find icky in some regard and wanted to sleep with. But there is a place for artists in society and he’s filling that role. I’m sure plenty of women are attracted to him – just not me – because he’s got 1) money, 2) notoriety and 3) power. It’s got little to do with having a nice personality.
welcome and sh*t (i think)
Charmed, I’m sure.
Coffee check…work on time in back to school traffic check…finally getting to read my fav blog…priceless!
so you get your coffee before you read vsb? we’re supposed to be the first thing you do when you wake up.
i fux w/ kanye. he’s definitely one of the artists that i relate to the most.
it’s good for the music industry to have someone who, despite their success, still cares about the music more than the money.
although he lacks tact often, it’s refreshing for someone on a grand scale to voice the opinions of the “common man” to the masses (read: i’mma let you finish but…..)
“searching for the truth even if it goes thru taylor swift….” – jay-z
here’s a link of reflection eternal (talib kweli & hi-tek) talking about kanye during his pre-rocafella days: http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2010/08/09/reflection-eternal-on-kanye-west-video/
I agree with Chocolynne as Kanye definitely being an artist, he is supremely talented on production for sure.
I don’t see him being heterosexual at all tho( don’t see alot of mofos in hip hop specifically being hetero). I must say I am not attracted to him but am a fan of alot of his work because I am a lover of the arts and true artists baby. Thats what hip hop needs, true talent! Brash and unapologetic.Let the work speak for itself.
Kanye matters because the corporate media machine wants him to matter. He is:
shallow/materialistic/stupid-all that money. couldn’t get mom a qualified surgeon or convince her she was beautiful without surgery. Plastic surgery is hot!
.
uneffectual-he’ll speak his mind, but he won’t bring about change
anit-black education (we should all drop out of college and produce or ball)
a closet homo-yet another assault on black manhood.
All this helps us to spend money we don’t have on crap we don’t need. And be happy about it.
@James
Most guys can’t convince their SOs that their donk doesn’t have much in the way of badonka. How is Kanye supposed to convince his mom?
Regarding the ‘closet homo’ statement, why is black manhood so fragile that it can be so easily assaulted?
Regarding the ‘closet homo’ statement, why is black manhood so fragile that it can be so easily assaulted?
Right??? It always tears my heart! Ugh.
In my opinion Kanye is so shallow he (and his mother) assumed that surgery was “hot” because it was something his $$$ could get her. Money can’t buy happiness and a simple background check could have saved her life.
Black manhood is fragile because all these down low wanna be hard asses and rebels obsessed with clothing, jewelry and long hair are a bunch of closet homos. That’s why the sisters that love them keep getting HIV. A leading cause, if not THE leading cause of death for black Americans. It’s fragile because what is passing for manhood is a complete lie designed by greedy coporations that want to destroy or control us. 47% graduation rate. Just ranting here, but do you see us as collectively strong?
If you look up Diva Dude in the dictionary, there’s Kanye. With that being said, I’m one of those who likes him (not in a sexual way) and his music. I think he is an excellent music producer, lyricist, etc and deserves much more credit than he gets. I think his appeal is his music and his attitude. Women love a confident man. We like cocky men even if it’s just to argue with them. Take vsb Sobo for example, he’s cocky and arrogant (and could be a 60 year-old 500lb butch woman behind a computer with a twinkie in her hand, camouflage thong and combat boots) yet I can’t help but to reply to his posts. I think it goes back to our primal days. Kanye is not sexy nor is he attractive. I actually know someone who has slept with him (sad but true) and said he has a big thang thang. So maybe that’s why he pulls it out.
It’s like Prince. I wouldn’t sleep with him but I LOVE that man. Okay I’m lying, I would do some thangs with Prince. Bad example.
I was about to say. I know your perverted @ss would do some crazy stuff with Prince, and he would turn around and be the one to freak you out. lol
Is your Spidey throwin’ up the peace sign or is he chucking up deuces to Mary Jane?
lol No, it’s a Spider-Man and Friends plush doll and he has his web shooter hand sign up. My future son will be a fan of Spider-Man and Cookie Monster. Cookie Monster is the sh!t.
Oh…I need my glasses redid because the fingers look too close together to be a web shooter sign. lol
Take my word for it. I’ve seen that doll in the toy section at Wal-Mart. Yes, I still browse the toy section. Got to see what these kids are into nowadays. These kids today don’t know what cool toys and action figures are. Now Thunder Punch He-Man with the pop-caps? That was an action figure, especially with the matching BattleCat.
@CBG
Cosign. That Thundercap He-man with the pop caps was the ish. I got in trouble in school for accidentally letting it go off in class. You are absolutely right though, kids these days got whack toys and cartoons.
I remember transformers and voltron toys were made out of the hard metal-plastic type material. Now they are these cheap pre-school plastic brightly colored looking sh*tty remakes.
Believe it or not, I bet you 2 humps and a lick that Prince has a small package. I’m not sure how amazing the sex would be…kinky yes but I doubt I’d reach the O.
