MTV Interviews Kanye West 2002
Kanye West talks about his musical journey from childhood to his life as a producer/rapper. West was just off the success on Jay-Z's "The Blueprint" and his forthcoming debut "The College Dropout." West bought an Amiga computer at age 14 which is when he learned sampling techniques with James Brown recordings that would become his signature "chipmunk soul" style. After relocating from Chicago to Newark following eviction from his apartment, West transported equipment via New Jersey Transit to New York's Baseline Studios, where he created productions for Jay-Z ("Heart of the City," "Izzo"), Beanie Sigel, and Cam'ron. West talks about forming relationships with Dame Dash, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli, while trying to prove to everyone that he doesn't have to fit the mold of the classic hip-hop image: "Having jewelry is not a basis of hip-hop. Look at Rakim...Look at Run-D.M.C."
Summary
Early Life and Music Starts
Kanye West says he started rapping in the third grade. He looked up to early hip-hop stars like Run DMC, LL Cool J, Eazy-E, and the Beastie Boys. He got into making music in seventh grade when he bought an Amiga computer for $500. He first wanted to use it for art and video games, but he switched to making music after getting music software.
When he was 14, he learned about music sampling (using parts of old songs in new ones) at a store in Maryland. He couldn't afford the $2,000 professional equipment, so he used a simpler computer sampler. He often used James Brown's music for his first practice beats. Kanye's mom helped him connect with a Chicago producer named No I.D. No I.D showed him an SP-1200 sampler and taught him how to speed up samples. This later became Kanye's famous "chipmunk soul" sound.
Career Growth and Moving East
Kanye talks about moving from Chicago to Newark, New Jersey, after facing some difficulties. He was in a bad car crash, lost touch with artists in Chicago, and got kicked out of his apartment. He felt these were signs from God telling him to leave: "God don't want me to be here no more."
Since he didn't have a car on the East Coast, Kanye took New Jersey Transit (bus or train) to bring his music gear to Baseline Studios in New York. He called Baseline Studios "the home of hip-hop right now." Many important songs were made there, including Beanie Sigel's "The Reason," many songs from Jay-Z's "The Blueprint," Freeway's album, and songs for Cam'ron.
Kanye remembers playing his beats for Jay-Z at Baseline Studios during a birthday party for Beanie Sigel. Kanye describes how excited Jay-Z was about the beats that became the songs "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" and "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)." Kanye emotionally remembers hearing Jay-Z perform "Izzo" at the BET Awards before the song was even released, comparing it to a scene from the movie "The Five Heartbeats." After that performance, people in the music business noticed him quickly. Kanye said he got "all kind of phone calls... It was just on at that point."
Important Connections and Friends
Kanye says meeting important people who helped his career often happened by luck, not because he planned it. He met Mos Def through another producer, 88 Keys. He met Talib Kweli while waiting for Mos Def at a studio. Mos Def and Freeway were later featured on his song "Two Words."
He also talks about his connection with Dame Dash. Kanye remembers Dame Dash getting really excited about his music during a studio session at Baseline when Cam'ron was also there. According to Kanye, Dame thought he could make music "like an East Coast chronic," comparing Kanye's potential to Dr. Dre's famous work.
Producer or Rapper? And Hip-Hop Beliefs
Throughout the talk, Kanye insists he always saw himself as a rapper, even though the industry mostly knew him as a producer. He explains: "I was always a rapper. It just happened that really, really great rappers got to rap on my beats before I did. That made people call me a producer. But I'm a rapper in my heart." Kanye mentions some people said he didn't fit the typical hip-hop look. He disagrees: "Having jewelry isn't the basis of hip-hop. Look at Rakim... Look at Run-D.M.C. Are you trying to tell me they're not hip-hop?"
First Album and Personal Meaning
Near the end, Kanye shows tattoos of important song titles he worked on, like "You Made Me," "This Can't Be Life," "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," "Hey Mama," and "Heart of the City." He says these tattoos mean a lot, calling them "my life right here." He sees them as a reminder of his journey: "When my family's in a million dollar home...I'll be like, look, this tattoo is the reason why we here." Kanye says his parents taught him to work hard: "My mother never raised me to ask for a handout." He remembers working at a barbershop at age 14 and getting little allowance, which taught him to be independent and responsible.
How He Makes Music and Its Importance
Kanye explains how he decides who gets his beats. He usually tries them himself first: "I take every beat that I think is good, and I try to rap on it first. And if it doesn't come out good, then I give it to someone else." He adds that this changes when he works closely with certain artists, like giving Jay-Z priority for beats when Jay-Z is making an album.
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Event Date: May 23, 2002