Get your Yeezy for President gear ready for 2020, y'all. The Video Music Awards gave Mr. West four minutes on stage to do whatever he'd like this year, and predictably, he killed it — without even performing. (And yes, he went over four minutes, but who's counting? It's Kanye!) The rapper took a break from his Saint Pablo Tour to address everything from recent tragic murders in Chicago to his all-time favorite role models (including himself, of course). Oh, and he touched on his Taylor Swift beef ("That's why I called her!" he said after explaining that he loves everyone).
Check out the transcript and full video, below.
"I am Kanye West. And that feels really great to say, especially this year. [When a fan yells out, "I made that bitch famous!" 'Ye flashed his rare but signature grin.] I came here to present my new video. But before I do that, I'ma talk. [The crowd and the entire world erupted into cheers.]
"Now...later tonight, 'Famous' might lose to Beyoncé, but I cant be mad I'm always wishing for Beyoncé to win, so. But for people to understand...just how blessed we are. ['Famous'] was an expression of our now. Our fame, right now. Us, on the inside of the TV. You know just to put...the audacity to put Anna Wintour right next to Donald Trump. I mean like, I put Ray J in there, bruh!
"This is fame, bruh! [Here, Yeezy pauses and points into the audience.] I see you Amber. [Amber, in shades, laughs and shrugs.] My wife is a G, not a lot of people's wives will let them say that. [Cut to a giddy Kim K. laughing and smiling up at her husband.]
"We came over in the same boat, now we all in the same bed. Well, maybe different boats, but uh... But if you think about last week, it was 22 people murdered in Chicago. You know like, people come up to me like maaan, that's right! Tell Taylor this...bro, like. I love all of y'all. That's why I called her! [Here, he cracks another huge grin to the applause of the audience.]
"So I was speaking at the Art Institute last year, and one kid came up to me and he said, 'Three of my friends died and I don't know if I'ma be the next.' And it has to...you have to think like, you know when you're a senior, and its like the last month, and you don't feel like doing any more work? If you feel like you seeing people dying right next to you, you might feel like what's the point? You know like...life could be like, starting to feel worthless in a way.
"I know times for me, I sit down and talk to older like, rich people — a.k.a. white. [More laughs.] And um...they tell me, don't compare yourself to Steve Jobs, don't compare yourself to Walt Disney, and my friend Sakiya told me...it's three keys to keeping people impoverished. That's...taking away their esteem, taking away their resources, and taking away their role models.
"My role models are artists, merchants...it's less than 10 that I can name in history. Truman, Ford, Hughes, Disney, Jobs, West. [Crowd erupts into cheers.] BRUH. BRUH!
"Tonight, we're here to have fun. I'm standing in front of my idol Puff Daddy. I'm standing in front of my wife Kim Kardashian West. I'm standing in front of the future, Chance the Rapper. 2 Chainz...Jaden Smith...bro. We are undeniably the influence, the thought leaders."
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West ended his speech by introducing his Teyana Taylor video for "Fade." But his speech was an epic, mic-drop moment in itself, the kind only Kanye West can deliver. Ah, the life of Pablo.