Kanye West VH1 Intervju
Kanye West: Ticket to Ride
Hip-hop's most famous college dropout rocks the charts. He buys his mom a new ride, claims Brit bit his video, and sells knives door to door.
by C. Bottomley
How much does Kanye West love his mom? Well, while doing this interview, the season's hottest rapper/producer is finalizing the purchase of a drop-top Mercedes-Benz CLK. It's 72 hours before Mother's Day, and he's going to surprise her with it - even
wants a video camera to document her reaction. So forgive him if he's a little distracted.
Time is obviously tight for West these days. After making a name by producing platinum hits for Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Ludacris, everyone wants a piece of him. It's understandable: his singles, "Slow Jamz" and "Through the Wire," tied up the charts for months, and his celebrated debut The College Dropout went in at No. 2. And Kanye fever is just beginning. He's all over forthcoming records by Brandy and Jadakiss.
The secret of West's success? He speeds up soul samples until Chaka Khan sounds like Minnie Mouse, and his often hilarious lyrics take on everything from the car crash that left his jaw wired shut ("Through the Wire") to his crappy summer job at the Gap ("Spaceship"). He even made a hit tune about Christ ("Jesus Walks") just because he could.
It doesn't stop there, either. He's getting into ***elry, video production, and clothing design. Not bad for a guy who used to sell knives for a living. As West ran from the Benz dealership to a nearby restaurant, VH1 got to pick his brain about Britney Spears biting his ideas, autograph hounds stepping over the line, and what he'll be doing when his time is finally up.
VH1: You spent years trying to make it as a rapper. Has the success of The College Dropout vindicated you?
KW: Yeah. Definitely. But I'm not finished. I'm not done yet.
VH1: What do you have left to prove? The "All Falls Down" video seems to be the only one on MTV - aside from Britney Spears' "Everything."
KW: Yeah. Britney Spears' is a knock-off of that, too. The one where she pulls up in a limo, gets out and walks through white hallways in slow motion? You don't think that's not a visual knockoff of "All Falls Down"? Tell me that first shot is not the exact same shot.
VH1: I'll take your word for it. Are people biting your musical style, too?
KW: Hell yeah, they are! I can't name the tracks that are imitating me. That wouldn't help me at all. That would only hurt me.
VH1: Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery?
KW: Yeah. And imitation is the sincerest form of stealing! I don't mind because I used to imitate , when I was trying to learn how to do it. I think it's a good way to learn how to do something. I studied music that I liked and then tried my best to emulate it.
VH1: Do you remember looking at record sleeves to see who the producer was?
KW: Hurby Luv Bug might have been one of the first producers that I was like, "Oh, that's a producer right there." Then Teddy Riley, Full Force. Those are a few that no one will ever , right?
VH1: What's the biggest difference between being behind the mixing desk and being behind the mic?
.