I got a chance to do a phone interview with Kanye West while he was doing press for the relaunch of his Kanye West Foundation, which he started with his mother, the late Dr. Donda West. This was my first interview with ‘Ye, although it wasn’t the first time that I’d spoken with him. Back when he was still known mostly for his immaculate production on Jay-Z’s classic, Blueprint, I was with a group of people who were interviewing him. He talked for well over an hour and then proceeded to follow us outside and rap for us. I remember him spitting the rhyme, “mayonnaise colored Benz, they call it Miracle whip” which ended up later appearing on “Last Call” from his debut, College Dropout.
This go-around, Kanye was not nearly as excited to do the interview — of course, this is millions of records and loads of acclaim later. The interview was, to be quite honest, a bit dry, mostly because we were not allowed to ask questions about his mother (kind of silly given that the foundation was co-founded by her) and he didn’t want to delve into anything too “deep.” At one point, I asked him what his definition of love is. He pondered for a quick second before saying he wasn’t prepared to get “all philosophical.” I couldn’t really be mad, though. Despite his reticence, I was able to learn a few more things about the talented Mr. West. –jh
1. Kanye loves the kids. With his Kanye West Foundation, Ye obviously has a soft spot for the little ones. During the interview, he spoke with enthusiasm whenever the subject of helping children excel in school and in the arts came up.
2. Kanye may be a college dropout, but he wants you to graduate. The Kanye West Foundation is all about curbing the high school dropout rate, and he got really passionate while talking about the effects that not graduating can have on the lives of young people, especially young black males.
3. Kanye is not as wild as you think he is. Yes, he’s never been one to hold his tongue, but believe it or not, he’s pretty calm in regular conversation. Then again, maybe his duality isn’t surprising — he is a Gemini, after all.
4. Kanye is passionate. Kanye gets really animated when talking about his foundation and it’s mission to educate young people. Looks like music isn’t the only love of his life.
5. Kanye is a cool guy. He apologizes if he can’t hear the question and laughs easily. A real charmer, indeed. -jh