@SFG:
LMAO @ you callin out SoBo.
*checks calendar for VSB bbq…wait for it…
Guuuurrrl…how scary would that be? Sobo a 500lb kinky woman, CBG a one-legged midget, Humble_One is Alf, Cab is a 7ft tall man-girl, and DG has man hips with boobs. I would scream louder than I did when they show what Boris really looked like in Surrogates. I hate liars.
@SmartFoxGirl
” Humble_One is Alf”
I think I made it clear that I look like Alf with a S-Curl Gumby.
Lies…you know you fine. please please be fine. pretty please with sugar on top. lol
bwahahaha @ SFG.
maybe that’s the real reason for no VSB bbq. notice it’s usually the VSS’ petitioning for it.. hmm…
No hips, but I am a C-cup…
No you’re not! It was a joke. LOL
“women love big ideas and potential more than they love us”
There’s only a tiny handful of men in the world whom very many women really seriously like through and through (at first, at least). Our culture says that any given man is only as valuable as what he produces for society and for his lady/wife and children (this obviously puts gay men at a disadvantage.)
That “production” is about more than just money, food, shelter, etc. It includes entertainment (women declaring unabashedly that they like a man who makes them laugh – what, am I here to amuse you? (c) Joey Fish); the thrill of sponteneity; also, producing a really good gender role performance (fulfilling all teh stuff that a man is supposed to do, but this obviously goes for women as well.)
Going back to my first paragraph, and slightly offtopic, that’s why monogamy was pushed on society. When there’s polygyny or paolyandry, a whole lot of one gender gets left out in the sexual cold. When that happens, society gets messed up, either because there’s too many unattached men and those men decide to drop out of society due to having no stake in it, since they have no woman or children to work for or defend. Or the other way, with polyandry, too many women go unpartnered, and their wombs get all dusty. When women stop having children, Chiwetl Ejiofor gets very angry, and you don’t want that.
I’m sorry, what was my point again? Oh yeah, George Bush does not like Black People.
When women stop having children, Chiwetl Ejiofor gets very angry, and you don’t want that.
You are killing me Scipio!!!
Meh…I just do not underdig home slice’s appeal. So I pay him no mind.
don’t have time to stay, just wanted to pop in and say that, no, guys are not shy about pulling their junk out. it’s gross. i’ve known men too shy to take their shirt off in front of me (which is weird) but they’ll whip that thang out like it’s nothing. again i say, “gross.”
oh, and regarding kanye’s sex appeal…um, i guess. i think a lot of people, such as myself, are chexually attracted to talent. and there’s no doubt that kanye is talented. however, kanye looks like he smells like 3 day old greased scalp/dirty hair combo, slob, and cash money. yeah, i don’t think i could chex him. but if he was attracted to me it would turn me on and i’d be ready for the next person. lol.
gotta go now, kthxbi!
“but yeah, you’re right. he’s a sex symbol who women don’t seem to want to have sex with”
This is probably the best way to describe Kanyeezy. Sometimes, I just want to take his arrogance and shove it up his arse, but I suppose he has enough of that shoved up his face cheeks. That’s why they’re so puffy right? Regardless, other times there’s something about him that draws me in. Keeps me interested. Intrigued. But, he’s not attractive to me in the least. Plus, he had that poofy tail hairdo that one time. WTF was that about?!
Anyhow.
Though Champ doesn’t like to speak unedited, I thought he made complete sense the first time. I definitely would put Kanye Titter on the Most Important List. Sure, it’s weird that he’d be on the same list as Obama, but he’d be on the same list as Obama a number of ways. “Black Men List” to name one. I jest. Partially. Point is, importance is not a monolith. There’s not one way to be important. Kanye don’t matter the same way Obama matters, but the mofo matters. Why? Because folks keep talking about him. He did singlehandely change a part of our social lexicon by interrupting a southern snowbunny and allowing her to finish. You don’t have to like him in order for him to matter, in fact, I’d argue that more HATED folks matter in our society than folks we love. Hated folks sure are discussed much more around me.
Besides, obviously Kanye matters because he broke VSB.
Happy September.
I’m a die hard Kanye fan and probably the only woman on this site who actually finds Kanye physically attractive. But then again I’m the type of person that sees “inner beauty” first. His cocky attitude (which I think is in the water that all ppl born/raised in Chicago drink), his ambition and definitely his artistic ability make him sexy as hell to me.
“His cocky attitude (which I think is in the water that all ppl born/raised in Chicago drink)”
This is just…so true. lol
I’ve had a few run-ins with the same type of personality from the same area code too many times for me to think its coincidence. Im from Brooklyn so my attitude is already sitting on Mt. Everest but ya’ll take the cake…
I think I’ll date him too… but moreso because his mind rocks my boat something spectacular… and he’s just the “genre” I go far… Unabashedly smart and talented, somewhat shy but confident, and slightly geekish. Yup, that’s the formula right there.
Exactly!!! If he had locks he’d be “My Type” as my friends put it. A man has to have more going for him than just his looks and besides I really don’t want someone that is prettier than me. Ain’t nothing worse than a man that thinks he looks cute.
