[Sway]:
The most important artist of this generation. Over 21 Grammys. 6 consecutive number 1 albums. One of the most impactful voices to ever grab a microphone. One of the most talented producers to ever produce music, fashion, art. One of the most prolific people to ever speak on behalf of his thoughts, to trigger emotions and trigger thought of you. One of the most clever people to ever manipulate the internet. I watched him go from:
'Sway you gotta hear my rhymes, man. You gotta hear my rhymes. I know I make beats, but you gotta hear my rhymes'
...being on the train, Amtrak train going to Philly, to now being mentioned alongside the President of the United States, more than once. We talk about President Obama, but you forget some of the things that this man has said to really go against the grain and challenge thought, fearlessly. For example:
[excerpts of Kanye]:
"George Bush doesn't care about black people."
"And another thing is, people so gay-conscious now. That's like the whole thing, like with the internet — every day, somebody's- "Ooh I can tell he gay now!" you know? But back in the day, people used to have songs like "Get In That Ass" or something like that."
"Remind me again, who's the original Super Fly? And I got love for Hov but I ain't fucking with that Suit and Tie."
[Sway]:
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome for the first time to Sway in the Morning here on Shade 45: the one, the only, the incomparable, Kanye West!
(applause)
[Woman 1]:
That was a nice intro, Sway
[Woman 2]:
Absolutely!
[Sway]:
That came off the top of the head. That's the homie, what else can I do?
[Kanye West]:
I don't even have to say anything, interview over. That's all, that's it
[Sway]:
Good to see you man! First and foremost, it's good to see you. I had a chance to go and see the Yeezus tour for the first time. I could not miss this tour with A Tribe Called Quest opening up at Madison Square Garden
First of all, I really appreciate when artists like yourself put spotlight on artists that influenced you. You know, artists that you grew up with, tuned in to, listening to, and that gave you inspiration like Tribe Called Quest. Is that why you put them on the bill?
[Kanye]:
Yeah, I mean that's one of my biggest inspirations. Q-Tip is like my hero. MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS, "Electric Relaxation," uh, uh, LOW END THEORY... a lot of the melodies that particularly Q-Tip — the type of chords they would sample, and that Pete Rock would sample, or like that were sampled on 93 'TIL INFINITY, which I felt was influenced by Tribe mostly... was, you know, what I was going for when I did THE COLLEGE DROPOUT. Or when I always felt I was at my highest level was when I was closest to like, Tribe records. So, a record like "Heard 'Em Say" was a accomplishment for me, to have something that even sounded close to what they did
[Sway]:
You know, I heard you speaking about other producers that are from that era, and I love when that happens, because I don't think we value our history a lot. You know, someone's going to speak on you. They already have started speaking on you. You've influenced a generation of artists who are now becoming more introverted, but more outspoken. Uh, more in tune with the different dimensions of what it is to be a person. Not just, you know, your persona, but speaking emotionally as well
I heard you speak on Diamond D before, another classic producer. And then you also got Showbiz, from the Diggin' in the Crates Crew. What can you say about producers like Showbiz and Diamond D, and how they influenced you?
[Kanye]:
I mean, it was just, every time something new dropped, whether it was like SOUL CLAP or you know, just Diamond D being the best producer on the mic. And just, you know, me having these guys to look up to. And hearing the way their music sounded, and knowing that, you know, I didn't really have enough money to buy the records that were needed to create a sound to the level of what The Beatnuts were creating, and what Diamond D was creating
And you know, you go through that a lot of times in your life, where exactly what you want to make, you might not have the exact resources for it at that time. Where No I.D. was the one dude that I knew that had all those drums in his basement, now Eric Schmidt is one of the guys that I know that has what I need in order to keep creating what I need to make DONDA the next— the best way I can say it is the post-internet Disney. But, it's more like Willy Wonka. Whatever idea I have, I want to bring it into fruition
Willy Wonka didn't stop making chocolate because he was making other things. People wanna marginalize me from the top all the way to the bottom. Or, who's to say who's at the top or the bottom, you know what I'm saying? But it's people who just want to hear the music that are like, "don't work on nothing else because we love your music so much, so don't do that." And there's people at the top that are like, "look, just perform at my... son's bar mitzvah, don't do that."
