Kanye West Quotes:

My wife has dated broke black dudes.

Topics: Wife, Black, Broke

I make all my own decisions and I take full responsibility.

Topics: Responsibility, Decision

Whenever y'all are in the store from and y'all are trying to decide whether or not to get something, think if you saw me wear it before or not, and if I have, then it's okay.

Topics: Thinking, Trying, Saws

If you have the opportunity to play this game of life you need to appreciate every moment. a lot of people don't appreciate the moment until it's passed.

source: - Source: deadline.com

Topics: Life, Song, Opportunity

A lot of people are very sacred with their ideas, and there is something to protecting yourself in that way, but there's also something to idea sharing, or being the person who makes the mistake in public so people can study that.

Topics: Mistake, Ideas, People

Being fresh is more important than having money.

Topics: Important

As a rapper, I feel like image is always important but even more so than image, I really love clothes, that's why I don't use stylists. I want to do it myself because I really love it.

Topics: Rapper, Clothes, Important

Everyone's always telling you to be humble. When was the last time someone told you to be great?

Topics: Humble, Lasts, Be Humble

The same people that tell me what I ought to have is the same people asking for an autograph.

Topics: People, Asking

The plan was to drink until the pain is over, But what's worse, the pain or the hangover?

Topics: Pain, Hangover, Drink, Dark Fantasy

I know you can't control everything, and everything is in God's hands ultimately, but I'm going to fight, go out and perform for everybody, I don't care.

Topics: Fighting, Hands, Care

I'm never at my worst because even at my lowest, its a learning experience. It's something that I'll bounce ideas off. I can take negatives and flip them to positives at all times.

Topics: Ideas, Flip, Worst

I can't be a slave to the machine, you feel like you're in the matrix.

Topics: Machines, Like You, Slave

Nothing in life is promised except death.

source: - "The Flash". www.imdb.com. 2014 - ....

Topics: Song, Life Is

People will have a problem with whatever you do. At the end of the day, nobody can determine what you need to do in order to be successful and why would you listen to someone who is not successful tell you what you need to do?

source: - Source: aalbc.com

Topics: Successful, Order, People

I am not a fan of books.

Topics: Book, Fans

If I do become more successful, either as a producer or a rapper, I'm going to do everything I can to help whoever I can on the label.

Topics: Successful, Rapper, Labels

I performed it all the way through for people. People would say, "We love you, we want to sign you," and then there'd always be one person who'd say, "He's just a producer."

Topics: Love You, People, Want

Keep your nose out the sky, keep your heart to god, and keep your face to the raising sun.

Topics: Song, Heart, Sky

My music is rock. I listen to Red Hot Chili Peppers and I listen to one of my songs, and if I don't give you the same emotion, then I go back and re-spit.

Topics: Song, Rocks, Giving, Chili, Chili Peppers

Nobody's gonna be bigger than Eminem.

Topics: Bigger

I'm pretty calculating. I take stuff that I know appeals to people's bad sides and match it up with stuff that appeals to their good sides.

Topics: People, Stuff, Sides

I don't even listen to rap. My apartment is too nice to listen to rap in.

Topics: Nice, Rap, Too Nice, American West

Hate and love are very similar emotions. The opposite of love is you don't care.

Topics: Hate, Love Is, Opposites, Love And Hate

I could never be in a situation with a job where I was not allowed to listen to music all day. I would rather work at a fast food restaurant where I could turn on the radio all day rather than be in a situation where I have to sneak and listen to music.

Topics: Jobs, Radio, Fast Food, Fast Food Restaurants

This is my life homie, you decide yours

source: - Song: Can't Tell Me Nothing, Album: Graduation, 2007

I worked a telemarketing job. I always worked those because I always knew how to talk to people and I always knew how to sell because my father was a salesman. He used to sell vacuum cleaners, payroll services to companies, so that was natural for me to go into sales.

Topics: Jobs, Father, People, Payroll

Memories have to be our most painful blessing.

Topics: Memories, Blessing, Painful

My definition of genius is not being that person the actual human is a genius, but it's a person that just allows God to work through them.

Topics: Genius, Definitions, Humans

For me giving up is way harder than trying.

Topics: Giving Up, Trying, Way

I'm giving all that I have in this life. I'm opening up my notebook and I'm saying everything in there out loud.

Topics: Notebook, Opening Up, Giving

Would you believe in what you believe in if you were the only one who believed it?

source: - "Thank You and You're Welcome". Book by Kanye West and J. Sakiya Sandifer, 2009.

Topics: Inspiring, Believe, Inspire

I try to get as close to a childlike level as possible because we were all artists back then.