Ain’t nothing worse than a man that thinks he looks cute.
Word.
My best friend and I LOVE Kanye. I don’t think it’s just the idea of Kanye that we love so much. Who else is saying what he’s saying RIGHT NOW? Those nights you were up writing a 15 page paper due in 3.5 hours that you JUST started (don’t front, we’ve all done it)…when you were writing those b*tch ass cover letters, revising your resume…and the moment you left your 132nd job interview and realized your bachelors ain’t worth sh*t right now…You need to hear a Kanye track. Saying f*ck all this shi*t is almost therapeutic. You don’t actually give up, but it sounds good at the time. He says whatever comes to mind. He’s definitely not the first to do that, but he’s the one in the spotlight now. I just think it’s more than the idea of him that gets people hype, he makes good music. We would all love to tell the world we’re the sh*t. Kanye does it with no regrets. He says what we want to say, and does what we want to do. If I basically said “f*ck college, I’m outta here,” all I’d get is slapped by my mama and a bus ticket back to campus. Am I just a STAN for Kanye? Yes. Am I proving your point? Probably, lol. I just wanted to give my two cents. Oh and I’m from Chicago. Ha!
-Kanye is successful because he is,in my opinion theony rapper that constantly reinvents himself and does so without having to try too hard, i mean while folks were complaining about auto-tune he made an entire album out of it and sh!t sold millions
-Kanye has self-confidence, the type of self-confidence that kids who have never been really hungry have, this self -confidence helped him go to war with the hip hop establishment and win..i mean we shouldnt forget that hip hop before the kanye,lupe fiasco,kid cudi,B.O.B revolved around 4 themes; crime,drugs,sex , and white man’s oppression
-Kanye wasone of the first rappers whose lyrics talked about college,suburban life, without sounding stereotypical but subjects like that didnt exactly ring many bells with a large fragment of a community with soaring high school drop out rate,out-of-wedlock pregnancies and more
- He didnt/doesnt change to comform…when i see how ja z and kanye are super friends these days, it makes me laugh! this same jay z was the one who told damon dash not to sign kanye simply because homeboy didnt fit into that rugged,thugged out image that we came to expect from rappers (50 cent and THE GAME, anyone?). Needless to say this kanye went on to produce some of jay-z’s biggest hits…the irony!
-He’s actually and he knows it!
Pretty much.
Kayne is interesting to me. He is one of the few celebrities I follow on Twitter (as a side note, how about a blog on ignant celebrities? I had to unfollow several due to all the typos *ahem maryjblige*) His tweets are crazy but there’s just enough realism and “insecure self-confidence” (I like that) to make me intrigued and be interested in his potential. But yeah, I’m not looking at him for grown folks behavior.
Let me break it down so it can forever be broke #Love Jones
Kanye is the young, materialistic, hip-hop version of Muhammed Ali.
The same reason that Ali was praised and villified all at the same time is the reason why we love Kanye. When Ali said don’t call me Cassius Clay, dodged the draft and shouted to the mountain tops that he was “the Greatest of All Time”, people were shocked and apalled but nevertheless, intrigued.
Black people – no people – love black people that take a strong and powerful stance for their beliefs. Kanye does that. Plus he’s articulate, fearless, wounded, talented and experienced profound tragedy. All of the components that make up a real American hero.
While I love Jay Z, what does he stand for other than money, clothes and hoes? Lil Wayne, Snoop Dog and 50 Cent are all too “ghetto” for complete mainstream acceptance and Andre 3000 and Common are too counter-culture/bohemian. Tupac was to closest but the “Thug Life” life-style turned a lot of educated black folks off.
It’s simple, Kanye is the culmination of what the Black Baby Boomer generation fought for; he tells the truth as he sees it and he does not pander to whitey but he’s not afraid to befriend them either.
Wait. Jay-Z ain’t articulate? You ever seen him in interviews? ESPECIALLY aside Beyonce? I mean, she can make Special Ed look articulate, but still…Jay is a smart cat. He’s a business, man. But, aside from that, dude is knowledgeable bout other ish besides the rap game.
Kanye on the other had blatantly said he don’t effs with books. While he does cite great metaphors in his raps, I think that is more of a product of him being a walking sponge than any edumucation on his part. I see him as very observant and aware of what is going on around him. Which is a good thing. But as far as actually BOOK-smarter than Jay? Nah.
I think that is more of a product of him being a walking sponge than any edumucation on his part. I .
Ha! Which leads to which is “better”? The walking sponge who learns on his own, or the book smart person who learns through what people tell him (i.e. reads). Hard choice. I’d take a combination of both.
In the words of Kat Williams “Aint nothing worse than a smart dumb ninja” (he may have had high in that quote, but I forget). LOL! And please note, I love Jay and Kanye and think both are smart. Just wanted to say that education can come in many forms.
