A Lyrical, not Political, Genius

Kanye West has a track record for doing and saying controversial things. Whether it be his support of Trump, ending concerts after 10 minutes, or controversial lyrics, it seems that he is always intentionally drawing attention to himself in some way. His most recent manifestation of his need for attention came in the form of a tirade at the end of Saturday Night Live, which he co-hosted last week. After performing three songs in a “Make America Great Again” hat, Kanye went on to discuss his plans to run for president and his support for President Trump. He capped off the rant by saying that if he cared about racism in America, he would have moved to a different country a long time ago. This rant was in no way related to Kanye’s performance as a musician on the show. 

Kanye is certainly not the only celebrity who has outspoken political opinions, but he seems to always be pushing them into the public’s face. At the end of his most recent SNL rant, he thanked SNL for “giving me a platform.” Although the rant didn’t make it on air, his actions show that clearly Kanye will take any opportunity to express his political opinions publicly. 

I consider Kanye to be one of the greatest rappers and producers of all time, and he is certainly one of the artists that I listen to the most. However, I don’t believe that the fame and success he has earned warrants his opinionated outbursts.  I’d say I value anyone’s opinion to a certain degree, but I find the amount of times I’ve had to see Kanye’s face on the cover of another political headline distasteful. There are many more important issues going on in the world, and headlines should be covering those instead of an attention-hungry celebrity. 

I believe his support of Trump is founded on the idea that it will bring him more media attention. His recent display at the White House is further proof of him using his support for President Trump t0 receive attention and make the headlines. I believe that he is throwing his support behind Trump as a way to not only gain attention but also because the two are very similar. They are both self-centered and seem to do what they want, when they want, with no regard for anyone else.

Kanye has stated that these outbursts aren’t his fault and come from mental illness. Although I hope he and everyone else suffering from mental disorders receive the medical aid they need, I do not believe that this is a valid excuse for how he is consistently trying to make headlines. Many others suffer from similar afflictions, and they are not doing the brash things that he is.  I feel that he is falsely using his mental disorder as an excuse for his actions and that, to me, is a terrible thing to do. I love his music, but I strongly disagree with Kanye’s yearning for attention, especially as it comes at the expense of everyone who is forced to listen to him.