Kanye West; love him or hate you, you definitely know of him. West is an immensely successful rapper and influential figure in fashion with his YEEZY brand, among other things, that has an impressively successful and long career. Most were likely made aware of him in the earlier days of his career through the success of his music. However, it was not too far into his career that he became equally known for controversy. That is what makes his quotes so iconic, whether you agree with them or not.
Known for his outspoken nature, West has been a polarizing figure, unapologetically expressing his opinions on various topics. Whether through his hit albums, controversial (to say the least) statements, or cultural influence, Kanye West continues to shape and redefine the landscape of contemporary music and fashion.
Here Are Some of the Most Iconic (And Infamous) Kanye Quotes
- “Everybody want to know what I’d do if I didn’t win. I guess we’ll never know.”
- “I refuse to accept other people’s ideas of happiness for me. As if there’s a ‘one size fits all’ standard for happiness.”
- “I’m not comfortable with comfort. I’m only comfortable when I’m in a place where I’m constantly learning and growing.”
- “I’m a human being. I’ve got opinions, I’m not always right, I’m not always on time, I don’t always say things in the proper way, but my intentions are always extremely pure.”
- “If you put your heart into something and you had a grasp of what was really good and you knew you delivered a good product, you have the right to defend your product after people criticize it.”
- “I feel like I’m too busy writing history to read it.”
- “I’m the closest that hip-hop is getting to God. In some situations, I’m like a ghetto Pope.”
- “I liberate minds with my music. That’s more important than liberating a few people from apartheid or whatever.”
- “My greatest pain in life is that I will never be able to see myself perform live.”
- “People always say that you can’t please everybody. I think that’s a cop-out. Why not attempt it? ‘Cause think of all the people you will please if you try.”
- “I love the fact that I’m bad at [things], you know what I’m saying? I’m forever the 35-year-old 5-year-old. I’m forever the 5-year-old of something.”
- “Believe in your flyness…conquer your shyness.”
- “I’m like a vessel, and God has chosen me to be the voice and the connector.”
- “You have to be able to endure the pain of discipline if you want to be successful.”
- “I’m the rap version of Dave Chappelle. I’m not sayin’ I’m nearly as talented as Chappelle when it comes to political and social commentary, but like him, I’m laughing to keep from crying.”
- “I’m not trying to have the best album of the year. I’m trying to have the best album of all time.”
- “I’m on the pursuit of awesomeness. Excellence is the bare minimum.”
- “The most genius thing about the way I create is to create with other geniuses.”
- “I’m going down as a legend, whether or not you like me or not.”
- “I’m not here to apologize, I’m here to celebrate.”
- “People will have a problem with whatever you do. At the end of the day, nobody can determine what you need to do in order to be successful and why would you listen to someone who is not successful tell you what you need to do?”
- “You can’t look at a glass half full or empty if it’s overflowing.”
- “I am not a fan of books. I would never want a book’s autograph.”
- “I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade. I will be the loudest voice.”
- “I’m not a jack of all trades. I’m a master of many.”
- “If you have the opportunity to play this game called life, you have to appreciate every moment. A lot of people don’t appreciate their moment until it’s passed.”
- “I think I do myself a disservice by comparing myself to Steve Jobs and Walt Disney and human beings that we’ve seen before. It should be more like Willy Wonka… and welcome to my chocolate factory.”
