Kanye West on Come Up Show Power 99FM
Kanye West explains how he started rapping before becoming a producer. He says he moved to Newark a couple years ago and was able to connect to Jay-Z by playing him beats at Baseline Studios which allowed him to make it on to his next album, "The Blueprint". He said he funded the Through The Wire video himself since label didn't fund him. In this interview he says on the way to Newark he flipped his truck over which is why on "Through the Wire" he says he used "two lifelines", the other one being his car crash which broke his jaw. He then goes on to talk about how he didn't care to conform to radio and wanted to express his own artistic vision, and he also says that he strives to continually grow.
Summary
Overview of 2003 Kanye West Interview on "The Come-Up Show"
During the interview, Kanye West discussed his growing solo rap career, recent major events in his life, and his views on music. Joined by his artist GLC from Chicago, West talked about moving from being a highly praised producer to trying to make it as a rapper himself. He spoke about his Chicago origins and his connection to Roc-A-Fella. He pointed out recent achievements, like his music video for "Through The Wire" getting played on BET, and his work producing songs for artists such as Twista, Carl Thomas, Dilated Peoples, Alicia Keys, and Ludacris ("Stand Up").
The Car Accident and "Through The Wire"
A major topic was a serious car accident West had recently been in, which almost killed him. The crash left him with a jaw broken in three places, needing it to be wired shut. He explained that he paid for the music video for his song "Through The Wire" himself so he could truthfully show this experience, even including pictures of his injuries. He wanted to set it apart from the usual themes seen in music videos. West talked openly about recovering from the accident, mentioning ongoing dental problems because of it, like a cap on his tooth coming loose during the interview. The song and video were presented as key parts of launching his solo career, meant to show how serious the accident was and make his personal story unique. He also mentioned that while "Through The Wire" was getting attention, his official first single was going to be "Jesus Walks." He was holding it back temporarily so people wouldn't just think of him as a religious rapper.
Rapping Roots and Production Success
When asked about his background, West confirmed that he started rapping back in the third grade, long before becoming famous as a producer. He recognized that many producers who start rapping later are sometimes seen as less skilled, mentioning Timberland and Pharrell Williams as examples. However, West saw himself differently because he had been rapping for so long. The interview referred to clips in the "Through The Wire" video showing him freestyling in 1990s as proof of his long commitment to rapping. West said he welcomed the doubt about his rapping skills as a challenge. He compared this to producing, where he felt less challenged making highly praised beats for artists like Jay-Z (on The Blueprint), Beanie Sigel (on The Truth), Trina ("B R Right"), and Talib Kweli ("Get By"). He also pointed out his range by mentioning these different styles beyond the well-known "Blueprint sound."
Creative Performance and Early Struggles
During the show, West performed two freestyle raps, showing his lyrical skill and talking about themes like getting through hardship, money, relationships, and music industry issues. He shared stories from his past, including a rap battle against fellow Chicago rapper Common on the radio back in 1996. West admitted Common's rapping style was better then, but felt he had won because his lines were funnier. West also described major struggles he faced before becoming successful. These included getting evicted from his apartment because too many aspiring artists were visiting him, packing up his things in a U-Haul with his mother, moving to Newark, New Jersey, and later flipping the U-Haul truck in another accident – something he referred to in "Through The Wire" ("How you use two lifelines?"). He recalled living near a drug recovery center and carrying tapes of his beats in his coat pockets to studio sessions, showing his determination before his big break working on Jay-Z's The Blueprint about two and a half years earlier.
Future Plans and Artistic Beliefs
Looking to the future, West discussed his goals beyond just rapping and producing. He mentioned directing music videos, including his own and one for Twista's next single. He also talked about developing artists for a possible record label he might start, naming GLC, singer John Legend, and Consequence (who used to be with A Tribe Called Quest). He spoke about working with Common and poet Malik Yusef on a song that was getting played a lot on the radio in Chicago (WGCI). Speaking about his upcoming first album, The College Dropout (which was planned for October 2003 at the time), West stressed his dedication to staying true to his art over just making money. He described the album as having "straight underground hip-hop" similar to A Tribe Called Quest, often without typical song parts like hi-hats. He said he cared more about real expression than following rules for radio play set by big companies like Clear Channel. West stated that having his own money from producing gave him the freedom to make his solo music without changing his vision, aiming it at real hip-hop fans instead of chasing quick chart success based on unpredictable first-week sales numbers.
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Event Date: August 15, 2003