“Ha! Which leads to which is “better”? The walking sponge who learns on his own, or the book smart person who learns through what people tell him (i.e. reads). Hard choice. I’d take a combination of both.”
*sits down with pensive face and thinks about this*
Good question.
Both is ideal.
The walking sponge who learns on his own, or the book smart person who learns through what people tell him (i.e. reads).
In the words of Will (from Good Will Hunting):
you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a fuc.kin’ education you coulda got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library
So yeah, while getting a “formal” education is all nice and dandy learning to think on your own and makes sense of what you read/observe/absorb is in my opinion much, much more important.
I never said Jay Z was inarticulate or unitelligent. The question I posed was what does Jay Z stand for other than money (business), clothes and hoes? I also started the sentence saying that I love Jay Z. I’m not taking ANYTHING away from Jay – he makes EXCELLENT choices in life. Which is why he’s so successful.
However, I’m old enough to remember my parents conversations and old media clips about the “controversial” Muhammed Ali and I was comparing Kanye to him in terms of social relevance.
“I never said Jay Z was inarticulate or unitelligent. ”
Ah, my bad. I thought your “what else does he stand for” Jay question was a contrast to Kanye, who you listed “articulate” as one of the other things he DOES stand for. I thought since you posted it right after, it was a direct contrast. But, I get ya now…it’s more so about the social relevance.
Cheekie, I think its the fact that he is gemini, like Mi Mi mentioned, extremely intelligent persons with quick minds and quicksilver tongues..knows alot about alot of things but never one to committ fully to study just one subject throughout, entirely. A natural lover of langauge, mad creative etc etc etc etc
Yup, the gemini-ism is a valid point. I would know…Mama Cheekie is one.
and so is panama jackson. which is why i’m kind of a big deal.
no i’m not.
i’d ask you to hold me but i just hugged myself.
“i’d ask you to hold me but i just hugged myself.”
Your loss…
And yes my dear, you definitely broke it down so it could definitely be broke.
Well put.
The best response from the best post….ever
it’s been a while since commented, but it was worth the wait….
you’re right. the only thing i like about kanye is his musical presence. what i know about him, which isn’t much because i’ve never met him, is that he seems to be a self-centered, egotistical spoiled pansy. i don’t follow him on twitter but when i heard he signed up i knew it wasn’t going to be any good. then the retweets started coming in. o_0
Lots of commenters reference Kanye’s musical “genius”…Genius? Really? He clearly loves music, is a fab producer, and has a few classics. But that’s about as far as it goes for me.
He’s important because he has the passion. But I like some of his music in spite of his ego, not because of it. The grandiose videos, imagery and statements (didn’t he recently say something about Minaj being the best since Em?) are a huge turn off. The hissy fits and tirades? So insecure.
And I don’t applaud him for making 808s. Now we gotta applaud those who attempt to sing when they have no singing voice? Seeing him trying to perform those songs live was awful. AWFUL.
I respect that Kanye has carved out his niche. But when you proclaim yourself to be the voice of a generation, you need to be “checked”.
And as a side note, do I think he is homosexual? Nah. I think he is in love with himself.
“Now we gotta applaud those who attempt to sing when they have no singing voice? Seeing him trying to perform those songs live was awful. AWFUL.”
I JUST watched his live performance of Love Lockdown for probably the 2nd time evah on MTV this morning. They were playing videos for VMA performers, and gawd I cringed the whole way through. I kept wondering why they didn’t just play the actual video of the song. I know they like the mix it up sometimes with live and studio, but Kanyeezy is one you just don’t do that with if it involves him singing. lol
to clarify the Eminem comment made by Kanye:
Eminem still sells MILLIONS of records…he’s been doing that consistently since he came out.
He’s done movies, produced platinum records, AND has his own sattelite radio station. What other rapper can you say that about?
Yeah. No. I don’t think this is what he was saying at all. He specifically said best rapper. Not best business person in the music/entertainment industry. Not most marketable. Best rapper. There’s a difference. And Kanye’s full of isht (About Nicki. Em at least is debatable).
Pray tell who is a genius in your opinion?
He’s a sex symbol? Whaaaaaa? o_O
I, like everyone else on Earth, it seems, cannot resist the catchiness of his hooks. Even if I COULD resist them, I couldn’t escape them, because they’re UBIQUITOUS.
I disagree wholeheartedly with so many of his lyrics, his persona, and what he represents to the millions of young men who aspire to be him. Though I’ve listened to (and secretly enjoyed) some of his music, I don’t support him commercially.
I did, however, immensely enjoy seeing my mom dance “like the kids do” to the censored version (thanks, Walmart) of “Gold Digger”.
I disagree wholeheartedly with so many of his lyrics,
Would you mind sharing some of those please?
Kanye is the class clown that everyone gravitates toward. When he speaks we know there is either going to be something hilarious or something interesting that will come out of his mouth. Plus his music is pretty good considering what is out there now. Enuff said.
“Kanye is the class clown”
He shole dresses like one.
Maybe it’s because I come from a rare breed of women. Or maybe it’s because I am a fellow Gemini and I believe other Geminis can be bullsh*t-talkers.
