Yeezy Season has returned. Kanye West invited Zane Lowe to his getaway ranch in Cody, Wyo., for an all-encompassing interview with his Jesus Is King gospel-inspired album, hopefully mere hours away. The more than two-hour conversation aired Thursday (Oct. 24) on Beats 1.
West refreshingly opened up about a litany of topics that included starting his transformation in April following Coachella, his Jesus Is Born Sunday Service album coming on Christmas, coping with the death of his mother, trying to reach out to Drake and more. “I’m just so blessed to be here 15 years in, making an album where the paintings are still inspiring to me,” he said.
Here’s everything we learned from Kanye’s interview with Beats 1.
Developed a Porn Addiction After Reading Playboy
Raunchy rhymes have long been a part of Kanye’s catalog for much of his career. West pointed to reading Playboy when he was just 5 years old after his dad left it out in the open of their home, which ultimately led him down the path of developing a full-blown porn addiction in his adult life.
No Longer Considers Himself an Entertainer
As a son of God, West feels that he’s no longer a slave to the music industry and he’s finally at peace with himself spreading the message of the gospel. Kanye took the labeling a step further and pushed back when Lowe talked about him entertaining the masses. “I’m not here for anyone’s entertainment,” he said.
Sunday Service Will Always Be at Home in Los Angeles
Even though Sunday Service has been performed across the United States and even outside the country in Jamaica, West plans to continue having services on Sunday close to home in Los Angeles, thanks to his daughter North’s request. There will still be planned services on the road, but they are going to take place earlier in the week.
He Asked Collaborators to Fast & Not Have Premarital Sex While Working on Jesus Is King
When collaborating with others on Jesus Is King, West set up some lifestyle guidelines that they would have to abide by in order be part of the project. Yeezy asked others to fast during portions of creating and also not partake in any premarital sex at times, which he knew would receive some blowback once it became public. It seemed as if he wanted the creative process to maintain its purity while the team locked in and built camaraderie. “When people pray together and fast together, the power is increased,” said Ye.
Drowned in His Sex Addiction Following Death of His Mother
West made a habit of comparing the spiraling actions following his mother’s death to that of a drug addict coping with a loss. Kanye confessed that he drowned himself in his sex addiction along with a plethora of materialistic items. “That Playboy that I found when I was 5 years old was written all over that VMAs moment,” Kanye stated. “That was such a script out of a rock star’s life. Some people drown themselves in drugs, and I drowned myself in my addiction [sex].”
Culture was His God Before Reconnecting With His Faith
Whether it was the love of money, cars, designer clothes, firing away on Twitter, going to Paris Fashion Week or even posing for paparazzi photos, looking back, Kanye realized he was serving “the culture” as his God throughout his career. West said it was an addiction to inspiration. “I thought I was the God of culture, but really culture was my God,” he said. “I was trying to have my daughter outdress Rihanna.”
Didn’t Make Any Money off the Yeezus Tour
One interesting nugget that came out in their conversation was when West said he didn’t make any money off the Yeezus Tour, which reportedly grossed more than $25 million across its first 18 North American dates, because of the steep production costs to execute his complex vision.
Says He Will Be President of the U.S.
Kanye isn’t backing off his claims of one day being president. “We’re working on it,” West said when straight up asked if he was planning to run in 2024. He predicted a time when he’s president that he will be able to look all of the founders and company executives that shunned and trivialized him in the eyes as the leader of the free world.
Says He’s Tried to Contact Drake to Squash “Rivalry”
West has seemed to move on from his feud with Drake, but is still looking for some closure on the matter. Kanye admitted that he’s walked up the block a few times hoping to find Drizzy outside his Calabasas home, but all he’s left with is leaving his number with Drake’s security. It doesn’t sound as if Drake has accepted any of Yeezy’s olive branches.
“Drake refusing to talk to me for six months was so painful,” said Kanye, which propelled him into a Twitter rant to get the whole thing off his chest. “This person is your idol, then you get to know him, then you turn to friends, frenemies, enemies, then you gotta bring the energy,” he continued speaking on the Jay-Z, Kanye and Drake lineage.
Announces Jesus Is Born Sunday Service Album Releasing on Christmas
While Jesus Is King is not even out yet, Kanye announced plans to release his Jesus Is Born album. The Sunday Service-inspired project is expected to drop on Christmas Day, if all goes well in the West camp.
Being the “Greatest Artist of All-Time” Isn’t Up for Debate Anymore
“I am unquestionably, undoubtedly, the greatest human artist of all time. It’s not even a question at this point. It’s just a fact,” he confidently stated. This led into West calling himself donning the red MAGA hat as “God’s practical joke” on the culture. “For the greatest artist in human existence to put a red hat on was God’s practical joke to all liberals,” the Chicago native quipped. “Like, Nooo, not Kanye!”
His 20-Year Vision is Only Working in Benefit of the Church
Being a futurist and now referring to himself as a Christian innovator, West is always debating his next creative pivot. In 20 years, Kanye sees himself strictly serving God and only working with the sole purpose of benefiting the church. “Everything I do is for the church,” he said. West looks at proceeds from selling Sunday Service merchandise as donations to the church.
Debated Quitting Rap Because He Didn’t Know How to Rap for God
Earlier in October, West’s pastor Adam Taylor explained that Kanye nearly quit rap because he believed it was “the devil’s music.” Kanye basically confirmed his pastor’s statements in the interview with Lowe, saying he “didn’t know how to rap for God.” With the help of Clipse’s No Malice, West was quickly back on the right path of projecting the gospel in his rhymes.
Album Wasn’t Finished as of Tuesday
Zane Lowe relayed that this interview was actually taped in Wyoming on Tuesday of this week, as West made mention at various times in the interview that the process of finishing the album was a fluid one. Working until the last possible minute has long been a habit of West’s. Kanye played portions of the project for those in attendance at The Forum for Wednesday night’s (Oct. 23) Jesus Is King Experience.