Kanye West will perform at the 2013 MTV VMAs! Here's a look back at Kanye's most unforgettable VMA moments.
The 2013 MTV VMAs are so close we can almost FEEL them, and we've already gotten a barrage of need-to-know facts about this year's show (the VMA Moonman got a Kaws/Brooklyn makeover, Lady Gaga will perform her upcoming new single, "Applause," for the first time, etc.), and now? HERE'S S'MORE. The acclaimed genius behind Yeezus (one of the summer's most groundbreaking musical ventures) and father to li'l baby North West (one of the summer's most groundbreaking baby names), Kanye West, will be making his SEVENTH (!) live musical appearance at the MTV VMAs to perform his new single, "Black Skinhead."
And to that we say, let's celebrate with some or our favorite all-time Kanye VMA moments! And yes, we know, who can forget that moment? But there are some truly legendary and totally iconic Yeezy moments that completely blow that one out of the water! Let's check 'em out.
1.) Kanye West arrives on the 2004 VMAs red carpet: Though Kanye was as fresh-faced as he was fresh-dressed at his first-ever VMAs, the newcomer had no problems rubbing elbows with the likes of John Legend, Outkast, and Usher -- not to mention the legendary Chaka Khan, who joined him onstage for his "All Falls Down" performance that evening.
2.) Kanye West and Jamie Foxx perform their smash hit "Gold Digger" in 2005: For anyone who's a little hazy on the mid-2000s, "Gold Digger" was basically the JAM for a solid six months. It was EVERYWHERE. But as fun as it was to hear "She take my moneeeey" literally every time you entered a Best Buy or CVS, nothing could compare to this epic live rendition with Jamie Foxx at the 2005 VMAs.
Check out more of Kanye West's Most Unforgettable VMA Moments after the jump.
3.) Kanye West blasts "Stronger" at the 2007 VMAs: Even though Kanye apparently wasn't too thrilled about not getting to do "Stronger" as a main-stage performance (that year, the VMAs experimented with a very Vegas-y, multi-stage approach to its live shows), we LOVED seeing him go harder, better, faster, stronger all up in the audience members' faces.
4.) Kanye West debuts "Love Lockdown" at the 2008 VMAs: What's more impressive: Yeezy's iconic "Love Lockdown" performance that mixed a then-innovative, new use of Auto-Tuned vocals with staggering laser light displays, or the fact that Auto-Tune was once considered an innovative, new technology to bust out? The former, duh, but the Auto-Tune shocker definitely gave it a run for its money.
5.) Kanye West's red carpet arrival at the 2009 VMAs: Even though the date on his right arm (aka a bottle of Hennessy) caused nothing but trouble that night, West's main squeeze for the evening, Amber Rose (the actress, singer, socialite who's now married to Wiz Khalifa), was nothing but STUNNING in a snake skin-looking bodysuit! Tens! Tens! Tens across the board!
6.) Kanye West premieres "Runaway" at the 2010 VMAs: A year later, and "you know what" was still fresh on everyone's minds. That's why it was all the more powerful that he debuted a song that goes, "And I always find, yeah, I always find somethin' wrong/ You been puttin' up wit' my sh** just way too long." Couple those lyrics with some professionally trained ballerinas, and you've got yourself one helluva triumphant comeback.
7.) Kanye West performs "Otis" with Jay Z at the 2011 VMAs: Now this is the performance to beat! And it definitely won't be easy. Who can top the powerful tag-teaming of Yeezy and Jay Z (and their friend 50 Feet Of Pyrotechnics) on a shut-the-house-down-level version of "Otis"? If there's one guy who knows, it's Kanye West. CAN'T WAIT.
+ Check out more of Kanye West's Most Unforgettable VMA Moments.
+ Find out more about Kanye West's return to the 2013 MTV VMAs!
Cast your vote NOW for this year’s Video Music Award winners from the 2013 VMA Nominees. The 2013 Video Music Awards air August 25 on MTV and VMA.MTV.com, live from the Brooklyn Barclays Center. No sleep til Brooklyn!
Photo credit: Getty Images
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