Topics: Artist, Trying, Levels

I'm the type of rock star that likes to have a girlfriend, you know?

Topics: Girlfriend, Stars, Rocks

I can always tell if a band has a British rhythm section due to the gritty production.

Topics: Band, British, Rhythm, Rhythm Section

You're not perfect, but you're not your mistakes.

Topics: Mistake, Perfect, Not Perfect

Fashion breaks my heart.

Topics: Fashion, Heart, Break

I'm a monster, I'm a maven, I know this world is changin'. Never gave in, never gave up, I'm the only thing I'm afraid of.

Topics: Inspirational, Rap, Hip Hop, Mavens

I won't go into a big spiel about reincarnation, but the first time I was in the Gucci store in Chicago was the closest I've ever felt to home.

Topics: Home, Chicago, Firsts, Stupid Celebrity, Stupidest Celebrity

You know, if Michael Jordan can scream at the refs, me as Kanye West, as the Michael Jordan of music, can go and say, 'This is wrong.'

Topics: Jordan, West, Scream, Refs, Egomaniacs

Everything I'm not makes me everything I am

So few hip-hop artists have ever advanced. Their songs on their seventh, eighth albums sound exactly like the songs on their first album. More than an artist, I'm a real person-and real people grow. And I wanna just sing my growth.

Topics: Song, Real, Artist, Hip Hop Artist

I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice.

Topics: Inspirational, Voice, This Generation

As kids we used to laugh/Who knew that life would move this fast? Who knew I'd have to look at you through a glass? And look, tell me you ain't did it, you ain't did it And if you did, then that's family business.

Topics: Rap, Moving, Kids

My Caps Lock Key Is Loud!

Topics: Conceited, Keys, Locks

You tellin' me people don't look at Kanye West like the Glitch.

Topics: People, Glitches, Looks

I love the fact that I'm bad at [things], you know what I'm saying? I'm forever the 35-year-old 5-year-old. I'm forever the 5-year-old of something.

Topics: Years, Forever, Facts, Egomaniacs

I am God's vessel. But my greatest pain in life is that I will never be able to see myself perform live.

Topics: Pain, Conceited, Able, Most Arrogant, Pain In Life

And wouldn't change by the change, or the game, or the fame, when he came, in the game, he made his own name

Topics: Song, Games, Names

I will be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars, because I got the answers.

Topics: Leader, Dollars, Answers

I understand culture. I am the nucleus.

Topics: Culture, Nucleus

Sometimes people write novels and they just be so wordy and so self-absorbed. I am not a fan of books ... I like to get information from doing stuff like actually talking to people and living real life.

Topics: Real, Book, Writing, Self Obsessed, Self Absorbed

As a man I am flawed, but my music is perfect.

Topics: Men, Perfect, Music Is

I'm a creative genius and there's no other way to word it.

Topics: Inspirational, Creative, Genius, Creative Genius

It's only led me to complete awesomeness at all times. It's only led me to awesome truth and awesomeness. Beauty, truth, awesomeness. That's all it is.

Topics: Ridiculous, Awesomeness, All Time, Egomaniacs

If you admire somebody, you should go ahead and tell them. People never get the flowers while they can still smell them.

Topics: Flower, Smell, People, Admire You, Admiring

I am so credible and so influential and so relevant that I will change things.

Topics: Influential, Relevant, I Am The Best, Most Arrogant, Egomaniacs

I hate when I'm on a flight and I wake up with a water bottle next to me like oh great now I gotta be responsible for this water bottle

Topics: Hate, Water, Next, Water Bottles, Love Or Hate

Bravery and courage is walking into pain and knowing that something better is on the other side

Topics: Pain, Knowing, Bravery

If you know you're the best it only makes sense for you to surround yourself with the best. NO EXCEPTIONS

source: - "Kanye West tells a story with his biggest hits, at the glow in the Dark Tour's L.A. stop" by Sarah Wilson, www.mtv.com. April 23, 2008.

Topics: You Re The Best, Surround Yourself, Exception

Success is the best revenge.

Topics: Revenge, Best Revenge, Success Is The Best Revenge

I WILL SPARK A GENERATION OF THINKERS WHO WILL QUESTION TRADITIONAL THOUGHT UNTIL THEY FIND THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH

Topics: Conceited, Generations, Sparks

Nothing is promised in life except death.

I was never really good at anything except for the ability to learn.

Topics: Ability

I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it's like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.

Topics: Fashion, Jobs, Mean, Long Jump, Egomaniacs

I gotta new strategy it's called no strategy. And I gotta way to sell more music its called make better music.

