Kanye West has been married for ten days, and he has that new-husband way with the ring still, pulling it on and off like it's something he might yet undo, or do again. The ring is gold, and understated in a way that not much else about Kanye West is. He sits in the lobby of New York's Mercer Hotel—the same hotel where he and Jay Z recorded most of Watch the Throne—reflecting on the distance he's come. "I am a black American male from Chicago," West says, "who had my rehearsal dinner at Versailles and then got married in Florence with a view of the entire city." Continue...
He is one year removed from Yeezus, the record that took all of West's prodigious pop gifts and made a show of immolating them one by one. He is one year removed from telling anyone who'd listen that he was going to burn the entire fashion industry down, or at least he would once they let him through the door. Now they kind of have: He's got a capsule collection with A.P.C. out now; a line with Adidas that debuts with footwear this fall; and somewhere off in the distance, a new menswear line. He's also got a new record—maybe even a full-on pop record, though he hasn't decided yet. He knows he is no longer the most popular man in rap. "Currently that spot is taken," West says. "Let's be honest—he got last summer."
Who?
"You know. There's only one person."
Drake?
"Yeah. He got last summer. And I'd never given it up till last summer." Now he's thinking about taking it back. "It's a real question for me. Do I want to?"
Meanwhile, he's reckoning with what it is to be a father and a husband and a decent human. He's happier now—"You see I haven't name-dropped and said a bunch of negative stuff about people," he says at one point—but no less homicidally competitive or less convinced that he's the next Steve Jobs. He'd like to spend more time with his family. He'd also still like to build amusement parks. It's a contradiction, one he's only begun to resolve. And all the while, he can't go outside with his wife, Kim Kardashian, without having his photo taken. His entire waking life has become a performance, a manifesto, a fashion shoot.
Most of the time, he's cool with that fact. But not always. "I hope we don't see no paparazzi today," West says. "Because I'm still getting acquainted with these jogging pants I threw on. Like, 'That's not my statement!' "
You got married a week ago. You're the lead subject in practically every tabloid on the planet right now. Are you comfortable in that position, having that many eyes on you?
That wasn't my goal. My goal is just to be respected as a man when I walk down the street with my family. I don't care what your job is, you're not gonna talk down to me, you're not gonna try to get a rise out of me. I'm a man first. And in establishing that, some interesting things have happened. [laughs]
Like that TMZ video from last year, where you're walking with your pregnant fiancée with your head down to avoid the paparazzi, to the point where you walked into a sign and hit your head. Then TMZ made fun of you for walking into the sign. How do you live like that?
It's difficult. And then put on top of that the idea of going and taking meetings with people, and people say, "We don't want to work with you, because we saw you get mad about running into the sign."
Does that kind of mockery feel like an effort to de-fang you?
But also, there's no fangs. I don't have fangs. I'm a porcupine. I'm a blowfish. Like, I'm a—what's the fish that blows up?
A blowfish?
Yeah. I'm a blowfish. I'm not a shark, I'm a blowfish. So that perfect example about me hitting my head, it's like a blowfish. I wasn't coming out of my house going to a paparazzi's house to attack them. I'm defending my family in front of my own house. I'm defending my name as someone's screaming something negative at me. That's a blowfish. People have me pinned as a shark or a predator in some way, and in no way am I that. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone. I want to defend people. I want to help people.
Can I read you something? The New York Post's Page Six has an account of your wedding that reads, in part: "Kanye returned one hour before the wedding and didn't like the all-white bar that was in front of the Gold Toilet Tower. He took a saw and started sawing it in half himself. Two men held the bar stable as he sawed, and sawed, into the bar, defacing the entire front, screaming at everyone around him. He said it looked like a bar from Texas. Then he ordered two pieces of raw wood to be nailed onto the front of the bar. Once the wood was in place, 'Now,' he said, 'it's art.' The Italian construction teams looked at this guy and couldn't believe what they were seeing."
For the person that wrote that, were they involved with anything last year that was as culturally significant as the Yeezus tour or that album? They didn't even talk there about the photographs, or the dress, or Andrea Bocelli singing, or the marble tables. They're like: "It's a gold toilet." No. The bathrooms—that usually would be a porta-potty—were wrapped in a fabric that was neutral to match the fort. The bar was terrible, and the wedding planner didn't approve it with me. I was having issues with this wedding planner the entire time on approvals, and I get there and they threw some weird plastic bar there. So the same materials that were used to cover the bathroom, we said, "Let's just use that, because this is all we have to make the bar look better." Which it did, in the end. And anyone knows that you cannot pick up tools yourself, because of—what are those rules about the workers?