And what Dr. King said about racism was: even if you don't perform a racist act, if you turn your head to it, that's a form of racism
[Sway]:
That's a form of racism
[Kanye]:
So, as powerful as that is, is the way I'm trying to simplify and repeat to the public, to everyone involved, that that is what they are doing to me now. Because my demo tape is that Yeezus tour. So if you take that Yeezus tour, and you meet with Disney, or you meet with Zuckerberg, or you meet with Eric Schmidt, don't tell me I haven't written out the right plan for it. It's 20,000 people, 4 nights in a row looking at pure creativity
So if I say I got a film idea, the Yeezus tour is more of a film or Broadway or a play idea than it is a concert idea. Watch the Throne was a rap concert idea. I like working with Jay, because I can particularly get into the zone of high-level rap, and we brought that neo-Run DMC, you know, niggas in leather, luxe, chains, and everything, to the highest level. Now you see the NFL uses that same thing, bringing Tom Brady up on a cube, right? But would the NFL invest in DONDA to just come up with the ideas in the first place?
Like, before there was even a Willow or the concept of it — basically, it's like if you ever saw Semi-Pro, and how like Will Ferrell was trying to start a new league? You know, DONDA is like the NBA of creativity. Willow is the guy who used to work for DONDA that now designs Jay's tours, Rihanna's tours, Justin's tours. But he's still one of my best friends, and one of my biggest inspirations, and also found a lot of the guys that work at DONDA currently, like Matt Williams who created Been Trill, and also had discovered Lady Gaga, put Gaga with Nick Knight and everything
So, right now, y'all watching almost a comedy of life right now. If you go see Semipro and see how this man was trying to get people to come to the show, he was the coach of the team, he'd have to play on the team sometimes. And that's what it is, it's like, where would Michael Jordan be with no NBA?
[Sway]:
Can I ask you a question? I have to cut you off, um, that sound familiar!
What I got from— one of the things, if you go to Yeezus, if you go see this tour, which I encourage everyone to see because I've watched concerts my entire career, and I've never had an experience quite like that. Every song was it's own story, you know. On stage, it was— nothing was the same and you were totally committed to it. You even— when the lights were dim, you would call out in the middle of the song, "Yo! The lights are too dim," or "They're too bright!" When it was too much smoke around the mountain, "Yo, there's too much smoke! They can't get their Instagram pictures."
It was really fascinating to see you so in control of this whole experience. When I heard you tell a story about Lenny Kravitz trying to break into the world of fashion and Louis Vuitton and these guys giving you a shot, and Pharrell. And then turning their backs on you. In that particular field, would you say that part of fashion, the fashion world is racist?
[Kanye]:
Uh, I'd say classist and controlist. It's not racist, because they love Asians, you know, so it's not racism. It's more like who can they control? I mean, a guy that was sent to me from Puma literally came to me and said, "How can we control you?" But you can't control me, I'm gonna bring positivity to the world. You know, I'm Christian, I'm about to be married, I got a family, I'm not trying to do nothing but good. But Imma rattle that cage until you let me do it
Like, I was interviewing with Charlemagne and he kept on coming up with these old slave concepts of like, you know, "How you gonna work with the corporations, but you gonna dis the corporations?" I'm saying, I'm just turn— I wanna be recognized! You don't think, like, half of Drake's songs was coming at me to the point where I had to show up on that stage with him? And then he's like, "Okay, now you see me." And that's exactly what I'm doing, I'm like, man, y'all gon' SEE. ME. Y'all not gonna act like you don't see me because it's 50 paparazzi following me. So no like, Graydon Carter, Vanity Fair, no— it's no powers that could be that are on the internet, that control magazines, that control media, that can stop the movement. It's—
[Sway]:
What I don't— like, I had Buckshot from Duck Down here yesterday. He has a new sneaker called Triple Threat, and he couldn't break into the sneaker world, so he found his own partners, they got their own manufacturing. They starting to take it from the— they gonna start from the bottom and work they way up. You're Kanye West. All that stuff you said about Marc Jacobs and those guys and H&M stealing ideas...
[Kanye]:
Well, I was giving props to Marc Jacobs for actually letting 2 niggas in. And the thing is, he let 1 nigga in but he's the nice guy, that's Pharrell. He let another nigga in that almost lost his life, so I'm living in the afterlife, as far as I'm concerned. I'm living in the second life. I got heaven on earth right now, and Imma make sure that I find my joy, and I don't care about the stipulations of brands or names. People always talking about brands and names; I'm just talking about simplifying things, you know?
