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Rap's biggest mouth KANYE WEST takes bite out of Canada
Posted At: 05/22/2008 11:16 AM
MONTREAL -- The ego has landed. Or rather, it's touching down this month in Canada when rap's biggest mouth and biggest talent Kanye West gives music fans a treat with his Glow in the Dark tour.
West has achieved superstar status after dropping three albums of genre-defying/defining hip-hop, turning it into hit-pop while retaining his creative clout: From 2004's charming The College Dropout to 2005's ambitious Late Registration and 2007's self-obsessed (but no less impressive) Graduation. And his much-vaunted fashion sense has evolved from freshman prim to new-school cool.
The 30-year-old Chicago native has become one of pop culture's most monitored voices, grabbing headlines around the globe for his impulsive outbursts. He has complained loudly about any and all awards-show slights, from his 2004 miss for best new artist at the American Music Awards, to his storming of the stage at the 2006 MTV Europe Awards after not winning video of the year. Each of his albums has won a Grammy for rap album of the year; none has won album of the year.
West infamously entered politics in 2005, when he said "George Bush doesn't care about black people," following Hurricane Katrina. He decried homophobia in an MTV special earlier that year. Last Friday, he posted an outraged rant on his blog after an Entertainment Weekly reporter gave the opening performance of his current Glow in the Dark tour a B+.
"What's a B+ mean?" he wrote. "I'm an extremist. It's either pass or fail! A+ or F-!"
He has faced off against 50 Cent (when the pair simultaneously released albums on Sept. 11, 2007) and won; he was sued by Evil Knievel (for West's portrayal of the famed stuntman in his video for the song Touch the Sky; they settled out of court).
All of which makes his upcoming visit an exciting prospect. To see a larger-than-life figure such as West in the flesh, and in his prime, is a chance to see what all the fuss is about, to bypass the media frenzy and judge for oneself whether he is deserving of so much attention.
And/or it's simply a rare chance to see a big-league hip-hop show. Whatever the reasons, people are excited.
But lest we forget, it's also about the music. West got his start as a producer, working closely with New York rap kingpin Jay-Z, and making tracks for Alicia Keys and Janet Jackson. He has since produced albums for rapper Common and neo-soul singer John Legend (whom he signed as the first artist to his Good Music label).
Posted At: 05/22/2008 11:16 AM
MONTREAL -- The ego has landed. Or rather, it's touching down this month in Canada when rap's biggest mouth and biggest talent Kanye West gives music fans a treat with his Glow in the Dark tour.
West has achieved superstar status after dropping three albums of genre-defying/defining hip-hop, turning it into hit-pop while retaining his creative clout: From 2004's charming The College Dropout to 2005's ambitious Late Registration and 2007's self-obsessed (but no less impressive) Graduation. And his much-vaunted fashion sense has evolved from freshman prim to new-school cool.
The 30-year-old Chicago native has become one of pop culture's most monitored voices, grabbing headlines around the globe for his impulsive outbursts. He has complained loudly about any and all awards-show slights, from his 2004 miss for best new artist at the American Music Awards, to his storming of the stage at the 2006 MTV Europe Awards after not winning video of the year. Each of his albums has won a Grammy for rap album of the year; none has won album of the year.
West infamously entered politics in 2005, when he said "George Bush doesn't care about black people," following Hurricane Katrina. He decried homophobia in an MTV special earlier that year. Last Friday, he posted an outraged rant on his blog after an Entertainment Weekly reporter gave the opening performance of his current Glow in the Dark tour a B+.
"What's a B+ mean?" he wrote. "I'm an extremist. It's either pass or fail! A+ or F-!"
He has faced off against 50 Cent (when the pair simultaneously released albums on Sept. 11, 2007) and won; he was sued by Evil Knievel (for West's portrayal of the famed stuntman in his video for the song Touch the Sky; they settled out of court).
All of which makes his upcoming visit an exciting prospect. To see a larger-than-life figure such as West in the flesh, and in his prime, is a chance to see what all the fuss is about, to bypass the media frenzy and judge for oneself whether he is deserving of so much attention.
And/or it's simply a rare chance to see a big-league hip-hop show. Whatever the reasons, people are excited.
But lest we forget, it's also about the music. West got his start as a producer, working closely with New York rap kingpin Jay-Z, and making tracks for Alicia Keys and Janet Jackson. He has since produced albums for rapper Common and neo-soul singer John Legend (whom he signed as the first artist to his Good Music label).
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