Topics: Way, Strategy

We gonna touch the sky

Topics: Song, Sky

Every interview I'm representing you making you proud. Reach for the stars so if you fall you land on a cloud.

Topics: Motivational, Stars, Fall

I feel like I'm too busy writing history to read it.

Topics: Writing, Conceited, Busy, Writing History, Being Busy

Believe in your flyness...conquer your shyness

Topics: Being Yourself, Believe, Conquer

What is the definition of cool? Michael Jackson made “Heal the World.” He could do that because he was golden. He was himself. He didn't have to try to be cool. Think about a lot of your favorite bands or groups. Would they make a song called “Heal the World”? No, because they are too concerned about their leather jackets. Ironically, they are probably wearing leather jackets because of Michael Jackson.

Topics: Song, Thinking, Trying, Heal The World, Favorite Bands

Even a broke clock is right twice a day

Topics: Broke, Clock

No one man should have all that power.

Topics: Men, Should

I completely lost everything, but I gained everything because I lost the fear.

Topics: Lost

Sophisticated ignorance, write my curses in cursive.

Topics: Rap, Writing, Ignorance, Cursive

I've reached a point in my life where my Truman Show boat has hit the painting.

Topics: Painting, Truman Show, Boat, Truman

I'll say things that are serious and put them in a joke form so people can enjoy them. We laugh to keep from crying.

Topics: People, Laughing, Serious

Shoot for the stars, so if you fall you land on a cloud.

Topics: Stars, Fall, Clouds

Benjamin Franklin didnt win 21 Grammys right?

Topics: Winning, Franklin

When you're the absolute best, you get hated on the most.

source: - "Listen to Yeezus Bless Fashion Students With His Wisdom" by Sean Fitz-Gerald, www.esquire.com. May 31, 2015.

Topics: Hated, Absolutes

George W. Bush doesn't care about black people.

source: - Source: www.truth-out.org

Topics: People, Black, Care

Life is 5% what happens, and 95% how you react.

Topics: Life Is, Happens

I can be vilified. I can be misunderstood. I didn't come here to be liked. I came here to make a difference.

Topics: Differences, Misunderstood, Making A Difference

I've known my mom since I was zero years old. She is quite dope.

Topics: Mom, Zero, Dope

The only luxury is time. The time you get to spend with your family.

Topics: Luxury, Our Family

If I was more complacent and I let things slide, my life would be easier, but you all wouldn't be as entertained. My misery is your pleasure.

source: - "Kayne West Poses as Jesus, Says He's Addicted to Porn". www.foxnews.com. January 24, 2006.

Topics: Would Be, Slides, Misery

For me to say I wasn't a genius I'd just be lying to you and to myself

source: - Song: Jimmy Kimmel Interview Pt. 1, 2013

Topics: Lying, Genius, Creative Genius

Slavery is more mental than anything

Topics: Hip Hop, Slavery

We all self-conscious. I'm just the first to admit it.

source: - Song: Self-Conscious

Topics: Song, Self, Firsts, Self Conscious

If you’re taught you can't do anything you won't do anything, I was taught I could do everything.

source: - "2013 Zane Lowe BBC Radio Interview Part 2". Interview with Kanye West, genius.com. September 24, 2013.

Topics: Taught, Ifs

I don't expect to be understood at all.

Topics: Understood

If you ask me a question like what is your greatest accomplishment, it should be what I’m about to do

Topics: Accomplishment, Should, Ask Me, Greatest Accomplishment

I'm on the pursuit of awesomeness, excellence is the bare minimum.

source: - "Kanye West Documentary Gives Unofficial Look At ‘Yeezus’ Rapper’s Rise To Fame". www.huffingtonpost.com. May 23, 2013.

Topics: Excellence, Awesomeness, Pursuit

Having a Rolex or a Benz is not something that actually represents your success because there’s always something more expensive to buy. Success is really being able to do things for others as well as the people around you and yourself.

source: - "Yeezy Literally Taught Me: A Student From the Graphic Design Class Kanye West Taught Describes the Experience". Interview with James Harris, www.complex.com. September 23, 2014.

Topics: People, Able, Rolex, Benz

You basically can say anything to someone on an email or text as long as you put LOL at the end.

Topics: Inspirational, Long, Say Anything

Everyone's born confident, and everything's taken away from you.

source: - "Kanye West: I’m Amazing". Interview with Peter Macia, www.thefader.com. November 29, 2012.