I don’t find Kanye West sexy or attractive and I don’t find his “swagger” sexy/attractive either. Despite my inability of having a drenched cat at the thought of Mr. West, I am a fan of his music.
In my opinion, Kanye West has also become the “safe answer” for white folks, who want to appear cool in front of black people.
Back when I was a teenager, the white kids (the ones that I knew) were reciting song lyrics from A Tribe Called Quest and Mos Def’s rap lyrics. They couldn’t tell you the name of a Tupac song, or any off of Biggie’s discography, but they knew “Award Tour” by heart.
I request permission to use “drenched cat” in the future. Also, I dig this: “Kanye West has also become the “safe answer” for white folks” but that died when he stole the shine from a white girl.
@SFG
Yes my dear SFG, you can use “drenched cat”. I originally started to use that euphremisn, when I was talking (about all things chex) with my friends and their children were present. But, one of my goddaughters did ask me, one time, if I ever did manage to give my cat a bath.
In regards to the Taylor Swift/VMA incident: Kanye West indeed did get demoted from his top spot of “safe answers”. Now his music is synomynous with the college, white frat boys, just like Bob Marley with the dread-locked, pothead white kids.
But, one of my goddaughters did ask me, one time, if I ever did manage to give my cat a bath.
*Covers mouth to suppress outburst of laughter in Starbucks*
Kids say the darnedest things!
Now imagine a cute 4 year-old girl with chubby cheeks, dimples and two pig tails, asking about my cat’s cleaning habits.
This is a interesting topic, Champ. I am a big big fan on Kanye’s music. I think he really is a voice for this generation of artists. His utter arrogance is so over the top that you can’t help but to like it because it is so over the top, like, no human being can possibly be that arrogant so it’s just funny.
The guy can be pretty emo, especially for a hip hop artist, but I guess that is appealing for some people, particularly women, because of the whole vulnerability thing. I find it appealing, too, because he lets his guard down and doesn’t put up a front like pretty much every hip hop artist does. My favorite song off of Late Registration is “Addiction”. The beat is superb for the subject matter and the lyrics made me really think about my own addictions at the time. For a guy put himself out there like that, on his second album at that, made me more of a fan and respect him more. As much as people hated 808s and Heartbreaks, I bumped that CD constantly because of the openness of it. The whole presentation may have rubbed people the wrong way, especially considering the over saturation of the music market with autotune, but knowing what he had gone through in his life prior to the album and to put his feelings on wax like that was pretty cool. There was no hidden messages in it, just “Hey, this is the BS I’ve gone through.”
“Power” used to be my morning anthem on my drive to work and I love that song. They could have kept the remix to be honest with you. The video was genius and not something done in that capacity, especially in hip hop. Whether watching the video opens a portal to hell by looking at it or not, it was creative as hell and I can’t wait until the full video comes out.
I thought that when Kanye was pushing himself as a rapper after bursting onto the scene as one hell of a producer, I thought here goes another producer that may turn into a crappy rapper” in the same vein as Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, who should just keep their day jobs. He proved me wrong in a big way. Kanye isn’t someone that I wouldn’t want my future sons to look to for inspiration, save one aspect: if you do something that you love, go all in for it and fcuk anyone who doesn’t like it. He has only been in the game 10 years heavy right now, but he is one of my top 5 producers. Hip hop producers make their bread and butter by sampling music, but I guess Kanye and Just Blaze sampled soul music in a way that people before the really didn’t do. Before them, most producers sampled James Brown, the Isleys, Gladys Knight, but Kanye’s samples were so obscure that it opened me up to a lot more music from my parent’s generation.
I think Kanye matters because he is such a polarizing figure in many different aspects, and as most of us know, if you’re pissing people off, you’re doing something right. Because there are going to people on both sides of the fence about his personality, his music, his production, he is going to matter to the next generation of artists much like MJ, Prince, Elvis, the Beatles, Pac and even Jay. I am not saying that he is iconic like those artists, actually he is more of an iconoclast, but ask yourself this question: who, in hip hop, is like him, and there are, were they like that before or after him?
Damn, I wrote more than I intended to with this comment. Oh well.
Wooo you went in deep. pun. I agree with you about Kanye. He’s emotional and keep in mind he was raised by women with no father. I remember he confessed this and said kids would tease him that he was extra feminine and he said his only influences were his mother. That makes sense. I realized that he is honest and that’s what I like most about him. I’m sort of the same way. I wear my emotions on my sleeve and I am honest to the core. That takes bravery and he is definitely brave. I don’t know this guy personally, he could be the biggest mcdouche face. However if we are talking musically, he deserves his praise. People need to stop hating! I for one am sick of rappers glorifying selling drugs and living hood life. We’re not all gangsters.
