Kanye West’s very much discussed, super rare interview with BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe has now begun to appear online with Part 1 of the 60-minute conversation now accessible.
Just a quarter of the way in and already we have enough buzzworthy quotes from the rapper to fill a book, though the strange thing is – as obscure and egotistical as these quotes may be – there’s some real insight and wisdom in there. Sorta.
If you’re looking for excuses as to why West has been the way he’s been the past 5 years ever, you won’t find them here.
Instead you’ll find justification, as Kanye addresses everything from his music, to fashion, his ambitions and, of course, the haters.
West’s latest offering Yeezus was of course a hot topic of discussion between the two, with the musician explaining the album was “exactly what was going on in my mind”.
West argues that the album does contain tracks that could work on radio, referencing Daft Punk’s mega hit Get Lucky, but adds that the powers that be are “distracted by statements”, saying, ““I’m gonna try to make music three dimensional, that pops up and hits you. I’m not here to make easy listening.”
As for new projects, West sheds some light on who he’s set his sights on for a collaboration, saying, “I’m looking forward to talking to [Kendrick Lamar] as much as possible. He’s one of the future messengers.”
Kanye explains the importance of Michael Jackson to his career, going as far as to say, “There would be no Kanye West without Michael Jackson.” West elaborates:
“I was able to ascend to massive heights and never stopped because the foundations my mother and father and grandfather laid through civil rights and what Michael Jackson did with music videos and ground he broke…I’ve reached a time in my life when my Truman Show boat has hit the painting. I got to a point Michael Jackson did not break down. I have reached the glass ceiling.”
As for the haters, West is all too aware of the attention he has received these past few months, but is so sure that he’s simply ahead of the curve that it will only be a matter of years before people cotton on:
“They gonna say, ‘Why don’t they focus on his music.’ But they’re gonna play this interview in five years and say ‘He called that, he called that.'”
The interview is rife with other interesting tidbits, for example, West explains he doesn’t like chart topper Gold Digger. And did you know that, “If you’re a Kanye West fan, you’re a fan of yourself”?
You can watch Part 1 of the interview below, with the other parts expected to come in the near future.
Watch: Kanye West BBC Radio 1 Interview with Zane Lowe (Pt. 1)
(Via CoS)
