Kanye West's musical journey began in third grade with influences from Run DMC, LL Cool J, Eazy-E, and the Beastie Boys, before receiving a Yamaha keyboard in seventh grade and acquiring an Amiga computer at age 14 for beat-making. His career advanced when his mother introduced him to producer No I.D., who exposed West to professional equipment like the SP-1200 sampler and techniques such as speeding up soul samples—which would become his signature sound. After relocating from Chicago to New York following multiple setbacks including an automobile accident, West achieved his breakthrough at Baseline Studios during Memphis Bleek's birthday celebration, where he impressed Jay-Z with soul-sampling beats that appeared on "The Blueprint" (2001). While initially classified as a producer despite his aspirations as a rapper, West secured a recording contract with Roc-A-Fella Records after Dame Dash recognized his potential through collaborations with artists including Mos Def and Freeway. His debut album "The College Dropout" (2004) featured collaborations with Scarface, Ludacris, Twista, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli, reflecting West's commitment to artistic integrity and his vision to "bridge the gap" in hip-hop by expanding its thematic range beyond conventional subject matter.
Kanye West revealed in this MTV interview that his musical journey began in third grade when he started listening to influential artists including Run DMC, LL Cool J, Eazy-E, and the Beastie Boys. His creative development accelerated in seventh grade after receiving a Yamaha keyboard, though his mother wanted him to learn proper musical theory first.
"I've been rapping since 3rd grade. I used to listen to Run DMC, LL and be equipment sneaking and listen to the rap with the bad words and Eazy-E and Beastie Boys and all that," West explained, establishing his early connection to hip-hop culture.
West's production capabilities expanded when he acquired an Amiga computer at approximately age 14, originally intended for graphic design to create video games. Instead, he gravitated toward sound programs, developing a passion for beat-making. During this formative period, West visited Chuck Levin's music store in Maryland where he first learned about sampling techniques, though the $2,000 price tag for professional samplers remained prohibitively expensive for a teenager receiving "$20 a week" in allowance.
As an alternative, West used an 8-bit computer sampler to begin experimenting with sampling, particularly James Brown records, and creating beats for local house parties. "So I'm playing at 2/3, like man, I want to get this beat down," West recalled of his early production enthusiasm.
His mother introduced him to No I.D. (originally referred to in the interview as "Mid Slope"), a producer who worked with Common (then known as Common Sense). This connection provided West access to professional equipment like the SP-1200 sampler and exposed him to industry-standard production techniques.
"So I was over there playing my beats. I had the fast beats like what I was telling you before. Common came in, like, 'These nice beats. Why are they so fast?'" West recounted. Under No I.D.'s informal mentorship, he learned the method of speeding up soul samples to save sampling time—a technique that would later become his signature sound and revolutionize hip-hop production.
West demonstrated remarkable persistence in pursuing his musical ambitions, even when established producers tried to avoid his relentless outreach. "I used to be sweating—I mean, buggin'—I'm trying to word myself with the least amount of profanity as possible—bugging them to death. And he changed his numbers about 100 times, but I always figured out how to get him. I'd be knocking on his window while he's with his girl."
While developing his production skills, West simultaneously pursued opportunities as a performer, though he admits he was often considered the weaker rapper in groups. "I was always the weakest rapper out of the people in the group, you know what I'm saying? It'll always be like somebody who really had it, but they just didn't have a passion for it. But I had the drive."
After experiencing multiple setbacks in Chicago—including losing artists he was producing and being evicted from his apartment—West interpreted these challenges as divine guidance to relocate. "At that point, if I weren't ready to leave by then—so I really thank God. That's another one of those situations. But I knew that it was a sign... God don't want me to be here no more."
Following a car accident where his "expedition had flipped over three times," West moved to New York, taking residence in Newark, New Jersey while commuting to Manhattan's recording studios. "I had a car, so I used to just take the New Jersey Transit. And I pack up all my stuff, pack up all my discs, and put them in a bag and just walk over here to Baseline," he explained, referring to Roc-A-Fella Records' primary recording facility.
West's career-defining moment occurred at Baseline Studios during Memphis Bleek's birthday celebration, where he played a selection of soul-sampling beats for Jay-Z. West vividly recounts the moment: "So I played it, and Jay came on, turned. He was just like, 'Oh, this crazy right here.' Then they got to the chorus, and the chorus is like, 'Ain't no love in the heart of the city.' He's like, 'Oh, doing this like that.'"
Additional beats including one that would become "Never Change" further impressed Jay-Z, who instructed West to "Put them joints on CD." These productions appeared on "The Blueprint", Jay-Z's acclaimed 2001 album, establishing West as a premier producer in the industry.
Following his breakthrough with "The Blueprint," West's professional network expanded significantly. He details fortuitous meetings with artists like Mos Def through mutual connections. "So dude walks through the door, and it's Mos Def. I'm like, 'Oh!'" This initial encounter, though not immediately fruitful for West as a rapper, eventually led to producing multiple tracks for the respected artist.
Similar circumstances connected West with Talib Kweli: "He's like, 'Yo man, what's up, dude? You Kanye West?' I was like, 'Yeah.' He's like, 'He ain't—could you play me some beats?'" These relationships with conscious hip-hop artists broadened West's creative range beyond commercial rap and would later influence his approach as a performer.
West emphasizes how these opportunities seemed divinely orchestrated rather than strategically planned. "God was just walking me. God kicked me in the ass to get out of the Chi. He put me in situations where it wasn't like I was going out like, 'Yo, let me try to meet these artists.' Like I wasn't even thinking about who I was all the time, but I was just thinking about how I was gonna get my record deal."