Eve made Adam bite the apple, and ever since then it's been illegal to be naked. I'm just trying to help people with they opinion on the law. I've had some clothing mishaps, I've had some clothing triumphs and stuff like that. But I know that I'm— the next Ralph, to say the least! Like, people are combinations of what they were in the past. So that means, of course I'm a combination of Martin and Malcolm, but I'm also a combination of Lenny and Michael, but I'm also a combination of Disney and this— we all combi— in the future, people will be absorbing all of what was, you know?
Think about what the iPhone is currently, you woulda had to have 30 different things in your house to do what a iPhone does in 1. So, for people to say the idea that Kanye West should only do music, it's ridiculous! Like, people told me I shouldn't do music back when I was in art school!
[Sway]:
I'm sorry, I know our time is limited and I don't see you, so...
[Kanye]:
No, I'll give you a little bit more time
[Sway]:
Man, I appreciate that, man! You gave me time, you gave me my first TV, it's all coming together
(laughter)
[excerpt of Kanye]:
"I gave Sway his first TV."
(laughter)
[Kanye]:
Like, you just never had a TV ever before in your life!
(laughter)
[Sway]:
That was classic though, man, that was classic. Uh, but why is it that you need these people? Like you said, you don't need anybody to do these things. You don't need Adidas if you want to do a new shoe
[Kanye]:
Yes, you do
[Sway]:
Why?
[Kanye]:
Because you need proper production to bring something that has a certain value. I mean, put it like this: like, if I want to get this uh, Japanese-level thermal, right, at a better price to you, if I'm starting small, I'm not gonna be able to get the best price, and I'm gonna be losing money to the point where I can't afford it. I went $13 million in debt working on my clothing line and I'm getting Kanye West-ed constantly with the prices, everywhere I go. So that means, that if someone got less money than me, they charging me a bunch more, because they look at me as the money. That's something they do— they take these celebrities, and they show you this fabulous life of non-billionaires
(Kanye stutters)... I'm talking about, it's— maybe it's like 20 hot celebrities a year; it's 1,470 billionaires. Those 20 hot celebrities, if they were billionaires, they could make sure they're celebrities forever. But they be outta there— they get the wrong hit, they get in trouble, they do this, they lose this contract, blah blah blah, they outta control, all that...
One thing— I was out in Italy, even right now, uh, trying to start my own company. The type of people that work with musicians... for the most part it's VERY difficult to get high-end, respected fashion people to work with someone that's considered to be a musician. It's very hard to get the good people. Because tell me this— if someone was a fashion designer and came to Dr. Dre, would Dr. Dre produce for them? It's hard! It's just as hard as it was bringing Mos Def to the studio with Jay-Z. Now it's like, and— that's what THE COLLEGE DROPOUT was, it was the combination of those things
But, let's thank Adidas for giving me the opportunity, it wasn't that Nike didn't uh, you know, offer me a contract. It still was extremely marginalized and a slap in my face, you know what I'm saying? Because they let me design, you know, it's like, yeah, they did me a favor by letting me design, but they let other people ... they let Pharrell design, they let Eminem design, I just designed the Yeezys. I turnt up, where they didn't think I could turn up that far. And they tried to hold it back!
It was like, it was like that moment, you know, when I thought about taking Nicki's verse off of "Monster" because I knew people would say that was the best verse on the best Hip-Hop album of all time, or arguably top 10 albums of all time, right? And I would do all that work, 8 months of work on DARK FANTASY, and people, to this day will say to me, "Aw, my favorite thing is Nicki Minaj verse!"
So if I let me ego get the best of me, instead of letting that girl get the shot to get that platform and become all she could be, I would take it off or marginalize her, try to stop her from having that shining moment
So what happens when Mark Parker's riding on his jet? When somebody come up to him and say, "My son's favorite shoes is the Yeezy." Now they could've been working on the Flyknit for 5 years, and working on this project, blah blah— but what I was doing, was so disruptive, as disruptive as that Nicki Minaj "Monster" verse was, is how disruptive the Yeezys were. People hadn't felt that feeling since the Jordans. And by the way— the Jordans, only popular at this point because of two people: me and Don C. Because Don C was ordering them vintage Jordans when the 4s used to break apart, on the sole? And we was wearing them— back when I was wearing the Louis Vuitton backpack with the polos? And they, Jordan looked at, the brand Jordan looked at us and said, "Oh man, we gotta start retro-ing them." Because when you think of Jordans, what you think of? You don't even know what the new Jordans look like. All you think about is them retros
[Sway]:
What's going to happen with the Red Octobers?
