I, Kanye Omari West, have always been the subject of
ridicule, from low tabloids to high culture publications. I’ve watched my
public persona become slimmer and slimmer, from the guy who interrupts people
on TV to the guy who abuses the paparazzi. For me, it’s never been hard to draw
the focus back to what I care about the most: my art, my creations.
I have recently kicked off your weekend with the drop of my
new single, “New Slaves” from my soon to release album, Yeezus, with an
accompanying visual. Instead of posting it on the internet like all those other
average artists, I took the “New Slaves” premiere out into the physical
universe; setting up sites and projecting visuals in 66 world wide locations of
choice.
Looking back at on my life, I couldn’t have gotten to this
point of success in my career without my past. My past was really a learning
experience for me and it gave me the strength and inspiration to become the
powerful and influential person I am today. Other than the music I write and
perform, fashion is an immense part of my life. Today I would like to share
with you some lessons learnt that were gleaned from my life. These particular
stories have gave me the chance to develop mature and accurate perceptions of a
lot of concepts in my life, thus the inspiration of most of the music I write.
From an early age, it was obvious that I had a creative
bent. Growing up, I aspired to be a fashion designer and by the time I was in
third grade, I had fallen in love with the genre of rap and was starting to create
some rap myself. Once I discovered how to sample and manipulate music in the
process of making my own beats, I discovered it was a great way of getting
messages across and expressing feelings.
I have increasingly set out to pursue my passion in design over
the years; from creating high-fashion clothing lines, to shoe collaborations.
This whole roller-coaster experience of the process of producing and promoting
my art gave me a different perception of the luxury consumer market and our
world as a whole. Throughout all of my clothing lines, I had no financial
backing and completed all my fashion shows out of my own pocket by using the
money I made touring to chase my childhood dreams. From there, I set up the
"consumerism is the new racism" analogy theme throughout my songs.
In seventh grade, I wanted to be on the basketball team. I
didn’t get on the team, so that summer I practiced. I was on the summer league.
My team won the championship; I was the point guard. And then when I tried out
for eighth grade, I practiced and I hit every free throw, every layup. The next
day I looked on the chart, and my name wasn’t on it. I asked the coach why I
was not in and he said, “You’re just not on it.” I was like, “But I hit every
shot.” The next year - I was on the junior team when I was a freshman, that’s
how good I was. But I wasn’t on my eighth-grade team; because some coach - some
Grammy, some reviewer, some designer, etc.- they’re all the same as that coach.
Where I didn’t feel that I had a position in eighth grade to scream and say,
“Because I hit every one of my shots, I deserve to be on this team!” I’m
letting it out on everybody who doesn’t want to give me my credit.
I created a mountain throughout my life; a mountain built
from creativity, strength and independence. So if I go to a designer and say,
“I want to design a T shirt.” And they
say, "I don't believe you have the capability to make this T-shirt, 'cause
you are a musician.’" I made a mountain, I think I could make a T-shirt; it’s
beneath me. I just like T-shirts. Feel blessed with a T-shirt. And I want to
take any moment of my creative day to make a T-shirt. And you should help me
make that T-shirt because it’s going to be the best T-shirt anyone will ever
wear.
From this I created the
perspective, in my music, of the way
African-Americans are treated in the luxury consumer market, and what it means
to join a class dominated by people who do things like put black men in prison
for profit (the DEA and CCA). I am strongly associated with the concept of racism
and discrimination from an early age as my grandparents
were heavily involved in civil rights movements and my father had once been a
member of the Black Panthers.
I have come to conclusion
that racism changes, but doesn’t dissipate. I believe
that the desperate pursuit of material things that we witness among African Americans
is a racial illustration of consumerism. Acquiring material
things matters because we associate these things (consciously or not) with the
power traditionally possessed by White Americans. You could be walking in a
store wearing a Zara pant and see someone in the exact Céline version and feel
bad about yourself. In my music I am talking about this; us, the new slaves as
I call it.
My music has sparked allot of controversy
but I cant be touched musically, I refuse to be touched
musically. It's my form of art. Whatever way is my way of being creative and
getting my message across through my albums, that's the culture of Hip Hop.
Period. Will any of my ideas and perceptions keep my fans from
listening to my tracks on repeat and placing pre-orders for Yeezus? Absolutely not.
Words:
964
[Verse 1:]
My momma was raised in an era when,
Clean water was only served to the fairer skin
Doing clothes you would have thought I had help
But they wasn't satisfied unless I picked the cotton myself.
You see it's broke nigga racism
That's that "Don't touch anything in the store"
And there's rich nigga racism
That's that "Come here, please buy more"
What you want a Bentley, fur coat and diamond chain?
All you blacks want all the same things
Used to only be niggas now everybody play me
Spending everything on Alexander Wang
My momma was raised in an era when,
Clean water was only served to the fairer skin
Doing clothes you would have thought I had help
But they wasn't satisfied unless I picked the cotton myself.
You see it's broke nigga racism
That's that "Don't touch anything in the store"
And there's rich nigga racism
That's that "Come here, please buy more"
What you want a Bentley, fur coat and diamond chain?
All you blacks want all the same things
Used to only be niggas now everybody play me
Spending everything on Alexander Wang
New Slaves
Work Cited
"Kanye West’s “New Slaves” Is Right On Prisons And Consumer Culture, But Weird On Women." ThinkProgress RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2013/05/20/2037991/kanye-wests-new-slaves-is-right-on-prisons-and-consumer-culture-but-weird-on-women/>.
"The Unraveling of Kanye West." Details. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.details.com/culture-trends/cover-stars/200902/hip-hop-artist-kanye-west-talks-fashion-and-music>.
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/kanye-west-362922>.
"5 Reasons the Fashion Industry Should Take Kanye West Seriously: The GQ Eye: GQ on Style: GQ." GQ. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2013/10/5-reasons-the-fashion-industry-should-take-kanye-west-seriously.html>.
Such a well written post! Love how it sounds so powerful, and as though it was written by the number one most influential person in this industry :) My favourite part is where you mentioned Zara and Celine, such a good statement. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI love the song "New Slave". I've always listened to Kanye Wests music but I've never heard something of his as influential and politically targeted. Nice song choice!
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