Kanye West has never been an under-the-radar kind of guy. Ever since he first pursued a career in the music industry, the rapper has lived his life out loud, not shying away from voicing his opinion, touting his greatness or speaking out against perceived slights. So, while fans maintain that Kanye’s just being Kanye, some people think Kanye’s just being arrogant.
It’s a criticism that Kanye addressed directly 11 years ago on an episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” when Oprah confronted the then-28-year-old superstar about his reputation.
“Before I met you ... I had heard that you were really arrogant and really full of yourself and really, like, out of control,” she said to him.
“That’s not what it is. I fight for what I think is the best at the time,” he replied. “The year before the Grammys, 50 Cent didn’t win any Grammys. I went on TV the next day and I said, ‘You all robbed 50 Cent of his Grammy.’ He was the most important thing; he was the soundtrack to our life in 2003. Now, when it was my turn, I was just being an advocate for what was the best out there, which just so happened to be me.”
He certainly wasn’t the first star to refer to his own greatness, he pointed out. “Whatever happened to the Muhammad Alis?” he asked.
This attitude, Kanye continued, doesn’t come from a bad place. In fact, he suggested, it comes from a foundation of gratitude.
“I feel like I’m disrespecting the amount of blessings that God has given me to not scream it out loud and testify every single day about how happy [I am with] the situation I’m in,” he said.
Ultimately, Kanye pointed out that he’s just enjoying his life and doesn’t plan on changing anytime soon.
“It’s fun, it’s entertainment,” he said. “Life is in color and I plan to be bright red.”
Another Kanye throwback:
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