[Kanye]:
You know Nike told me when I asked them? "We ain't sure." You know what they told the store though, of my— of my boy that run a store? They said "if y'all want that Red October, you gotta take these 10 other shoes." So they told me, they ain't sure, but then they told them, if you want that Red October— but legally, we gotta both sign that contract, Mark Parker. Imma put Mark Parker all on that Summer Jam screen. And by the way, Mark Parker, yes I will still accept an investment in DONDA. I got some more ideas that don't involve shoes
But if you guys that are investing in the arts, y'all want to invest in this school in Brazil, y'all wanna go to Africa, I'm standing up and I'm telling you, I am Warhol! I. Am. The number one most impactful artist of our generation! I am Shakespeare, in the flesh! Walt Disney. Nike. Google. Now who's gonna be the Medici family and stand up and let me create more? Or do you wanna marginalize me 'til I'm out of my moment?
[Sway]:
But why don't you empower yourself and don't need them and do it yourself?
[Kanye]:
How, Sway!?
[Sway]:
Take a few steps back, to go—
[Kanye (Sway)]:
You ain't got the answers man! You ain't got the answers! (Kanye) You ain't got the answers! You ain't got the answers, Sway! (Kanye) I been doing this more than you! (Doing what more than me?) You ain't got— (C'mon, chill out, bro!) You ain't got the answers! (Kanye, relax!) You ain't got the answers! (Bro, rela— I'm asking you a question!) You ain't been doing the education. (Bro!) You ain't been doing the education! (Kanye, calm down!) You don't have the answers though. (Calm down!) Because you trying to give me advice about something- (No! No no no no, listen) You ain't- You ain't got the answers! You ain't spend 13 million dollars of your own money trying to empower yourself!
[Sway]:
Kanye, you're absolutely right, but I've spent hundreds of thousands putting out clothing lines at a smaller degree. All I'm asking you—
[Kanye]:
And it ain't no Ralph, though! It ain't Ralph level
[Sway]:
Okay well let me ask you this, I'm asking—
[Kanye]:
What's the name of your clothing line? We don't know, you know what I'm saying?
[Sway]:
Kanye! Because I lost money, but that's not—
[Kanye (Sway)]:
Exactly, and I could lose money on a higher level, too! Don't think just because— (And that's what I'm asking you— ) Don't think just because I got the most, or the least money (Wait, hold up, let me finish my question, dog) Man be— no, man! (Or hear the question, man) You don't have the answers—
[Sway]:
I'm asking you for the answer, it's a question! Why is it that you can't? You have money, you have—
[Kanye]:
I just told you, I lost the money because I did not have the knowledge of how to do it the right way—
[Sway]:
Okay, so you don't have money. So you don't have the money to do it! That's your answer! You ain't gotta turn up, man. This ain't no fucking... show, man. I'm talking to you as a homie!
[Kanye (Sway)]:
It ain't no homie, man, because— the thing is, the bottom line is— (Man, all I'm saying... ) Everybody, every— (you ain't gotta turn up like— ) All you— (You ain't gotta— Hold, hold up! Ay man, listen bro) Ain't no hold up! (It don't gotta be no hold up! I'm asking you a question!) Ain't no hold up! (I'm asking you a question!) Ain't no hold up!
[Sway]:
What you mean "it ain't no hold up"? Man, we here talking as civilized people. I'm trying to understand your world, because when I go to your concert, I'm curious about what you're saying! I don't know! That's why I'm asking you the questions
[Kanye]:
Well Imma explain to you what it is
[Sway]:
Ok, but you ain't gotta turn up on me, man to man, dog? Fuck these mics, we could turn all this shit off, you ain't gotta do this, it's cool. I love you, bro. But you ain't gotta turn up. Ain't no— don't try to embarrass us
[Kanye]:
I'm not trying to embarrass y'all, what I'm tryna say to y'all is: this industry, of what I'm trying to get into, ain't nobody never broke down! Ain't nobody broke down! We all slaves! So I ain't tryna disrespect you and your show. We all slaves to something—
[Sway]:
It ain't about my show, 'Ye—
[Kanye]:
I ain't tryna disrespect you, period! Let me talk, if you gonna have me talk. We all slaves! We all slaves! And y'all ain't experience nothing right here but a moment from a movie out of Glory. Back in the day, if slaves had enough money they could buy they own freedom. We all slaves— we slaves to Nike, we slaves to Benz, we slaves to public perception. We slaves to not looking, you know, what somebody gonna say after the interview: "Why you let Kanye do that? you should've checked him."
