Kanye West BBC Radio 1 - Zane Lowe Interview

In part 1, Kanye West discusses the tyrannical control of radio, not allowing better, undiscovered artists air play because they don't conform to radio's ideal of what commercial music should be. He also states the importance of an artist's responsibility to change their own image to cause a change in how music is commercially perceived. Kanye speaks about his aspirations to overcome the barriers of an artist, to become more than a musician and create an artistic and social revolution that transcends the influence of Michael Jackson. Kanye also emphasises the need for experimentation of modern music and how genres like hip-hop need to evolve and not be constricted to the conventional "16 bars". Kanye finally argues that hip-hop has lost its anti-pop culture and has been filtered to become commercialised music.



Despite his contributions outside of music, Kanye still feels under-appreciated and doesn't understand that despite his achievements (Nike Yeezys) major companies want to restricting to certain items of clothing and branding such as t-shirts and how they want to control the producer and the product. Artists have become promotional tools and the artist use major companies as a means of increasing income. Kanye also speaks out of how media perpetuates classism and self-hate. Kanye also clears how media has demonised him and labelled him as megalomaniac but clarifies his intentions and motivations to create art to help people. Kanye talks about how his controversial tracks and his attack on major record labels stopped him achieving commercial success and wants to continue the ideas innovators like Steve Jobs left.

 

Kanye is just a symbol to help people overcome whatever creative and oppressive struggles one of his fans are going through - a medium of motivation. Kanye states the reason as to why people wanting to pigeon-hole him are superficial and also mentions and praises fashion designers also; they dedicate their lives to making civilization better and are unwilling to compromise their principles or quality of fabric, but are willing to sacrifice everything else but their principles. Kanye expounds that unless you were child of a celebrity or you break a certain number of glass ceilings, it is impossible for one to afford high-end clothing. He wants to bring equality and make fashion on a democratic platform in the same music is received democratically. He also mentions other artists, 2 Chainz and Drake and praises their work ethic, and for those in power to deny them to express themselves is near criminal.



Kanye wants to use his music and other resources to spark debates that are currently non-exist. There must be an egalitarian society or collection of people who are working together to push cultural, sonic and other artistic boundaries. Mainstream marketing has polluted the minds of the people and causes a food-chain type system - survival of the fittest. People are depraved as to what people should one, we have limited to no intellectual freedom. Kanye takes a more personal note and that celebrities should have control of their own image and be able to market their own image in a way they see fit and also about how he wants to change his lifestyle for the benefit of his daughter. Kanye talks about how Black People do not want to temporarily feel like kings through material products, but be kings through intellectual freedom and the ability to create.

The reason as to why I uploaded these music videos was due to the fact it clarified misconceptions about the music industry and Kanye himself. It brought back the real image that young, aspiring artists (not, just musicians, but in the general sense) like myself, identified with. Also the tension and division the video provoked over social networking sites, between those that still considered Kanye to be a megalomaniac and those who perceived Kanye to be emblematic for what it means to be an artist and a symbol of hope.