Throughout the interview, West articulates his long-standing desire to be recognized as a rapper rather than solely as a producer. "I was always rapping, and it just so happened that really, really phenomenal rappers got to rap on my beats before I got a chance to. So that pushed me into the classification of a producer, but I'm a rapper from the heart. Like, I got something to say."
West recounts how Dame Dash, Roc-A-Fella's co-founder, finally recognized his potential as a recording artist after hearing a collaboration with Mos Def and Freeway. "When Dame heard that, he was like, 'Yo.' I mean, I first heard—because I supposed to go to a bunch of different labels, man." This pivotal moment helped secure West's recording contract with Roc-A-Fella Records, despite initial concerns that his subject matter might not align with the label's typical content.
The producer-turned-rapper acknowledges the skepticism he faced: "The 'Roc—it always never seemed like I could be at the 'Roc because of my subject matter and everything. And he's not in the same exact vein as the rappers that y'all used to." Nevertheless, West's production credentials and evolving artistic vision ultimately convinced the label of his commercial viability.
In a revealing segment, West displays and explains a tattoo featuring song titles and personal mantras that represent his core values and career milestones. Each element carries specific meaning, including "you made me," "so ghetto," "this can't be life," "it's nothing like it," "The Anthem," "Hey Mama," "Heart of the City," and "never change."
"This tattoo means a lot to me. I put a lot of the songs on here that's changed my life or just it means something at a point in my career," West explains, adding that it represents "a scroll of my life, a lot of rules that I follow."
West also challenges conventional definitions of hip-hop authenticity, questioning whether material success diminishes artistic legitimacy. "Having jewelry is not a basis of hip-hop. Look at Rakim. Look at Run DMC. You trying to tell me they not hip-hop? You trying to tell me because Mos Def and Kweli don't buy jewelry that they are more hip-hop than Jay-Z? Or what's quote-unquote 'real hip-hop'?"
This interrogation of hip-hop's value system reveals West's nuanced understanding of the genre's complex relationship with materialism, authenticity, and commercial success—themes that would remain central throughout his career.
As the interview concludes, West discusses his upcoming debut album, which would eventually become 2004's "The College Dropout". He mentions collaborations with artists including Scarface, Ludacris, Twista, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli—choices based on artistic respect rather than commercial calculations.
"I want to place myself next to these—it's not a matter of, 'Okay, I'm gonna go get whoever's selling the most records as an attempt to sell records,'" West explained, establishing his commitment to artistic integrity. "Like as far as his album, I felt like y'all gonna get something real."
West emphasizes his intention to produce 99% of the album himself, viewing this creative control as essential to establishing himself alongside production legends. "I'm trying to do 99% of it 'cause I want to prove to the world I could do a whole album. I'm saying I had—Dre got that, Neptunes got that opportunity, Timberland, Neptunes."
He envisions his debut appealing to fans of hip-hop classics: "I want the same people that love Tribe Called Quest, some Abdi, for Nas and Jay-Z first album to hear my stuff and be like, 'That's some real stuff.' This ain't no just trying to be on the radio type stuff."
A recurring theme throughout West's interview is his exploration of his multifaceted identity. Referencing his Gemini astrological sign, he acknowledges seemingly contradictory aspects of his personality and artistic expression.
"I don't know if I really believe in that Gemini stuff and all the constellations and all that—like, I really believe in God—but I know that it's more than one side to me," West reflects. He describes feeling torn between materialistic desires and spiritual values: "I know on one end, when I get a check and sometimes I be thinking like, 'Yo man, I'm finna go and get this chain off layaway from Jacob's right now.' Sometimes I had some money in my pocket, and I might give him $20 instead of just $2. I know that I'll go to church with my grandparents."
This introspective awareness extends to his music, which encompasses both spiritual tracks like "Jesus Walks" and more hedonistic content. West explains this apparent contradiction: "I'm a man. I'm a human being. People feel like, 'If you're an artist, you can only rap about this one subject. You have to stand for this specifically.' I'ma stand for everything I seen in my life, and I'm gonna try to express that to y'all the best I can."
West also addresses the perceived limitations of hip-hop subject matter: "There's a lot of concepts that people—they never touched on in rap... Whatever happened to real life, you know what I'm saying? Whatever happened to, 'I know a girl—I can't really afford this movie, we got to go—.'" This desire to expand hip-hop's thematic range foreshadows the personal vulnerability and emotional complexity that would distinguish his later work.
Throughout the interview, West emphasizes his unwavering determination to succeed in the music industry despite numerous obstacles. He recounts telling his teachers as early as seventh grade that he might not need to complete homework because he expected to be signed that year. Though premature, this confidence illustrated his singular focus on musical success.
Even at this early stage in his career, West demonstrates remarkable self-assurance regarding his future impact: "I feel like my album, the perspective that I'm gonna speak from, I feel like I'm gonna bridge the gap. I'm gonna be one of the people that help bridge the gap with hip-hop because I'm gonna talk from the perspective of just being honest."
This conviction in his artistic mission underpins West's perseverance through years of rejection and limited opportunities. "In my heart there's so much stuff I want to say to the world, and the most I've been able to do up to this point is maybe suggest a couple of lines to some people," he explains, highlighting his frustration with creative limitations and his ambition to contribute meaningfully to hip-hop culture.
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MTV Interviews Kanye West 2002
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