[Sway]:
I don't give a—
[Kanye]:
I love you man, I'm sorry! I love you man, I'm sorry, ok?
[Sway]:
Ok, that's fine, that's fine
[Kanye]:
But look at this, this exactly what would happen at the French Revolution, this exactly what happened— I'm sure there's some arguments with Harriet Tubman and other people, talking about "Let's go this way," "Let's go that way." But what I'm trying to say is: I sat in Paris. And met with these people. I invested my own money. And lost money. I made T-shirts that made money! I made music that made money. But at the end of the day, Lucian Grainge still cut my music checks
As powerful as my voice is, Lucian still runs 50 percent of the music industry. François Pinault owns Balenciaga, Puma, St. Laurent, Stella McCartney. François [ed: Bernard] Arnault owns Louis Vuitton, um, Céline, Givenchy. Renzo Rosso owns Margiela, Diesel, Marni, Viktor & Rolf. These guys got factories! These guys have factories. They run that!
The thing— the thing that compresses me is time versus money. Integrity, money, and relevance. Because, as I work on clothing more, I'm not rapping as much. So I'm not in the middle of that Future mix because I ain't do that feature. I'm not rapping as much, I'm not having as much finances. I'm losing relevancy. The relevancy is part of my power that allows my brand to be big. That's what I'm saying, you juggle so crazy!
But then you get a Nike, that could simply say: "The Yeezys did good, that was a good job. Let me get you some more so you can start your own line, because obviously people lining up for it." But they'll marginalize you, and play you, and talk about, "We don't even know when the Red Octobers coming out." You see what I'm saying? I'm juggling a lot of things at the same time. You know what I'm saying like, y'all putting me number 6 after Big Sean on the Hip-Hop list!
[Sway]:
Man, do you really give a—
[Kanye]:
My— no, what I'm saying is, my relevancy— that means because, because I'm wearing a kilt or because I'm doing something that's game-y...
[Sway]:
Naw, that ain't why you was number 6. At the time we did the show—
[Kanye]:
What you think now, though? What you think now?
[Sway]:
If we did it now, you would be number 1! You or Drake, it would be between your or Drake who would be number 1. That's what I say now. Who would you think would be number 1? Out of you and Drake?
[Kanye]:
Drake?
[Sway]:
Drake
[Kanye]:
Yeah
[Sway]:
That's what I think now. At the time we did the list, you had the CRUEL SUMMER album, and you had the "Mercy" song, you didn't have "New Slaves" out
[Kanye]:
I don't care about the list—
[Sway]:
But I do! Because you've been going around discrediting the list. And the people who do the list, there's not another collective of people in this business that know more about Hip-Hop. These are the same people who said you were number 1 years ago!
[Kanye]:
No, it's fine, the list is fine. But what I'm trying to say is when you trying to keep up with the list, and write all these raps, but you also trying to learn about clothing. You got a whole hood calling you a fag for even liking clothes, for being at like, uh the runway shows. Like you can't be a masculine person like Ralph Lauren, and still love the beauty and texture of clothing, as a artist. And still love a fat ass at the same time. You know?
Then you got America, the president, constantly attacking you. Then you got people over-charging you at all times. Then you got your constant public perception being brought down. AEG telling you when you go on tour, when you can't tour. Everybody got opinion towards you. You got shoes like the Nikes selling at eighty thousand dollars, and the the head won't even get on the phone with you. You got a meeting where every single door gets closed on you, like the Will Smith movie with his son, it's like that. It's like that, but me! But me, because I'm in that Michael Jackson position where he couldn't get his video played on MTV because he was considered to be "urban."