Unions?
Yeah, unions. You can't do that. It's illegal. That's false.
Then they say you gave a forty-five-minute toast to yourself.
And what I talked about in it was the idea of celebrity, and celebrities being treated like blacks were in the '60s, having no rights, and the fact that people can slander your name. I said that in the toast. And I had to say this in a position where I, from the art world, am marrying Kim. And how we're going to fight to raise the respect level for celebrities so that my daughter can live a more normal life. She didn't choose to be a celebrity. But she is. So I'm going to fight to make sure she has a better life.
How does it feel when you read something like that account of your wedding or you see a photo of you looking glum at a zipline go viral?
My feelings don't matter anymore.
Of course they do.
No. One of the things that I said at the speech was, anyone that's at this table has had to defend me or Kim or both of us at some point in their life. Ask a boxer: "In the third round, when he hit you from the side on your ear, how did that specifically feel?" You wouldn't ask a boxer that. Because you know they're there to fight. Meaning now you know I'm here to fight. I'm here to fight for the re-education of what celebrity is. To say, "Yes, we are celebrities, but yes, we're also innovators, we're also inventors, we're also thoughtful."
70 comments:
MY GUY
Kanye is a stupid control freak
He comes off as a confused, intelligent man dats got a lot to deal with internally
Jay z to me is over rated, kanye is the rap genius, even though he is extremely cocky, u can't help but love his music, so fresh and edgy and sometimes difficult to listen to #gay anonymous#
Why in God's name did u marry that pornstar. Kim
Quit thoughtful. Pretex4luv@yahoo.com
Love me some kanye west but hate his wife.
Nice Lines, Bold Looks. (Linda's Man)
I no understand dis long story o. What's d moral?
Honey, what was going thru ur mind when u named ur innocent daughter North west.
Mtcheew! Abeg kanye eze ewu pack well.....
When would kanye west and beyonce make an album together, that album will Slay
Mmmmmmmm
Yes we are celebrities, but yes, we're also innovators, we're also inventors, we're also thoughtful."
I absolutely enjoyed it,pretty interesting.
Cooldavoe@yahoo.com
Very candid, kanye sounds nice, like the guy from Jesus walks!
I Love Kanye..
I like Kanye West...period!
He is always disrespectful to everyone,always complaining about racism! Tupac was original unlike these 8bars superstars....Mr West u re never a rapper but a solo artist
This is my real Gee don't care ya all think about this dude. Jopeyemi@gmail.com. BBM 32F0BEFB
Awwww,loving u more kanye
Nice one kanye #bright bravo#
Kanye oremi bawo ni! Se dada lewa? Ba mi ki kim at north o!
Mamafunkky@gmail.com
"I'm here to fight for the re-education of what celebrity is"
Yeah good luck with that Kanye.
Dude's got the whole world on his shoulders and has this 'me against the world' mentality and it's ridiculous. Just enjoy your money and your wife and your music. It's really not that serious my dear. Sheesh!
Kimmy *****
Odi egwu really. Kanye... always high on his fart!
...Ezinwa...
Funny kayne, atleast let people see you with smile, now that you are married..
danskila1@gmail.com
kenya doz not hav ani business with laffing or evn smiling.... infact dat word doz not exist in his dictionary..... *iru okwute* #Doro Classy#
Too long a story... *yawns*
Kanye has lost his ever fucking mind! I know his mom would be turning in her grave hearing this garbage her son is dishing out...wthell!
Kanye has lost his ever fucking mind! I know his mom would be turning in her grave hearing this garbage her son is dishing out...wthell!
My respect for this guy has just gone several notches up.
I already like the fact that for a successful black rapper,he hasn't been married and divorced a zillion times and he doesn't have baby mama drama all over America
This guy is always fighting somebody. If its not thea today its JayZ tomorrow. Well let me go chill at toptrendnaija.com
Abeg I don tire, I no fit read all. Is not like I get paid for reading everything. He should know by now the things that comes with being famous.