I agree. People really don’t understand how much losing his mom affected him, especially the way she died. She was truly the only thing that grounded him and kept him in check in a big way. I admire his honesty and I would probably hang out with him because probably 75% of my friends are arrogant as hell and I seem to be the one friend they have that isn’t. In that aspect, I am the polar opposite of him and most of my friends and because of that, we could get along pretty well. That’s is probably why I am a fan. There is no way I would be that damn cocky about anything and that is what makes him pretty damn entertaining. I sit sometimes and break down his instrumentals because production wise, he is one of the best in the business. I can wear my heart of my sleeve, too. In fact, and this is so, so sad that I am saying this, but when I was in school, I had the crazy idea of cutting a heart out of red construction paper and put into the my sleeves. If a girl would ask me what that was, I would say I wear my heart on my sleeve. It lasted about a week. It was a good conversation starter, but not a drawers getter. If Sobo thinks I am a panderer now, he would have puked at the sight of me in college. Just sad.
Oh yeah, you said mcdouche face. ha ha
@CBG – “If Sobo thinks I am a panderer now, he would have puked at the sight of me in college.”
I puke now, so I probably would have kicked the bucket in your college years.
“…cutting a heart out of red construction paper and put into the my sleeves. If a girl would ask me what that was, I would say I wear my heart on my sleeve.”
You were in college when you did this?!?! *feels faint*……Please CBG….*head spinning*…..I’m begging you…….*reaches for something to brace fall*….oh g0d……if you have any decency……*pukes*…just stop….*losing consciousness*……I don’t kno…uggh….*collapses*………..*goes into convulsions* ….*flatlines*…….*surprise comes back from dead moment*…. Avenge me CNoooooootes!!!!..ugh…flatlines………
@Sobo (I’m sorry but that is damn funny!!!) Now leave him alone!
@CBG, why would you do that? That wouldn’t get you poon…that would get you sprayed with mase and kicked in the balls. You’re lucky my love for you runs deep otherwise I’d exit stage left. lol
*puts foot on Mr. SoBo’s dead body and raises Excalibur*
I have done the impossible. One of my sad stories of college pandering has slated the dragon that is Mr. SoBo. Let’s this be a lesson to all: the pathetic pandering of a college aged comic book geek can slay any mortal man. It is indeed sad.
@Mr SoBo
(At Mr SoBo’s side with defibrillator on hand….but first CPR)
(Checks to see if SoBo is breathing)
(Gives SoBo a breath)
“C’mon baby……Don’t you dare quit on me!”
(Pumps SoBo’s chest to revive heartbeat)
“1..2..3..4..5..”
I can tell you are a humble guy and a sweetheart. Don’t listen to Sobo. You know he’s probably not even a man. He’s probably a fat 16-year old white girl sitting on a yoga ball while eating a cupcake right now listening to Bob Marley with n*pple clamps on. I’m on to him.
As much as people hated 808s and Heartbreaks, I bumped that CD constantly because of the openness of it.
And so did I.
Hmmnn. Interesting thread today. A lot of insightful opinions and observations made by VSS’ and VSBs regarding Mr. Kanye West. My turn.
My 3 favorite Kanye songs are “Champion”, “Flashing Lights”, and “Heard ‘Em Say”.
-End-
LOVE “heard em say”, I also love “Can’t tell me nothing” and “Coldest Winter”……
“Live Fast and Die young”, CRANKS ridiculously HARD, dayum!!!!!!!
Cosign! I love love love ‘heard em say’ & ‘can’t tell me nothing’.
ooohh! and “spaceship” == my JAM! I used to crank that every morning before I went to work during college! “if the manager insults me again, I will be assulting him…” was my mantra while waiting tables, except replace “manager” with “customer”
Higher education for.the.win.
Nicely written Champ
“He matters so gotdamn much because we need him to.” <—absou FU*K'in lutely!
I mean who else would have stood up on national TV and said, "George Bush doesn't care about black people"? Who else has the cojones to publically say something like that about the mutha *** president of the United States of America AND be ready and willing to face the negative consequences of their action…That in itself made me more interested in Ye'. he may not always go about things in the correct manner but one thing I can say about him is that his tells it like it is.
And by the way, you are right, I love me some Ye' but would I let him get the cookies? probably not…
Nicely written Champ
“He matters so gotdamn much because we need him to.” <—absou FU*K'in lutely!
I mean who else would have stood up on national TV and said, "George Bush doesn't care about black people"? Who else has the cojones to publically say something like that about the mutha *** president of the United States of America AND be ready and willing to face the negative consequences of their action…That in itself made me more interested in Ye'. he may not always go about things in the correct manner but one thing I can say about him is that he tells it like it is.
And by the way, you are right, I love me some Ye' but would I let him get the cookies? probably not…
Congrats on the Wins Y’all!
thanks!
I agree with Dash partially because I try to not to pay him any mind out side of his music. At times he comes off as a man-boy, but in the world of hip-hop that seems to be the status quo. The tweets, diva dude activities, and tantrums just make my beer taste flat.
Musically, I like Kanye. I’m also impressed with the range of his personal musical tastes and how he doesn’t try to hide the music that he’s into from his audience. Is he a genius? F*** no! He is however talented. All of his cd’s except that last one got heavy rotation from me so his average of putting out good music is impressive. I’m actually looking forward to his new cd.