[Sway]:
So...what is your plan—
[Kanye]:
And sidebar, you gotta get in— you gotta...Charlemagne wanted this so bad! He wanted me to turn up so bad, I wouldn't even look at him. See, I can turn up around you because I love you, as my brother, we got history. Me and Charlemagne, we turn up, we don't know what— we don't know where that's gonna go. I know that we gonna hug it out, everything is cool
[Sway]:
Yeah yeah, we're good money. But we haven't talked in a while and so— and what you go through...by the way, I am always in your corner. And you're, you're right. You're in a realm where we don't know, people don't know what you're experiencing. Man, all these fucking names you naming sound foreign to me, bro. Because we don't know. But we need you to explain it, if I ask you a question man you can't blow up on it. I'm trying to understand why can't you? I don't understand. Now I do. I don't understand why you need these people to get your music out, you got the internet. You king of the internet. When you did your uh, GOOD Fridays, that was fucking— nobody did nothing like that. Why you need those people is what I don't understand. But you explained it to me. That's a fair question. Let's talk about your music real quick, though. Alright...
[Woman 1]:
Yes, boy, my drink is running out, too, Sway, goodness
[Sway]:
First of all, the YEEZUS album is incredible to me. You know, there's a lot of messaging that I like. Sonically, it was different. It reminded me of a time we were on the road talking to veterans and I asked you about music, and you said "I don't use sounds." I said, "How you pickin' your sounds?" You said, "I don't see music as sounds, I see it as colors." You know, so when listen to your music, that's what I do. I see it as colors
Two things: I'm curious to why Pusha T and Big Sean weren't on this tour, with the GOOD Music artists. Why did you decide not to put them on the tour?
[Kanye]:
Well, every artist that makes good music, is on GOOD Music. Drake on GOOD Music. Wayne on GOOD Music. James Blake on GOOD Music, Frank Ocean on GOOD Music. You make good music, you on GOOD Music in my mind. I'm not marginalized by the brand of the deal that I've taken from Universal in order to cut some of my homeboys some checks so that we can, you know, work on creative projects together. I'm not marginalized by the branding concept of GOOD Music versus Cash Money. All I do text Baby like, "Yo we need to do something together." You know what I'm sayin'? We not each other's enemies
And everybody got to get they own, you know, maybe it's just a piano that I'm bringing for John Legend, executive produced that. Maybe it's a art package that I do for Pusha, or beg him to take like, a certain song off that I think sound too commercial. You know, because we didn't quite get to that with Big Sean on some of the songs that I wanted to take off and stuff. And it upset me as a Hip-Hop artist a bit. And now he gonna turn up on this next one and we talked it out and everything, and that's what it's gonna be
But I think that, for me, I serve as an inspiration. We do go hard, I feel like "Started from the Bottom" now we here is Drake rapping harder because we pushing harder. We pushing each other like, when Jadakiss and Styles was spitting, we had to push each other
And what I'm establishing with YEEZUS is, you know, to take that stance, and I put my whole family on my back and I say "Fuck the radio," as that number one most important artist of our generation to say that. And, I'm saying "Fuck the radio" not saying I don't want to be played on the radio. But it's just saying stop making songs for the radio, make songs for the people! And then some people could say "Well, man I don't feel like YEEZUS was for the people. I don't feel like blah blah blah." Or make songs for yourself, you know what I'm saying? Because for me, I like "On Sight." I like all the songs, that's the shit that's enjoyable for me to listen to after I'm—
Because when I was in Paris, man, I worked on that album— my mama nicknamed me Mandela when I was a shorty. I wanted to burn those buildings down... it's a misconception that I said "Boycott Louis Vuitton." You can't boy— I wouldn't say— I wouldn't tell nobody to boycott a brand that ain't nobody even thinking about no more! Nobody thinking about buying Louis Vuitton! That brand old! You know what I'm saying? Nobody thinking about that brand, I wouldn't say boycott that brand!
I'm talking about some relevancy. But I wanted to go in and turn— and let me tell you something else that's so Hip-Hop. The music and the clothing are just as important! That's what make you Hip-Hop! You show people that you Hip-Hop by what you wear. So if I was able to be considered a person that wasn't *allowed* to be Hip-Hop, wasn't allowed to be a rapper, and I went and turned around and became the most important, not rapper, but artist of the past 10 years?! That's exactly what Imma do
And I'm gonna be the first, straight, Hip-Hop, loud, celebrity, non-etiquette having, black out all the time, fresh-ass, super tasteful designer! Of all time! Imma be the 2Pac of clothing! You can't be a bigger music superstar than Michael Jackson. You can't be a bigger basketball star than Michael Jordan. You can't be a bigger rapper than 2Pac. But it's a space, and it's product territory, to Steve Jobs that all the way
[Sway]:
Can I? Okay, and I respect that, and I think that's what makes you great. That's what makes you an inspiration— you're fearless, ok? And we need that in Hip-Hop. I've seen that with 'Pac, I see that with you, I've seen that with Jay. I see that with Drake, in the way he makes his music. People critique him, but he going through similar things you went through. But he's fearless. But at the end of the day, too, at the core of all this, what made me like you in the first place? Is that you're talented, and you know how to rap well. So, all this shit started with rap, bro. And my second question is...
