Praise YEEZUS! Here are the most 'Ye-like moments... EVER.
Kanye West Stans!! It's been quite the week for you. Not only did the all-time great rapper/producer/fashion designer/visual artist/voice of a generation become a father (still waiting on that baby name, BTW), but he's also just released a new album that's going to CHANGE THE WORLD: Yeezus, dropping TODAY. (Well, even though apparently some of ya'll may have already heard it.) In celebration of the second coming (well, technically sixth, since this is album No. 6), we thought, why not take a walk down memory lane? So of course we've compiled 10 of the most Kanye-est moments EVER. Because in our wildest dreams, Yeezy would read this and fire off 20 tweets and delete them the next day. If only!!!
1). When Kanye named his new album Yeezus: There has to be a certain amount of... hubris, shall we say, in naming your album Yeezus. Putting yourself in the same breath as someone who could rise from the dead and is lord to millions of people and... OK, we see where you came up with that. This is something ONLY Kanye could do. Because we sincerely doubt that One Direction will drop 1Deezus next year.
4). And when Kanye DOES make normal music videos, they're full-length movies: Like the Energizer Bunny, ambition is something that just keeps Yeezy going, and going, and going, and going... Like, a lot of artists will premiere a new video on MTV. But Kanye West is NOT most artists. He comes to your channel, completely takes it over, and premieres a full-length high-concept film centered around his album. Then that film is shown in museums. Seriously.
5.) When Kanye was the antithesis of humble in that New York Times interview: Kanye West rarely does interviews, so when he does DEIGN to sit down with a journalist, he makes it count. And his 2013 interview with The New York Times was NO exception. Over the course of the interview, Kanye dropped choice nuggets like:
I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.
And when asked about where following his instincts leads him:
It’s only led me to complete awesomeness at all times. It’s only led me to awesome truth and awesomeness. Beauty, truth, awesomeness. That's all it is.
We could read this all day. Seriously. #Longreads
6). When "South Park" spoofed Kanye and his "love" of fish sticks: How do you know when you're a true superstar? When comedians decide you're worth parodying! Clearly the guys behind "South Park" agreed when they made light of Kanye's "Voice Of A Generation" declarations with an entire episode dedicated to him. And they did it with one simple joke about seafood. Luckily, Kanye took it in stride -- he even referenced "South Park" on his track "Made In America" from Watch The Throne. (Clip below NSFW.)
7). When Kanye eternally freaked Mike Myers out by getting political: NOTHING AND NO ONE can silence Kanye West. Not that "Austin Powers" star Mike Myers tried to, but he was caught in the crossfire when Kanye spoke his mind on a national telethon in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. What 'Ye said was serious and everything, but it still resulted in a priceless reaction from Mike Myers. The two mended fences, however, when Kanye appeared in Myers' 2008 movie "The Love Guru."
8). When Kanye owned Twitter so hard that his tweets became entirely new things: When people start cross-stitching your tweets on Etsy, that's when you've REALLY hit Twitter fame. And how about when your tweets are so good that Josh Groban crafts uplifting, beautiful songs out of them? That means you actually ARE a god.
9). When Kanye pulls a side-eye. Yes, EVERY side-eye: When Kanye references in his NYT interview that he looks unhappy, like, "90 percent of the time," that is pretty much whenever a camera is pointed at him. And dude knows EXACTLY what look to shoot those paparazzos -- some MAJOR side-eye. And dude is the best in the biz. See here, here, and here for just an teensy sampling.
10). Imma let you finish...: OK, how could we NOT include this? It's the BEST Kanye West moment of ALL TIME. I mean, he could cement his legacy with introspective, honest, thoughtful, and thought-provoking music, his high-concept music videos, and his lush and beautiful production, but who are we kidding? ANYONE can produce, write, and direct. But there's just no beating Kanye's famous interruptions. Thus is the Ying and the Yang with 'Ye.
