Here's the full interview of Kanye West, which will be featured in January's issue of "Spin" magazine. He has a little black obssession don't you think? I mean be proud of who you are, but there's no shame in being white, and why categorize what you do as in black or white, what's the point?
Kanmade a conscious effort to shape Graduation for the next level of mainstream success? :
A conscious effort to take it to the next level in every form of success. More black people bought this album than any I’ve made.
Does that make sense to you? :
Uh-huh. Because I made the album blacker.
You think Graduation is blacker than The College Dropout?
Way blacker. “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” — how hood is that record?:
“Good Life” is straight Steve Harvey, all day long. “Flashing Lights”? I never had a record that was that black. But it’s white at the same time. Certain things are so good it doesn’t have to be white or black. That’s what Graduation is. Take “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” It’s a white sample, but everything I do to it is to make it as black as possible. So I’ma make the bass as black as possible; I’ma make the lyrics as intense as possible.
Are these choices strictly artistic, or are you thinking as a marketer, too? :
Can you separate those roles?:
I can’t. I’m a pop enigma. I live and breathe every element in life. I rock a bespoke suit and I go to Harold’s for fried chicken. It’s all these things at once, because, as a tastemaker, I find the best of everything. There’s certain things that black people are the best at and certain things that white people are the best at. Whatever we as black people are the best at, I’ma go get that. Like, on Christmas I don’t want any food that tastes white. And when I go to purchase a house, I don’t want my credit to look black. [Laughs]
And what foods would fall into that category? White-people food?:
You know what it is. You never ate fried chicken and said, “This tastes white.” It’s America. People know the stereotypes. I play to the stereotypes. I believe in the stereotypes. And I submit to them. [Affects a black, Southern accent] “Man, black people sure can cook some chicken! And I’ma get some black chicken.”
Kanmade a conscious effort to shape Graduation for the next level of mainstream success? :
A conscious effort to take it to the next level in every form of success. More black people bought this album than any I’ve made.
Does that make sense to you? :
Uh-huh. Because I made the album blacker.
You think Graduation is blacker than The College Dropout?
Way blacker. “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” — how hood is that record?:
“Good Life” is straight Steve Harvey, all day long. “Flashing Lights”? I never had a record that was that black. But it’s white at the same time. Certain things are so good it doesn’t have to be white or black. That’s what Graduation is. Take “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” It’s a white sample, but everything I do to it is to make it as black as possible. So I’ma make the bass as black as possible; I’ma make the lyrics as intense as possible.
Are these choices strictly artistic, or are you thinking as a marketer, too? :
Can you separate those roles?:
I can’t. I’m a pop enigma. I live and breathe every element in life. I rock a bespoke suit and I go to Harold’s for fried chicken. It’s all these things at once, because, as a tastemaker, I find the best of everything. There’s certain things that black people are the best at and certain things that white people are the best at. Whatever we as black people are the best at, I’ma go get that. Like, on Christmas I don’t want any food that tastes white. And when I go to purchase a house, I don’t want my credit to look black. [Laughs]
And what foods would fall into that category? White-people food?:
You know what it is. You never ate fried chicken and said, “This tastes white.” It’s America. People know the stereotypes. I play to the stereotypes. I believe in the stereotypes. And I submit to them. [Affects a black, Southern accent] “Man, black people sure can cook some chicken! And I’ma get some black chicken.”
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