Without even searching for him, Kanye West always makes an appearance. It has become rather routine for Kanye West to make TMZ headlines or becomes a trending topic on Twitter for his words and actions. If it’s not lashing out against former friends and collaborators such as Kid Cudi or recently Jay-Z, then it’s Kanye being Kanye. We have come to expect Kanye West to do and say things that most people wouldn't even dare to do. A memorable moment of his courageousness or lack of self-control depending on how you view him, dates all the way back to the year 2005. On September 2, 2005, during “A Concert for Hurricane Relief” on NBC, Kanye west blurted out the infamous line “George W. Bush doesn't care about black people”. The revelation shocked millions worldwide and while many believed his statement to be uncalled for and not entirely true, it cemented Kanye West as an artist who was never afraid to speak his mind.
At this time while the media criticized his comment, it didn't publicly portray him as the typical villain we are accustomed to seeing now. In the year 2005, Kanye West had just released “Late Registration” a follow up to his debut album “The College Dropout”, which would go on to win a Grammy for best rap album of the year in 2006. In the musical world, Kanye West was heading toward the peak of his career and he’s so called “irrational” comments gave him the appearance of an advocate for the people or rather a rebel. His musical success allowed his personal character traits to be overlooked, and like most rebels, he gained a cult following for being “real”. When it comes to Kanye West, the best question to ask is if there is a limit to being “too real”. In 2005 we loved Kanye West for speaking his mind, or better yet speaking about the truth seen through his own eyes. But in 2009, we found an answer to that very question.
During the 2009 MTV Music Awards, Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for best female video, stating that "Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you and I'mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!”. Kanye West was immediately booed and removed from the music awards, with this becoming the beginning of his transformation into a public villain. Unlike the incident of 2005, there was no support for Kanye’s actions, as his outbursts of “personal truths” began to be seen as simple tantrums from his lack of self-control. Around this time Kanye West was enjoying the success of his album “808’s & Heartbreaks” and preparing for the release of “My Twisted Dark Beautiful Fantasy”, but there was something missing from all of his success. The same people who viewed Kanye as a rebel and supported him as the voice of the people grew tired of his public stunts and antics. For the first time in Kanye’s career, his music did not reflect his own sense of character. The tone of music, as seen in “My Twisted Dark Beautiful Fantasy” changed from humbled to arrogant, which was greatly intensified by his erratic behavior. Kanye West went from being a man of the people to a man who believed he stood above the very people who supported him. It is around this time that Kanye began referring to himself as “Yeezus”, a God among men.
By the time of the release of his album “Yeezus”, Kanye West had fully evolved into the villain we are familiar with today. He went from “Jesus Walks” to “I Am a God” and never looked backed. Even the speeches he gave changed drastically, from saying inspirational quotes such as “If you have this opportunity to play this game of life you need to appreciate every moment, a lot of people don’t appreciate the moment until it has passed” to screaming lines at concerts like “you may be talented, but you’re not Kanye West”. Maybe these drastic changes aren’t actually changes at all, and maybe the arrogant egotistical Kanye West we see today has always been the “true” Kanye. With recent releases like “The Life of Pablo” it is clear that Kanye West is still successful as a musician, but he has lost the image as a man of the people. When I think of Kanye West, I think of the famous quote from the Batman movie “The Dark Knight”, which says “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain”. Kanye West could not be happier to see himself as the villain he is today.
