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Kanye West has plenty of rage, but he isn't a true black leader yet Kanye West has plenty of rage, but he isn't a true black leader yet
(4 months later)
Music on Kanye West's forthcoming album, Yeezus, and recent statements in a riveting New York Times interview suggest West's arrogance and success have not brought him happiness.Music on Kanye West's forthcoming album, Yeezus, and recent statements in a riveting New York Times interview suggest West's arrogance and success have not brought him happiness.
West proclaims there are no limits to what he can do, because he "understands culture," and "has the answers". But his scathing lyrics about race and the entertainment industry suggest deep frustration and significant barriers to realizing his aspirations. If West is to achieve the changes he longs for, it's obvious that he has to expand his engagement of racial politics and strive to be more than a trendsetter.West proclaims there are no limits to what he can do, because he "understands culture," and "has the answers". But his scathing lyrics about race and the entertainment industry suggest deep frustration and significant barriers to realizing his aspirations. If West is to achieve the changes he longs for, it's obvious that he has to expand his engagement of racial politics and strive to be more than a trendsetter.
His career has been continually chafed by the culture industry. His early recordings address his struggle to be taken seriously by record executives, first as a hip-hop producer and later as a rapper. Getting his big break did not remove the chip from West's shoulder; he complained when denied the Best New Artist award on stage at the 2004 American Music Awards, and later when his performance on the 2007 Video Music Awards was confined to a hotel suite rather than the main stage.His career has been continually chafed by the culture industry. His early recordings address his struggle to be taken seriously by record executives, first as a hip-hop producer and later as a rapper. Getting his big break did not remove the chip from West's shoulder; he complained when denied the Best New Artist award on stage at the 2004 American Music Awards, and later when his performance on the 2007 Video Music Awards was confined to a hotel suite rather than the main stage.
What makes West so intriguing is that he speaks out not solely for his own sake, but on behalf of all artists he deems worthy. In 2009, he unforgettably informed Taylor Swift that her 2009 MTV Best Female Video award should have gone to Beyonce, and in the New York Times piece, he names Gnarls Barkley and Justin Timberlake (of all people) as performers similarly wronged by the establishment. West explains that his cause is just, because if genius and creativity are not appropriately rewarded, artists will not push themselves and sacrifice to be great musicians. He bristles at the idea that businessmen would dare tell him how to behave, and cannot understand why "I've never been allowed to be in a continually creative structured place that makes product."What makes West so intriguing is that he speaks out not solely for his own sake, but on behalf of all artists he deems worthy. In 2009, he unforgettably informed Taylor Swift that her 2009 MTV Best Female Video award should have gone to Beyonce, and in the New York Times piece, he names Gnarls Barkley and Justin Timberlake (of all people) as performers similarly wronged by the establishment. West explains that his cause is just, because if genius and creativity are not appropriately rewarded, artists will not push themselves and sacrifice to be great musicians. He bristles at the idea that businessmen would dare tell him how to behave, and cannot understand why "I've never been allowed to be in a continually creative structured place that makes product."
This is the nature of the business. Entertainment companies control and commoditize their talent, and as long as he works for one, West is subject to the motives of profit-driven executives. Sales matter, and his bosses' beliefs about who consumers are and what they want lead to marketing efforts designed to please wide audiences, often at the expense of the artists' wishes.This is the nature of the business. Entertainment companies control and commoditize their talent, and as long as he works for one, West is subject to the motives of profit-driven executives. Sales matter, and his bosses' beliefs about who consumers are and what they want lead to marketing efforts designed to please wide audiences, often at the expense of the artists' wishes.
Since the 1990s, this has been a particularly fraught issue for black American hip-hop performers who are marketed and sold to a largely white consumer base. West is angry not simply because his creativity is constricted, but because he sees executives' efforts to reign him in through a racial lens. In his song "Black Skinheads", West foregrounds white fascination with black virtuosity and danger, firing back at critics who demonize him for his representations of religion and interracial sex. He connects his love/hate relationship with white America to the plight of basketball star LeBron James, who was vilified by rabid fans after a poorly crafted announcement that he was leaving his team in Cleveland to play in Miami. Fighting back requires black entertainers to stop all that "coon shit", stop playing by the industry's rules, and "burn down the theater", he says.

As a massively successful entertainer, West launches these critiques from a position of privilege. He returns to the perils of good fortune in his song "New Slaves", rapping about stereotypes of wealthy blacks as mindless suckers who can always be duped into buying frivolous luxury goods. But what makes West's critique so compelling are the connections he draws between different permutations of racism. "New Slaves" compares luxury companies' orientation toward wealthy black consumers with the criminalization of poor blacks, who are often treated as shoplifters rather than customers. West returns to the criminalization of black bodies later on the track, criticizing the partnership of law enforcement agencies with private prison companies. Criminalization of black bodies by both the state and the culture industry is carried out in the name of control and profit.		Since the 1990s, this has been a particularly fraught issue for black American hip-hop performers who are marketed and sold to a largely white consumer base. West is angry not simply because his creativity is constricted, but because he sees executives' efforts to reign him in through a racial lens. In his song "Black Skinheads", West foregrounds white fascination with black virtuosity and danger, firing back at critics who demonize him for his representations of religion and interracial sex. He connects his love/hate relationship with white America to the plight of basketball star LeBron James, who was vilified by rabid fans after a poorly crafted announcement that he was leaving his team in Cleveland to play in Miami. Fighting back requires black entertainers to stop all that "coon shit", stop playing by the industry's rules, and "burn down the theater", he says.