Seriously, I’m 31 who would be the actual voice of my generation? ***stares out of my office window with a Kanye-esque intellectual look of seriousness on my face***
i’d like to officially come out of hiding to congratulate vsb on their awards. i’m a rookie in deez here parts, but have taken my shoes off and made myself quite at home (i promise i got pretty toes and my feet dont stink). We don’t always agree, but I always learn something.
So your kudos are well deserved.
and if you say kudos deez…
*shakes fist
thanks lady. we appreciate any and everybody who voted for us. heck, even those who didnt vote for us b/c they thought somebody else was better suited. we love love around here.
“we love love around here.”
@PJ:
i’ll be sure to quote you on that (and you know i will) the next time you have a post hating love.
you know…we are giving kanye a lot of credit for being this emo rapper. but that’s really nothing new.
tupac was probably the first REALLY emo rapper followed by DMX. they just didn’t sing on tracks. nor did they limit their emo to one album.
there’s a reason why Tupac’s “dear mama” is and will forever be the quintessential thug mother’s day song.
Another example of an “emo rap song”:
Ghostface Killah’s “All That I’ve Got Is You”
I have witnessed a few thugged-out ninjas cry while listening to that song.
“there’s a reason why Tupac’s “dear mama” is and will forever be the quintessential thug mother’s day song.”
Even the Library of Congress gave him props for that joint.
It pays to be emo. Even if you can’t breathe in those skinny jeans.
Pac = another yet quintessential Gemini LOL
I didn’t give Kanye that credit and alot folk tend to over intellectualize…….
“it’s the smell, if there is such a thing” LLS
I have zero idea why people find Kanye so interesting as an individual and I won’t even attempt to guess. As a person, he seems horribly insecure, spoiled, effeminate, and just plain annoying.
Seriously, I feel for the people that are obligated to deal with him on a daily basis.
Musically though, he’s a damn genius. I say all the time that I believe he’s the most complete artist in the game right now, period.
Arguably even the most complete artist in the history of the game.
This is America people!
His arrogance, mystery, abstract style and musical artistry are all ingredients necessary to get him noticed and keep him relevant. Not that I think any of these things aren’t who he really is (because I do). But long gone are the days of the “Whitney Houston Pop Queen” who was instructed to keep her ghetto Jersey roots under wraps so that people can believe she’s a sweetheart. Back then, your talent spoke for you and your private life stayed private. Nowadays, fans want to see beneath the surface; the more controversial, the better….and Kanye is all to happy to oblige.
He is talented and he wants you to know it. Difference is, he will tell you within and outside of his music. Whereas, the standard PR protocol is be honest and creative in your music, but be likeable in person. However, he is relatable because he spoke to and about a subgroup of people who were hardly discussed in hip hop music (the college student), thus transitioning hip hop to include (as someone mentioned above) the kid that would normally get beat up by a rapper.
Point is: Kanye is both immensely talented and interesting. That is why you will be hearing about him and/or his music for many years.
on a completely utterly unrelated note..
cuz i know there are some big blue and buckeyes in tha house (say owwww)
whatchall think of this?
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5519832&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines
I have to disagree. I’m from the south and Kanye doesn’t really matter here.
Sure he has about 2 or 3 or 4 songs that I like but that’s it. He doesn’t matter. None what-so-ever… I personally don’t see anything he’s done to inspire me or the others around me. But other weak minded people might disagree. Maybe you people from the north will disagree. But seriously why are we talking about him like he’s a god…
@bajanxclover
“But other weak minded people might disagree. Maybe you people from the north will disagree.”
Weak-minded? How so?
Being a southern-girl myself, as well as a music enthusiast, you saying that he doesn’t matter in the south what-so-ever is false. Maybe in a smaller southern city, but you can’t say the south in its entirety. Plus, I don’t think his success has or ever will depend on not being reverenced in the south. I’m just sayin.
@CNotes
Yeah I see where you’re coming from. And I agree with the “his success has or ever will depend on not being reverenced in the south” true very true. When I say south I’m usually talking about where I’m from not everywhere in the south. So I should have made that a little more clear in my recent comment. Where I’m from in the south we don’t really listen to a lot of Kanye. He’s not really that important. And I’m guessing that maybe in the north he’s an icon or something like that? And personally I don’t like Kanye. I don’t like the kind of person he is and I don’t like what he represents.The people I am surrounded by don’t like Kanye. Like he’s not popular where I’m from. And don’t get me wrong I’m not knocking him none what-so-ever. He’s making good music… he’s getting money or what not. Basically he’s doing him. And like I’ve said before he has a couple of songs that I like but just because I like his music doesn’t mean he’s an icon, or anything special to me, or is gonna change my life for the better in any kinda way. Now not everybody’s agree with me and I know that. This is just how I feel. If anybody was offended by my comment or took it the wrong way then sorry bout that. But that’s how I feel and my pov still hasn’t changed and I highly doubt it will.