Topics: Taken, Born, Away From You

Sometimes I feel the music is the only medicine.

source: - Song: Crack_Music_, Album: Late Registration, 2005

Topics: Medicine, Sometimes, Music Is

Recognize and embrace your flaws so you can learn from them. Sometimes it takes a little polishing to truly shine.

Topics: Shining, Littles, Sometimes

Everybody gon' say something. I'd be worried if they said nothing.

source: - Source: www.nydailynews.com

Topics: Worried, Said, They Said

I would say my determination is way higher than my smartness.

source: - Source: www.harpersbazaar.com

Topics: Determination, Way, Higher, Smartness

Know your worth! People always act like they're doing more for you than you're doing for them.

source: - "Thank You and You're Welcome". Book by Kanye West and J. Sakiya Sandifer, 2009.

Topics: People, Knows

God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down

source: - Song: Jesus Walks

Topics: Rap, Trying, Devil

I refuse to follow the rules where society tries to control people with low self esteem.

Topics: Self Esteem, People, Trying

I don't know what's better gettin' laid or gettin' paid.

source: - Song: Dilated People

Topics: Song, Knows, Paid

Life is a b*tch depending how you dress her.

Topics: Hip Hop, Dresses, Life Is

You may be talented but you're not Kanye West.

source: - "See Celebrities Perform Dramatic Readings Of Kanye's Most Iconic Tweets" by Madeline Roth, www.mtv.com. March 2, 2016.

Topics: May, West

You can't look at a glass half full or empty if it's overflowing.

source: - "Kanye West: The Best Tweeter Of All Time". www.mtv.com. August 12, 2010.

Topics: Glasses, Looks, Half, Glass Half Full

The prettiest people do the ugliest things.

source: - Song: All Falls Down

Topics: People, Prettiest, Living The American Dream

They say your attitude determines your latitude.

source: - Song: Latitude

Topics: Attitude, Latitude, Determine

Criticism can bother you, but you should be more bothered if there’s no criticism. That means you’re too safe

Topics: Mean, Criticism, Safe

Living well eliminates the need for revenge.

Topics: Revenge, Hip Hop, Needs

I don't particularly like photos of myself, though.

source: - Source: www.harpersbazaar.com

If you have power, you have to empower.

source: - "The Breakfast Club", genius.com. February 20, 2015.

Topics: Empowering, Ifs

Beauty has been stolen from the people and is being sold back to them as luxury.

Topics: Luxury, Oxford University, People

I get to represent somebody I don't think is getting represented right now. The regular dude: the guy who believes in God but still likes pussy.

Topics: Believe, Thinking, Guy

It's about whatever I want to make it about. It's my world.

Topics: World, Want

I can analyze people's intentions. Immediately.That's just a warning. To everyone.

source: - Source: www.harpersbazaar.com

Topics: People, Warning, Intention

Thank God I'm not too cool for a seatbelt.

Topics: Song, Thank God, Too Cool

I’m not comfortable with comfort. I’m only comfortable when I’m in a place where I’m constantly learning and growing.

Topics: Comfort, Growing, Constantly Learning, Learning And Growing

I ain't crazy, I'm just not satisfied.

source: - "Kanye West's best rants from the last three years". www.mtv.com. February 28, 2013.

Topics: Crazy, Satisfied

Okay, for me, first of all, dopeness is what I like the most.

Topics: Firsts, Okay

To use is necessary. And if you can't be used, then you're useless.

source: - "Kanye West for the soul: rapper releases self-help book" by Sean Michaels, www.theguardian.com. February 6, 2008.

Topics: Use, Useless, Used

Society has put up so many boundaries, so many limitations on what’s right and wrong that it’s almost impossible to get a pure thought out. It’s like a little kid, a little boy, looking at colors, and no one told him what colors are good, before somebody tells you you shouldn’t like pink because that’s for girls, or you’d instantly become a gay two-year-old. Why would anyone pick blue over pink? Pink is obviously a better color. Everyone’s born confident, and everything’s taken away from you.

source: - "Kanye West: I’m Amazing". Interview with Peter Macia, www.thefader.com. November 29, 2012.

Topics: Girl, Taken, Kids

I just think that when my confidence meets other people's insecurity, that equals Kanye's arrogant.

Topics: Inspirational, Sleep, Thinking, Can't Sleep

I refuse to accept other people's ideas of happiness for me. As if there's a 'one size fits all' standard for happiness.

source: - "Thank You and You're Welcome". Book by Kanye West and J. Sakiya Sandifer, 2009.

Topics: Inspirational, Life Is Short, Ideas, One Size Fits All

Love your haters - they're your biggest fans

Topics: Funny, Hater, Fans, Jealous Hater, My Haters

If y'all fresh to death, then I'm deceased.

source: - Song: Selfish

Topics: Song, Deceased, Ifs

I feel that I'm very blessed. But with great blessings come great responsibility.

