Despite the 2009 VMAs, several public breakdowns, and marrying a Kardashian, Kanye West undeniably has incredible musical talent. From “Gold Digger” to Life of Pablo, Kanye has nailed it time and time again. Not only has he consistently released chart breaking songs and records, Kanye has morphed and changed as an artist as well. So, maybe there is a valid reason for his cockiness; he really is the best. Here’s 21 times Kanye West proved he is the lyrical genius of our time.
1.“We at war, we at war with terrorism, racism, but most of all, we at war with ourselves”
“Jesus Walks”
Starting with some poetic truth.
2. “Uh put your hands to the constellations the way you look should be a sin, you my sensation I know I’m preaching to the congregation we love Jesus but you done learned a lot from Satan”
“Devil In A New Dress”
Kanye's sensual side.
3.“You fix me up something that was good for my soul famous homemade chicken soup, can I have another bowl”
“Hey Mama"
And he loves his mom!
4.“Grab a drink, grab a glass after that I’ll grab yo ass”
“Celebration”
Simple and catchy.
5.“Treat the demons just like Pam I mean I f*ck with your friends but damn Gina”
“Ultralight Beam”
All I'm saying is, could you imagine being Gina??
6.“Now if I f*ck this model and she just bleached her asshole and I get bleach on my t-shirt I’ma feel like an asshole”
“ Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1”
Pretty gross, but iconic.
7.“I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex why? I made that b*tch famous”
“Famous”
The lyric that sparked an uproar.
8.“People talkin’ shit, but when shit hit the fan everything I’m not made me everything I am”
“Everything I Am”
Know knows themselves better than Kanye West?
9.“So you walk around like you don’t know me you got a new friend, well I got homes but in the end it’s still so lonely”
“Heartless”
Super soft.
10.“What I had to do, had to run from you I’m in love with you, but the vibe is wrong and that haunted me, all the way home”
“Love Lockdown”
Pretty sure I watched this music video a thousand times in middle school.
11.“Hi, my name is Jill. I just want to say thanks to Kanye’s workout plan, I was able to pull a NBA player and like now I shop every day on Rodeo Drive. I just want to say, thank you Kanye! Woooo! Woooo! Woooo!”
“The New Workout Plan”
Kanye teaching women to land men makes for a unique and hilarious addition to The College Dropout.
12.“I really apologize for everything right now if it’s unclear at all, man they got my mouth wired shut for like… I dunno, the doctor said like six weeks Y’know, he had, I had reconstructive surgery on my jaw”
“Through the Wire”
Kanye released this hit in 2004 after breaking his jaw in a car accident.
13.“Order the h'orderves, views of the water straight from the page of your favorite author and the weather so breezy man why can't life always be this easy”
“Flashing Lights”
This has been every girl's Instagram caption at least once.
14.“Four in the morning, and I'm zoning they say I’m possessed, it’s an omen I keep it 300, like the Romans 300 bitches, where’s the Trojans?”
“Black Skinhead”
The absolute best song before going out for the night.
15.“Hurry up with my damn massage Hurry up with my damn ménage Get the Porsche out the damn garage I am a God”
“I Am A God”
Classic Kanye self-love.
16.“Let’s take it back to the first party when you tried your first molly and came out of your body and came out of your body running naked down the lobby and you was screamin’ that you love me”
“Blood On The Leaves”
His inclusion of Billy Holiday's "Strange Fruit" shows his knowledge of musical history.
17.“Bound 2”
Seriously, every lyric from this song is insanely clever. I couldn’t even choose one. Side note: If you haven't seen the remake but Seth Rogen and James Franco, you haven't lived.
18.“Woah, make the ground move: that’s an ass quake built a house up on that ass: that’s an ass-tate roll-roll-roll my weed on it: that’s an ass tray”
“Mercy”
The first rap song I ever listened to.
19.Have you ever had sex with a pharaoh? Put the p*ssy in a sarcophagus now she claiming that I bruised her esophagus head of the class and she just won a swallowship”
“Monster”
Scholarship into "swallowship"... incredible.
20.“I said baby what if you was clubbin’ thuggin’, hustlin’ before you met your husband? Then I said, ‘What if Mary was in the club ‘fore she met Joseph around hella thugs?’”
“Wolves”
His biblical knowledge is outstanding.
21.“She was supposed to buy your shorty Tyco with your money she went to the doctor, got lipo with your money she walkin’ around lookin’ like Michael with your money shoulda got that insured, Geico for your money”
“Gold Digger”
The only Kanye song my mother will tolerate in the car.
