In the week leading up to the premiere of his new talk show, Seth Meyers admitted that it was the thought of interviewing celebrities on a nightly basis that was causing him the most anxiety. You wouldn't have known it last night though, as the new host appeared at ease talking to the most intimidating interview subject of all, Kanye West.
West spent most of 2013 giving the most insane and erratic interviews we've ever seen. Often, he'd lose himself in meandering rants about art, commerce, celebrity, and his beef with the fashion world. In one particular instance, West sat down with Jimmy Kimmel and spoke for roughly eight minutes straight, while Kimmel could only look on, dumbfounded.
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So, how would a newbie like Meyers fare, where his more seasoned counterparts failed? Pretty darn well, actually. He decided to approach the interview as a fan, and spoke intelligently about West's music catalog and his live performances, which seemed to put the performer at ease. Meyers also took the ingenious approach of basing the second segment around West's underestimated sense of humor, by playing an old SNL clip of the rapper spoofing his infamous award-show rants. From that point on, West was all smiles, because according to the rapper, "You laugh to keep from crying. Life is like...life is life. There are ups and downs, and they will give an eight-year-old the Best Pumpkin at any given time and you just have to be prepared for these type of things."
After the interview, West performed a rousing greatest hits medley, reminding us all that no matter what we think of his interview skills, no one puts on a show quite like Yeezus. Check out the interview, and the performance below. (Entertainment Weekly)