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Kanye West Makes New Year's Resolution Not To Be So Kanye West-y
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 28, 2013
Modified Dec 28, 2013
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 28, 2013
Modified Dec 28, 2013
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Kanye West has had a hell of a year being very Kanye West-y: he released the best album of the year (also his angriest album), he fought photographers and Jimmy Kimmel, he inspired the best music video of the year, he grossed over $25 million on tour, he got engaged to Kim Kardashian and had a baby, and he generally was America's most beloved megalomaniac. But during the final Yeezus tour stop in Toronto this week, he revealed a shocking new year's resolution: to be less Kanye West-y in 2014. Savor the 27 minute rant below, because it may be his last for awhile.
"Everything I'm saying that's not allowed, soak it in right now. This might be the last time y'all hear me talk s--t for a long time," West said during the now-ritual "Runaway" rant section of the show. "Might be another, like, six months. At least. You're just gonna have to run back the interviews and s--t if you wanna hear some realness...I'm gonna tell y'all right now: All of the ideas, the things they call rants...save those tapes and everything, because I've decided to completely focus everything in 2014 on all the new ideas, all the creative outlets."
Do we really want to live in a world where Kanye West isn't encouraged to be as Kanye West as he wants to be? As we noted when we saw West at Barclays Center last month, that's how we want him: complaining that nobody believes in him while also basking in the glory of knowing everyone at his shows loves him. Talking about how much he hates being pigeon-holed, while over-sharing in exactly the way we expect.
Who knows if the vow of silence will last, but we don't really see any need for him to change: whether you think he speaks truth to power or he's an incoherent scatterbrain, he is the greatest rapper alive. As long as he keeps making music as powerful, fearless and muscular as Yeezus, he can rail all he wants about his trendsetting abilities.
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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