It’s one thing for the culture to embrace the “god” in Kanye West, but another story when the rest of the world catches on to his ultimate greatness as well. West has fought long and hard for his current status–facing scrutiny with just about every move he makes, made a mockery of for his unmoving belief in his vision, & even choosing to share his life with the likes of Kim Kardashian. Nevertheless, he cannot be stopped, and so eventually without much choice, you must bow down.
His prodigious influence which has stood the widths of time for the last decade has earned him an accolade that not many within Hip-Hop can say they have achieved, being of “The 100 Most Influential People” in the world, deemed by Time Magazine.
His face graces the cover of the latest issue of the long-lasting American magazine, commending he & other great influences such as Lee Daniels (who is currently known for his genius in the creation of “EMPIRE,” but also won Oscars for “Monster’s Ball” and “Precious), Alexander Wang, Kevin Hart, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, & President Barack Obama.
To accompany his cover story, Kanye West sat with TIME Magazine to offer a piece of his mind. Also, read the excerpt below taken from the story.
Kanye West would be the first person to tell you he belongs on this list. The dude doesn’t believe in false modesty, and he shouldn’t. Kanye’s belief in himself and his incredible tenacity—he performed his first single with his jaw wired shut—got him to where he is today. And he fought for his place in the cultural pantheon with a purpose. In his debut album, over a decade ago, Kanye issued what amounted to a social critique and a call to arms (with a beat): “We rappers is role models: we rap, we don’t think.” But Kanye does think. Constantly. About everything. And he wants everybody else to do the same: to engage, question, push boundaries. Now that he’s a pop-culture juggernaut, he has the platform to achieve just that. He’s not afraid of being judged or ridiculed in the process. Kanye’s been playing the long game all along, and we’re only just beginning to see why.
Click here to see others included on TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” list.
© 2015, Niyah Nel. All rights reserved.