How can I advertise on linda ikeji
fionawarigon@gmail.com
He sounds very true...really don't have a problem with this guy only seems like he'll be hurt in the end cause of the vain nature of his partner but i guess he cares less.
This shit is too damn long, I can't read. Buh I wud love kanye over jay Z any day! Jay is over hyped.
story for the gods
Aww.. Dis interview actually made me c Kanye in anoda lite. He's jst bin real.
I love Kanye!!
I keep loving kanye more! He's soft on d other side! Kanye is so real,no faking! Kim is so lucky,kanye is in luv.kimye sweetest couple.
One tin is for sure Kanye is still my Number 1 best foreign rap artist... "My Leather Black Jeans On" Black...
Kanye nd control...... Kim sowi ya
~@iamJbankz Olamide's PA~
That's nice. I like the fact that he was in control of the interview, unlike some celebrities.
cute guy...nkemdirimeverista111@gmail.com
ds guy isnt dat bad ooo...jus wish he smiles more!
Yea saw dis,Kim was so proud of her man.
U r gay, thats y you'll post such dumb ass comment...
Go n compare their album sales maybe that we'll help u understand y jigga is d boss. Over 20 yrs in d game n hz still on top. Kanye was still bedwetting wen jay started driving Benzzz...
its nice to see this kanye..patoswife@gmail.com
Yeah.....black skinhead,that song is epic.
Kanye is a genius, very talented in his own world, like this dude to the core and i don't give a shit about what anyone thinks about him and his wife Kim.
Kanye the GOD
Kanye West everyday of the week and twice on sunday #teamyeezus
I hate dat I had to agree with u @gay anonymous...
My goal is just to be respected as a man when I walk down the street with my family... This makes a lot of sense'
Some people complaining about his marriage(pornstar)
Do u know who u will marry? Siddon there
BORN TO SHINE!!!!
The guy is a legend...regardless of whatever his relationship with Kim might have caused him...I still reckon with him
But why is dis your guy always frowning his face as if he's out for a fight. Mr West biko put a little smile na
Then you should also know that Kanye west has the most grammy for a rap artist
And who told u that...see as u dey talk lyk Sey u bin friends with d mama before she kpai...
Tooooooooooooo long abeg.
ralbro007 via Sony Ericsson W850i
love me some Kanye. love me some Kim.
This guy has anger issues... Kim get ready
I respect Kanye West n i like Kim..
*Kimye*
all he wants is to have a normal life without any paparazzi or tmz.. I wish we all can let psqaure be so that they can remain as one. Criticms over what a celebrity does is not part of our biz, they are humans and ours is to support rather than destroy them with sidetalks, tweets, lib, fbk, instagram, etc.
#PICCANTO#
lausmithuj@gmail.com
Same as u Onyx
I LOVE DIS GUY ..I LOVE PEOPLE WHO DONT GIVE A CRAMP OF WAT PEOPLE THINK OF THEM LIKE PETER..MY KIND OF PERSON..THUMBS UP
I LOVE KANYE RIGHT FROM JESUS WALKS, COLLEGE DROPOUT ALBUM..U ARE MY MAN KANYE..NO MATA WAT PEOPLE FEEL..CAN U COMPARE HIM TO RICK ROSS WHO TATOO STUPIDLY, OR 50 CENT WHO IS ARROGANT OR LIL WAYNE WHO DRESSES LIKE A WOMAN ,OR T.I. WHO IS CARELESS..DIS IS A HAPPILY MARRIED MAN..WHO IS WEALTHY AND FIGHT FOR HIS RIGHT.
" I love Kanye' " he is better than Jay Z" " Jay = Illuminati" yet ye is the one called his album yeesuz + himself on d cross. Stupid Nigerians have now forgotten how much they love God. Smh @ hypocrisy and double standards Stupid lot!
This is a real crappy interview, couldn't understand all d shit kanye waz talking about. After 2pac Amaru Shakur, rap that made sense died a nnatural death. U can ask 2face, 2shotz and 2nice, they where all inspired by 2pac
This is a real crappy interview, couldn't understand all d shit kanye waz talking about. After 2pac Amaru Shakur, rap that made sense died a nnatural death. U can ask 2face, 2shotz and 2nice, they where all inspired by 2pac
Always love to read about Kanye West my favpourite artist of all times #TeamYeezus ff Fb:Michael Banjo, Twitter:Michael_WWIII, IG:MyckelBanjo
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