Kanye West: I'm The 'Voice Of This Generation'

LONDON — Kanye West is to music what Michael Jordan was to basketball _ at least that's what West thinks, in his humble estimation.

"I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice," he said in an interview on Wednesday. "It's me settling into that position of just really accepting that it's one thing to say you want to do it and it's another thing to really end up being like Michael Jordan."

The Grammy-winning rapper-producer said Justin Timberlake had a chance to be music's MVP, but hasn't put out enough material. (Timberlake's last album was in 2006, while West released a CD last year and is releasing his latest _ "808s and Heartbreak" _ on Nov. 24.)

"There were people who had the potential to do it but they went on vacation, so when Justin went on vacation I made albums," he said. "And it just came out to be that."

West, 31, said life has been difficult since his mother's death. Donda West died last November after having plastic surgery.

"I'm just going through balancing that. And I always used to have that support system, you know. My mom would be there; no matter what, she was there before everything," he said. "We were together for like 30 years. And you know now when I'm on that stage and I look out and I say, 'What am I going to do with the rest of my life?' Like when does a real life start?' Because I have sacrificed real life to be a celebrity and to give this art to people, which is great. It is great that I was able to do that, I'm not trying to shun that in any way, but it's definitely a Catch-22 and it's bittersweet."

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On the Net:

http://www.kanyewest.com

Comments

[walk0nwalls]

Not all things from Second City are good.

[Eric8869]

You're Dr. Suess with a drum beat and a neon outfit. nothing more and nothing less

[vandegrasse]

Who is this person now?

[OttoMann]

Who now?

He might be right about one thing, when he says, "I will be the loudest voice." OK, I can give him that.

[haramagoti]

Not with words like that you're not.

[jukesgrrl]

And the voice comes out of a really, really, really big head.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

Well, he went to the same school of grammar as miss palin. They both construct the same kind of run-on sentence lacking syntax and, well, SENSE.

[CitizenKane16]

So true. My dislike for Kanye started when I first saw him on "Punked" and boy, did that title fit him. He showed himself to be a cowardly, disgraceful loser and he hasn't done anything to reverse that impression since.

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

so modest....

[sandpiper1]

Pompous, arrogant twit. I do have one of his CDs though, probably one of his first. I much prefer Usher...I think he's soooo cool and I am 58.

[hypnotoad72]

The Millennials, right? I don't want him around Gen-X... or Madonna, though she's a baby boomer though I know far more boomers that would not want her to be identified as being part of the same generation either...

[skunky93]

i think his comment was over the top but I did feel a wave of sorrow for him. Particularly with his comment about losing his mom and looking out to his future and wondering what he'll do for the rest of his life....God, I'd hate to feel like that. Money does not always equal happiness. I'd rather be broke and have my family close than to be lonely at the top with money and no one to trust and love.
I don't know... I think his mom made him feel like a superstar and now he doesn't have her so he has to say it to himself. It's kind of sad to me.

[vandegrasse]

Okay. But I don't know if Mom would be proud of his arrogance!

[HoooBoy]

A legend in his own mind. What a jerk.

[Chaucea]

LOL, what a twit!

[CzechItOut]

Wow. Who knew the voice of our generation would be in auto tune?

[uheardme]

Arrogant and untalented @zz

[boycottrightwingthings]

I like a couple of Kayne West songs, but he is not THE voice of a generation, but one of many. Obama is the voice of my generation (YAY!) and John Mayer with his song Waiting for a change to come..... much more than the voice, John Mayer predicted the change our genration would do with electing one of our members for President. Kayne, get some humility please, when you need to say that you are the voice of a generation, you are definitely not. Bragging turns no one on. There are a few candidates ahead of you, and some of them are even female like Alisha Keyes, Pink....need I say more??

[vandegrasse]

I think he just may be the voice of his own degeneration.