in a past lifetime maybe I would
have been a playwright or something
but in this lifetime, to be the most
pertinent and the most relevant is to
be a rap-rock-star.”
—Kanye West on Power 105’s The
Breakfast Club
Ironically, I pulled this quote from
Perez Hilton’s shallow mess of
predatory celebrity journalism (sadly,
another form of Pop-Art,
albeit tasteless and petty)
that is his website. To call
this comment outrageous
or ignorant, as the headline
entails, “Kanye West Makes
ANOTHER Comparison
of himself to Walt Disney!
Quote of the Day!” is a
mockery of the spirit in
which Kanye said it. With
all due respect to Perez, I
believe this quote requires
a more critical analysis
than he cares to offer (big
surprise). It may be hard to
swallow but “rap-rock-stars”
are America’s main export.
No one generates more
money and media attention
consistently via consumption of
culture than the rap-rock-star. Even
the President of the United States
is presented as this strange hybrid
between politician and Rap/Rock
Star. Coincidentally, Kanye is the only
current music artist that has garnered
repeated praise from rock‘n’roll art
god and Warhol collaborator, the
late, great Lou Reed (as mentioned
above). Kanye has said, “Rap is the
new rock ‘n’ roll. We are the real
rock stars and I’m the biggest of all
of them. I’m the number one rock
star on the planet” (Kanye on BBC’s
Radio 1).
Kanye’s usage of Disney or Steve
Jobs in interviews is a provocative
pop-culture analogy in order to
align him with characters that are
substantial contributors to mass
cultural innovations. Much like
Warhol depicting Marilyn Monroe,
Campbell’s Soup, or Mao. Images
that everyone knows that can be
used in a new pastiche to make new
affirmations or criticisms of culture.
While Kanye plays it coy with the
Breakfast Club’s Charlemagne tha
God, calling himself Disney, Jobs,
Warhol, and the like; he annunciates
his affinity for his heroes much more
humbly, articulately and perhaps
accurately in his discussion with
friend and collaborator Bret Easton
Ellis (Less than Zero, American
Psycho, Rules of Attraction) when he
says:
“I just want to explain to
people out there that are
listening who, maybe,
have some perception or,
maybe, heard some brash
comments I’ve made, like,
doing like Disney or Steve
Jobs comparisons, and,
you know, I have the right
to do that, I have the right
to say that, and its fun for
me, you know, to set your
goals that high.” —Kanye
on Bret Easton Ellis’
Podcast
It’s no coincidence that Kanye uses
Kim Kardashian, the reality-TV star
of “leaked” sex tape fame in his
video for “Bound 2”. Even Kanye’s
relationship reeks of performance
Pop-Art; a camera worthy couple
capable of tabloid and gossip column
takeovers; two “beauties” as Warhol
would say. The glamour would be all
for not if it wasn’t for West’s ability to
walk the walk with groundbreaking
albums and popular products with
Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Louis Vuitton
and BAPE.
In short, an effective Pop
Artist such as Warhol
or West utilize what is
most popular given their
cultural context in order to reach the
most ears, win the most hearts, garner
the most haters. To get attention! In
our day and age it seems that the rap/
rockstar accomplishes the level of
celebrity that Andy Warhol achieved
as a Pop-Artist, a commercial success,
a celebrity, an invaluable brand. Art is
the ability to hold people’s attention,
to provoke thought or emotion; this
gives the artist a lucrative position as
cool, modern, symbolic of the times.
In short, anyone that can, as Kanye
puts it in Yeezus’ “I’m In It” track,
“Pop a wheelie on the Zeitgeist,” or in
other words, stunt or perform with
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