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Kanye West: Is he misunderstood ?
While the latest controversy that the multiple time Grammy Award winning rapper has found himself in again is a touchy one at best,I think it would be more prudent to not label him immediately as the “bad guy”. Let’s try instead to understand why he has the propensity to do things as he does.
I believe there may have been a few instances in the past when Kanye West was a just a victim of circumstances and so was not the one entirely at fault. I will not anymore elaborate on those past controversies linked to Kanye West because there is no point in belaboring those incidents.
The question now here is: Why do we focus so much on one man’s actions ? After all, artists have their own unique and individual manner of expression., some of them may just be a little too different or even aggressive for our comfort.
Our attention has been diverted from where it should rightfully be on Kanye West. It should be on the exemplary level of talent that he has consistently displayed ever since he had made his long awaited major label debut more than a decade ago. We forget that Kanye West is considered to be one of the all-time greatest living hip-hop artists already.
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A student of the “game”
There is no question that Kanye West is a student of hip-hop.
I have come to this conclusion when I recall that the very first time that I got to hear his breakout hit “Through the Wire” being played on the radio more than 10 years ago. I had thought I was listening to an old-school hip-hop track from the late 80’s to early 90’s instead of one from the 2000’s !
Kanye West did not become famous overnight. It took years for him to reach the level he is at now. And he is someone, too,at first had helped write what would become hit songs for other hip-hop artists. He was content then with being practically “anonymous” and letting others enjoy the success that his original compositions had brought them. Thus, I think he has earned the right to toot his own horn–to speak highly of himself, and to believe he is the best in what he does !
Underneath all that braggadocio he has shown, Kanye West has represented the genre, hip-hop, to the hilt.
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A true “survivor”
Kanye West has survived so many hurdles thrown at him, not to mention all the major controversies that are enough to put a stop to one’s career dead on its tracks. And yet, time and time again, he not only manages to get past the “trials” that have besieged him and dented his reputation but, more importantly, he still delivers the goods when it comes to meeting album sales expectations set by his record label and selling out any arena or music festival he is headlining.
So, what does this all mean ? Here is my take on it. It just proves that Kanye West is still very much a popular artist despite everything that has been said about him. You certainly can’t argue with the numbers and hard facts !
Because it has become apparent that a large section of music goers can overlook the “negativity” and choose to focus solely on his music. That right there provides him with a loyal fan base.
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In closing…
In closing, I say Kanye West exhibits this almost “larger than life” persona and he is not afraid to get into anyone’s face who does not agree he is the best or one of the best out there. Naturally, this can rub people the wrong way, especially when envy and jealousy in them color their judgment of him. People can choose to agree or disagree with some of the things he has done but I am firm in my belief that he is not as bad as he is being painted to be.
He is just so passionate in what he does and he strives to keep outdoing himself with each of his succeeding album releases. And in many ways, this facet of his proves how much Kanye West respects the industry he is a part of and why he continues to further raise the bar when it comes to all of his valuable contributions to hip-hop.
Only time will tell, when Kanye West will rank among the greatest ever hip-hop artists of all time !