As a massively successful entertainer, West launches these critiques from a position of privilege. He returns to the perils of good fortune in his song "New Slaves", rapping about stereotypes of wealthy blacks as mindless suckers who can always be duped into buying frivolous luxury goods. But what makes West's critique so compelling are the connections he draws between different permutations of racism. "New Slaves" compares luxury companies' orientation toward wealthy black consumers with the criminalization of poor blacks, who are often treated as shoplifters rather than customers. West returns to the criminalization of black bodies later on the track, criticizing the partnership of law enforcement agencies with private prison companies. Criminalization of black bodies by both the state and the culture industry is carried out in the name of control and profit.
The music on the album Yeezus is captivating and ominous, and West's delivery is angry, defiant, and purposefully uneven. West's response to insult and mistreatment often takes the form of nihilism, escape, and revenge fantasy, including fleeing the country to avoid surveillance and sleeping with executives' wives on "New Slaves". No doubt, his anger about both real and perceived injustice is the fuel for much of his work, and given the quality of his music, it is silly to suggest he tone down his act. But there are opportunities for West to channel his rage in different ways, and more comprehensively attack the forces that vex him.The music on the album Yeezus is captivating and ominous, and West's delivery is angry, defiant, and purposefully uneven. West's response to insult and mistreatment often takes the form of nihilism, escape, and revenge fantasy, including fleeing the country to avoid surveillance and sleeping with executives' wives on "New Slaves". No doubt, his anger about both real and perceived injustice is the fuel for much of his work, and given the quality of his music, it is silly to suggest he tone down his act. But there are opportunities for West to channel his rage in different ways, and more comprehensively attack the forces that vex him.
Speaking out is an important first step, especially in a political climate so hostile to naming and addressing racism. West has this part of the mission down pat, as evidenced by his music and now famous analysis during a live telethon for Hurricane Katrina victims, where he announced, unprompted, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." But West is yet to mesh these outbursts with substantive political action for social justice, and he often seems oblivious to conditions on the ground.Speaking out is an important first step, especially in a political climate so hostile to naming and addressing racism. West has this part of the mission down pat, as evidenced by his music and now famous analysis during a live telethon for Hurricane Katrina victims, where he announced, unprompted, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." But West is yet to mesh these outbursts with substantive political action for social justice, and he often seems oblivious to conditions on the ground.
His joint album with Jay-Z, Watch The Throne, released in the midst of the financial collapse and the exacerbation of the racial wealth gap, was in many ways a tribute to luxury and opulence. Around the same time, West visited protestors at Occupy Wall Street wearing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry. He seems committed to dabbling in the high-end fashion business despite mixed reviews of his clothing line, while his philanthropic efforts have stalled. The charity West began to combat illiteracy and high school dropout rates closed without explanation in 2011, and there is little indication that West made significant financial investments in the organization.

Instead of merely disrupting the status quo, West should follow through with the action his criticism calls for. Rap mogul Russell Simmons has provided one such model, founding the Hip-Hop Action Summit and joining a prolonged crusade against the unjust Rockefeller Drug Laws in New York. West certainly has the cache to create a similar platform that combats mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline, two key mechanisms at the heart of modern black oppression. If he is uninterested in spearheading political activism to address racism, West could certainly increase his presence in already existent campaigns. Rapper and collaborator Common became a major player in a recent campaign for HIV/AIDS awareness and testing, and for better or worse, Jay-Z and Beyonce were the pop-cultural faces of President Obama's 2012 reelection bid, raising money and appearing at rallies.		His joint album with Jay-Z, Watch The Throne, released in the midst of the financial collapse and the exacerbation of the racial wealth gap, was in many ways a tribute to luxury and opulence. Around the same time, West visited protestors at Occupy Wall Street wearing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry. He seems committed to dabbling in the high-end fashion business despite mixed reviews of his clothing line, while his philanthropic efforts have stalled. The charity West began to combat illiteracy and high school dropout rates closed without explanation in 2011, and there is little indication that West made significant financial investments in the organization.

Instead of merely disrupting the status quo, West should follow through with the action his criticism calls for. Rap mogul Russell Simmons has provided one such model, founding the Hip-Hop Action Summit and joining a prolonged crusade against the unjust Rockefeller Drug Laws in New York. West certainly has the cache to create a similar platform that combats mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline, two key mechanisms at the heart of modern black oppression. If he is uninterested in spearheading political activism to address racism, West could certainly increase his presence in already existent campaigns. Rapper and collaborator Common became a major player in a recent campaign for HIV/AIDS awareness and testing, and for better or worse, Jay-Z and Beyonce were the pop-cultural faces of President Obama's 2012 reelection bid, raising money and appearing at rallies.
But perhaps the rapper that Kanye could learn the most from is Chuck D, the front man of legendary group Public Enemy. Though he still produces music, Chuck D has reinvented himself as a social commentator whose driving message is perfectly aligned with West's discontent: the entertainment culture industry exploits black artists and preys on black consumers, spinning a cycle of stereotypes and racial debasement. Chuck advocates for accountability among hip-hop artists and consumers, and supports independent music distribution as a means to strengthen artists' independence and weaken major record labels' influence.But perhaps the rapper that Kanye could learn the most from is Chuck D, the front man of legendary group Public Enemy. Though he still produces music, Chuck D has reinvented himself as a social commentator whose driving message is perfectly aligned with West's discontent: the entertainment culture industry exploits black artists and preys on black consumers, spinning a cycle of stereotypes and racial debasement. Chuck advocates for accountability among hip-hop artists and consumers, and supports independent music distribution as a means to strengthen artists' independence and weaken major record labels' influence.
West believes he will vanquish his enemies and rise to "be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars", and only a fool would bet against him. But Chuck D and others might rightfully ask, "To what end?"West believes he will vanquish his enemies and rise to "be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars", and only a fool would bet against him. But Chuck D and others might rightfully ask, "To what end?"
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