Is this a new
Kanye West were witnessing? The iconic rapper/producer/designer gave one of the
biggest interviews of the year last year and nearly shut down Twitter in the process. Interestingly, perhaps the biggest surprise of the most recent interview with
The Breakfast Club wasn’t a sharply-worded rant but the opposite: Ye was calm, polite, temperate, and just overall pleasant throughout. In that way, the biggest takeaway from the sit-down—other than a final confirmation that West is kicking off a huge year—may have been that he’s had some media training, and here are some of the ways it paid off.
He rose above Charlemagne’s baiting
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Early in the interview,
Charlemagne, who has butted heads with Ye in the past, said outright, “I don’t like the Autotune when you sing.” It was the first of several openings where we would generally expect a quick takedown, but Kanye rose above. “I don’t like Autotune either, but I need it,” the rapper offered.
Just a few minutes later, Charlemagne said of Yeezy’s new adidas shoe, “It looked like a Papier-mâché project.” And again, he just let it slide right off him.
He Didn’t Insult Anyone
Besides
Amber Rose, Ye didn’t lash out or throw much shade at all during the whole interview, an impressive feat considering he’s got a few people gunning for him a his current peak.
There Wasn’t A Rant In Sight
Even in the midst of what is likely the most impactful month of his entire career, Ye didn’t rant about his importance, give shine to any haters, or even complain about being blackballed. He’s come a long way.
He Refused To Speak On Rumors
When rumored comments from fashion icon Anna Wintour about his daughter North West being brought to his recent fashion were brought up, Kanye took the high road: “Yeah, I can’t speak on alleged comments.”
He Owned His Mistakes
From apologizing for mumbling—”I’m not that clear a speaker, I had this car accident, ever since then I been a mumble-mouth”—to owning his Grammy blunder, Ye has never shied away from his gaffes, but never before has he seemed so willing to fess up about being wrong.
He Dished Out Compliments & Credit
From boosting
Drake up as an inspiration for his current music to endlessly flattering
Kim Kardashian, Ye is known commonly as an attention-whore, but this latest interview showed he’s not always a ball-hog and can be one of the best cheerleaders in the industry.