@bajanxclover
Respect. I believe everyone has a right to their opinion and I certainly respect yours. The only reason I chimed in was because your response was pretty broad. Kanye is certainly the love him or hate him type. : )
Errrr, I don’t know South of where… but I live in Houston which is considered “the south” (or maybe not)… but he IS relevant here…. or maybe it’s just in my circles… *’Ye shrug*
Hmmm. Perhaps it is an age thing. I find Kanye West irritating and can only name one of his songs. And that would be Gold Digger.
I don’t know the man. I don’t “like” him. I’m not interested enough to buy his music. Pass.
My crush? Yeah, that would be Big Boi. Judge not!
He’s just ok. He hasn’t really put it on smash to me. He is greatly successful, but he hasn’t done anything that I thought was soooooo SICK and worthy of him being so culturally relevant. I can point to countless folks I think are way more relevant. That said, I don’t dislike Kanye, but he ain’t doin’ the most. Not for me anyway. I like his production for other artists more than for him. His lyrics are ok. I respect his creativity, but he isn’t the most creative (I could look at Kool Keith who is more creative and did the wig before Andre 3000). I see a sensitive person who is trying to push the limitations to being an artist. So whether I like his product or not, I respect that to the fullest. Yet, he isn’t pushing it as far for me. To me, the things he does has BEEN done. He does it and makes it available for others and that is ok, but he didn’t initialize it. He is wearing a back pack on stage. So! So did rapper in the early 90′s. Q-Tip had on one, and some dudes would be shirtless with a backpack on. He says he’s the Louis Don. I have seen Louis Vuitton have several resurges and rappers kill it before him. Nothing he has done is the first time I have seen it so I can’t give him props for killing it. I am glad he exists. I’m glad for his contributions. Yet even when I heard that comment on the podcast I can understand it, but I DON’T agree. I don’t agree, but I understand. I saw him go “through it” in the public eye which made me feel for the brother. Seen him act like a douche (prior to him losing his mom) and wanted him to man up. Saw him impulsively speak his mind during a Katrina fundraiser, which I understood and didn’t mind at all. Yet, I am waiting for him to continue to evolve as an artist. I can give him props that what he has done seems to resonate with others, even if it hasn’t resonated with me. Maybe, age-wise I’m just not his demographic.
I truly think he resonates more with the 20 somethings and teens much more so than with the folk in that first generation of hip hop folk in their 30′s, like we can appreciate him but we are not blown away. even though he is what 31 himself *shrug*
I am 31… and I dig Kanye a whole lot… Maybe because I’m not a “native hip-hopper” and come from a more varied type of music, I’m able to appreciate hip-hop through his music… His music is easier for me to grasp because it speaks much more directly to my personal musical tastes/sensibilities (more worldly, more open)… So you might have a point. Either “younger” people OR people who grew up in a different frame (than hip hop) as far as musical reference goes…
I co-sign like 1000% =]
@bajanxclover
“But other weak minded people might disagree. Maybe you people from the north will disagree.”
Weak-minded? How so?
Being a southern-girl myself, as well as a music enthusiast, you saying that he doesn’t matter in the south what-so-ever is false. Maybe in a smaller southern city, but you can’t say the south in its entirety. Plus, I don’t think his success has or ever will depend on not being reverenced in the south. I’m just sayin.
His music is kind of good. I actually think that he just samples different culture’s sound and adds some 80′s rap appeal to it. But I don’t like him from what I’ve seen as a person. He’s year of the snake I’m year of the horse what’d you expect?
I CAN’T BELIEVE I MISSED THE “WHY KANYE IS EFFING GREAT” POST!!
ugh.
anyhoo. Kanye is brilliance. and women love brilliance. too bad though. he’s mine. dare someone to say something. AND he likes women who are taller than him. it works. lol.
Champ, you are officially my favorite VSB.
lol.
I don’t know what it is about Kanye.
If I were ever to be in a relationship with him, I feel like it would be because he compliments my swag as well as my shoes.
We’d never have sex, we’d just talk and discuss everything.
This was a brilliant post.
I am a fan of Kanye’s artistry and his volatile potential. His confidence and boldness are what make him exciting to watch.
I look forward to his Album release in November.
OH yes #TEAMKANYE all day! Confidence-borderline cockiness (not a**hole though, which admittedly the TS incident was a**hole worthy) is sexy!! Get your swag up fellas! If you are the ishhh…you just are. Kanye said it best, my self-confidence plus your low self-esteem, should not equal my arrogance-or something like that. Don’t be mad. You never hear confident people say they HATE Kanye or any other confident person. And by the way, conversation rules the nation, so a dude with major swag + style+ a little bit of controversy + a icy cold mouthpiece will = Major fan club and major women! I concur that I would never want to “get down” with Kanye but I would love to pick his brain-over and over again!
I like Kanye too, but I don’t want to have sex with him either. I DO think he is a great talent and I want to see him succeed in what he does.
Thanks for this post. It made me smile.