[Kanye]:
Uh, that's your opinion. That's not my opinion
[Sway]:
For me. I'm talking about for me
[Kanye]:
I started from my mama, now I'm here. I started with when my mama was educating me since...
[Sway]:
No Kanye, you missed the term. I'm talking about. I didn't know you when you was born
(laughter)
[Woman 1]:
Sway, you crazy
[Sway]:
You used to come up to MTV, it was your talent that you as a producer. Your mind wasn't where you are, you ain't the same person today that you were when we met
[Kanye]:
Yes I was, yes I am
[Sway]:
You a lot more mature, and you a father now. You're not the same person
[Kanye]:
Yeah, in a way, but I've been the same person since age zero. I was born to be me
[Sway]:
Ok, ok. Hey man, can you do a rap for us? Can you rap for us, bro?! Can I get a verse?
[Kanye]:
I ain't got no new verse
[Sway]:
You ain't got no new verse?
[Kanye]:
I ain't got no new verse
[Sway]:
Man, last time we talked, you came off the top of the head. Let's take it back to the basics, man
[Kanye]:
Ok
[Sway]:
Alright, let's do it. Fuck it. Kanye West. Sway in the Morning. Shade 45. Wonder, what you got?
(DJ Wonder starts playing beats)
[Kanye]:
This is...?
[Sway]:
You don't want that one? You'd be the last person to pick a beat, man
(laughter)
[Woman 2]:
Shit, we gonna be here til tomorrow
(music)
[Kanye]:
Oh I like Nine Inch Nails...
(music)
So what you uh...?
[Sway]:
What you talking about, man
[Kanye]:
Just put it in rap form?
[Sway]:
Yeah, talk about what you talked about. Talk about them names, these corporations, this marginalization
[Kanye]:
I can make shit rhyme
I can make shit rhyme if I'm
Feel like, even if I, don't
So I just, might not
Cause I don't want
And I'm just gon' freestyle, for the first time
With a, freestyle, that don't, even go together, oh!
No rhymes, that's my new shit, nothing rhyme
How that sound, uh oh! Wop!
You ain't got the answers, Sway
I can say it all, night
[Sway]:
That's it: You ain't got the answers, Sway! Wait, hold up! I started the year off with "I gave Sway his first TV."
[Woman 2]:
Now what is it?
[Sway]:
I gotta end the year off with "You ain't got the answers, Sway!"
[Woman 1]:
Hashtag it!
[Sway]:
Oh man, you've been making me have a great year, bro. Thank you, man. That's a wrap? That's what you gonna leave us with?
[Kanye]:
Yeah, that was the first freestyle that had absolutely no rhymes
[Sway]:
That's what you gonna leave us with, right?
[Kanye]:
Yeah
[Sway]:
That's it, huh?
[Kanye]:
Yeah
(laughter)
[Sway]:
That's...word?
[Kanye]:
That's it
[Sway]:
That's it, huh? What about a written?
[Kanye]:
No
[Sway]:
No? But you still love to rap though?
[Kanye]:
I do
[Sway]:
Okay, cool man. Hey, listen brother, check this out man. It's always good to see you
[Kanye]:
Alright, hug it out, bro! (sound of mics muffling as Kanye and Sway hug)
[Sway]:
Good luck on your plight. And whatever you need from us, get at us, man. Alright? And ni-nigga, check this out. I don't use the word nigga, I'm not a "nigga" user. Don't yell at me again on the mic, alright?
[Kanye]:
Alright, look man. No disrespect. I love you— I love you Sway
[Sway]:
I love you, too
[Kanye]:
I didn't mean to turn up at your show, man
[Sway (Woman 2)}:
I don't— it's life, baby. This ain't— I ain't the fucking— Don't marginalize me to just this show, man! (Yeah, Sway!) Don't do that to me, man! Alright, this is life, but I love you man. Kanye West, ladies and—
[Kanye]:
Cus you know we'll argue and we get it out anyway— us, anyway man. That's how we talk
[Sway]:
Yeah yeah, that's true, man. We do get at each other
