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Kanye West defends his controversial Taylor Swift video at the VMAs: 'This is fame, bro'
MTV
MTV gave Kanye West four minutes on Sunday night's Video Music Awards to do whatever he wanted, and he did not disappoint.
"I came here to present my new video," West said as he came on the stage, "but before that I'm going to talk."
Then he went into his usual Kanye West self-serving tangent, which could go down as an all-time great VMAs moment. There was clearly no filter on what he was saying.
He talked about his controversial music video "Famous," which features his lying in bed naked with other famous people, like his wife, Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, and Bill Cosby.
"It was an expression of how we are, that audacity to put Anna Wintour next to Donald Trump," West said. "I put Ray J in there, bro. But this is fame, bro."
He added of "Famous," which led to a public he-said, she-said about whether he got Swift's blessing to use a lyric about her in the song: "Bro, I love all of y'all. That's why I called her."
West also talked about violence in America.
"I was speaking at the Art Institute last year and one kid came up to me and he said, 'Three of my friends died and I don't know if I'm going to be the next,'" said West. "And you have to think, you know, when you're a senior and you don't feel like doing any work, if you feel you seeing people dying right next to you, you might feel like what's the point? Life could start to feel worthless."
MTVWest also touched on the negativity he got from people after comparing himself to Steve Jobs in a New York Times interview.
"I sit down and talk to older, rich people — aka white — and they tell me don't compare yourself to Steve Jobs, don't compare yourself to Walt Disney, and my friend Shikia told me there are three ways to keep people impoverished: take away their self-esteem, take away their resources, and take away their role models."
West went on to say that he looked up to artists and merchants and that there were fewer than 10 in history who are his equals: Harry Truman, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, Walt Disney, and Steve Jobs.
Here's a transcript of West's entire speech on the VMA stage:
"I am Kanye West. And that feels really great to say, especially this year.
"I came here to present my new video, but before I do that I'm going to talk.
"Now, later tonight 'Famous' might lose to Beyoncé, but I can't be mad — I'm always wishing for Beyonce to win, so.
"But for people to understand just how blessed we are, it was an expression of our now, our fame right now, us inside the TV. Just the audacity to put Anna Wintour next to Donald Trump, I mean I put Ray J in there, bro. This is fame, bro!
"I see you Amber.
"My wife is a G now that allows me to say that. We came over in the same boat and now we're in the same bed. Well, maybe different boats, but.
"But if you think about, it was 22 people last week murdered in Chicago. People come up to me like, 'Man, that's right!' Taylor this and Taylor that. Bro, I love all of y'all. That's why I called her. [Laughs]
"So, I was speaking at the Art Institute last year and one kid came up to me and he said, 'Three of my friends died and I don't know if I'm going to be the next.' And you have to think, you know, when you're a senior and you don't feel like doing any work, if you feel you seeing people dying right next to you, you might feel like what's the point? Life could start to feel worthless. I know times for me, I sit down and talk to older, rich people — aka white — and they tell me don't compare yourself to Steve Jobs, don't compare yourself to Walt Disney —
[Tells someone in the audience to quiet down]
"My friend Shikia told me there are three ways to keep people impoverished. Taking away their esteem, taking away their resources, and taking away their role models. My role models are artist, merchants. Less than 10 I can name in history.
"Truman, Ford, Hughes, Disney, Jobs, West.
"Brooo! Tonight we are here to have fun. I'm standing in front of my idol Puff Daddy. I'm standing in front of my wife Kim Kardashian West, I'm standing in front of the future Chance the Rapper, 2 Chainz, bro, we are undeniably the influence, the thought leaders. I'm going to play you a piece of my art, and I just hope ya have a good time."
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