E. Zora Knight

My photo
a special order, straight queer and strong black.

2007-11-19

Make Me Stronger....

I am a Kanye West fan. Always have been. He has learned one of the most valuable marketing tools. Re-inventing and marketing yourself. Or something that our PARENTS should have taught us, if you don't toot your own horn who will. No, he is not the most prolific rapper of all times. Yes, his rhymes are basic and at times rudimentary. However, no denying he IS one of the best producers out there. Sure we were a little turned off at his "balking" and displays of poor sportsmanship. His arrogance borderlines narcissism. But HONESTLY, how many of us don't know this type dude? Or maybe, just maybe, he's created a stage persona that has nothing to do with WHO HE REALLY IS? I mean it was admirable to watch his anxiety and impulsiveness when he belted "George Bush doesn't care..." on National Television. I mean weren't we all waiting for someone, anyone to say ANYTHING? Mind you, we would have wanted to be a bit more poignant, yet.. It was what it was.
In the wake of his mother's death, I find people cruel and unrelenting as they discuss his breakdown at his concert in Paris during the intro to "Hey Momma." Most know my mom passed away before I entered kindergarten. It still hurts to this day, and I could never imagine the pain having her with me everyday during my trials and triumphs only to have her snatched during the prime of my life. So the cruel things people have said....
Most of us will never know what it's like to have hundreds if people depending on us for their livelihood. But what do we do after a death, we go try to put our lives back together. And we break down, and people, sometimes random strangers, try to support and help us through. Perhaps he went to the thing he loved most after his love for his mother. Music. Perhaps he thought it would take him away for a minute.
I say all this because I received a copy of the e-mail with the youtube attachment showing his breakdown. A woman cruelly stated he was doing it for attention, that he arrogantly wanted the crowd to chant his name, that his was exploiting his mother's death.
I believe as society we have gone too far... and we've forgotten about the frailty in our humanness. And I can really appreciate a man who has given us nothing but ONE SIDE OF A wall, to share just a bit of what it's like to be with him on the other side.

6 comments:

Copasetic Soul said...

i like Kanye as well...and the person that you see on the award shows, isnt the Kanye West i met two years ago, while working at a concert after party. the Kanye i met was quite, polite and kewl to talk with! i stood next to him and his asshole bodyguard most of the night....we talked, joked and he took pictures with anyone that asked.

as far as that brother trying to get people to shout his name, PEOPLE do it ANYWAY! but in the day of the rich and famous acting a fool for all to see....i can see why people would make the comments. Yet, reading how close he was with his mother, i cant see the brother faking. Sometimes people just need to shout up!

Angel said...

very well said kim...very well said...

also, as a point of clarification: he was doing the intro to "hey mama." "mama i made it" is by jay-z.

my coffee is always said...

thanks angel made the correction.

T. Street said...

I agree with your you very much. As a society we have lost the thought of showing emotions for anything other than profit. I am a Mr. West fan and I think it is despicable for people to think he did not care about his mother.

CousinSarah said...

I really like this post. We really have become a society that is "entertained" by others people's pain. This is the part that I like the most.

"But HONESTLY, how many of us don't know this type dude? Or maybe, just maybe, he's created a stage persona that has nothing to do with WHO HE REALLY IS? I mean it was admirable to watch his anxiety and impulsiveness when he belted "George Bush doesn't care..." on National Television. I mean weren't we all waiting for someone, anyone to say ANYTHING? Mind you, we would have wanted to be a bit more poignant, yet.. It was what it was."

Right...

Shelle said...

i have to admit, never was much of a Kanye fan, but he has grown on me..i like his perceived arrogance, and his departure from the norm.
i admire the fact he decided to go ahead with the tour, going forward is/was the best dedication he could of made for his mother.
screw the naysayers