Topics: Inspirational, Blessed, Responsibility

They say people in your life are seasons and anything that happens is for a reason.

Topics: People, Reason, Seasons

As we live, our hearts turn colder. Cause pain is what we go through, as we become older. We get insulted by others, lose trust for those others. We get back stabbed by friends. It becomes harder for us to give others a hand. We get our heart broken by people we love, even that we give them all we have. Then we lose family over time. What else could rust the heart more over time? Blackgold.

Topics: Pain, Heart, Hands

To be a visionary, all you have to do is make decisions based off of your eyes instead of your ears and your memory.

Topics: Memories, Eye, Decision

I'm a champion, so I turn tragedy to triumph.

source: - Song: Through the Wire

Topics: Champion, Tragedy, Triumph

Why everything that's supposed to be bad Make me feel so good?

source: - Song: Addiction, Album: Late Registration, 2005

Topics: Song, Feels, Supposed To Be

I always feel like I can do anything. That's the main thing people are controlled by: thoughts and perceptions of yourself... If you're taught you can't do anything, you won't do anything

Topics: People, Perception, Taught

We're not always in the position that we want to be at. We're constantly growing, we're constantly making mistakes, we're constantly trying to express ourselves and trying to actualize our dreams.

source: - "Go Inside Kanye West's Yeezus for Adidas Fashion Show" by Kerry Pieri, www.harpersbazaar.com. February 12, 2015.

Topics: Dream, Mistake, Trying

What's the main thing that makes magic magic? The fact that no one believes that it's possible.

Topics: Believe, Magic, Facts

I had a dream I can buy my way to heaven.

source: - Source: www.nydailynews.com

Topics: Dream, Heaven, Way

Fonts. I get emotional over fonts.

Topics: Emotional, Fonts

They say ya additude determines ya laditude.

Topics: Determine

I never seen snakes on a plane

source: - Song: The Good Life

Topics: Snakes, Planes

I don’t like facts, because facts get in the way of my feelings.

source: - "Op-Ed: Can't We Just Listen?" by Chris A. Rockaway, pitchfork.com. March 3, 2015.

Topics: Feelings, Way, Facts

Let the music defuse all the tension.

Topics: Tension

People ask me a lot about my drive. I think it comes from, like, having a sexual addiction at a really young age. Look at the drive that people have to get sex - to dress like this and get a haircut and be in the club in the freezing cold at 3 A.M., the places they go to pick up a girl. If you can focus the energy into something valuable, put that into work ethic

Topics: Girl, Sex, Thinking, Love Or Hate, Sex Addiction

I know I got angels watchin me from the other side.

source: - Song: Never Let Me Down

Topics: Angel, Sides, Knows

Visiting my mind is like visiting the Hermès factory. Sh*t is real.

Topics: Real, Mind, Factories, Chinks, Real You

We gonna touch the sky.

source: - "Kanye West Made Sure To Touch The Sky At Tour Launch" by Shaheem Reid, www.mtv.com. October 12, 2005.

Topics: Song, Sky

There's nothing I really wanted to do in life that I wasn't able to get good at. That's my skill. I'm not really specifically talented at anything except for the ability to learn. That's what I do. That's what I'm here for.

source: - "Natural born show-off" by Dorian Lynskey, www.theguardian.com. August 4, 2005.

Topics: Skills, Able, Ability

I've been saying how I feel at the wrong time.

source: - Source: www.nydailynews.com

Topics: Feels, Wrong Time

I believe in myself like a five-year-old believes in himself. They say look at me, look at me! Then they do a flip in the backyard. It won't even be that amazing, but everyone will be clapping for them.

Topics: Believe, Years, Backyards, Clapping, I Believe In Myself

I wouldn't even say that I'm a rapper. I'd say I'm more of a messenger.

Topics: Sleep, Can't Sleep, Rapper

When someone comes up and says something like, 'I am a god,' everybody says 'Who does he think he is?' I just told you who I thought I was. A god. I just told you. That's who I think I am.

Topics: Hate, Thinking, Doe, Love Or Hate, Interviewing Someone

It's a tough world out there. You're going to prepare yourself for politics, bad bosses, hating employees - and usually when you're the absolute best, you get hated on the most.

source: - "Kanye West to L.A. Trade-School Grads: It's a 'Tough World' When You're 'the Absolute Best'" by Jocelyn Vena, www.hollywoodreporter.com. May 30, 2015.

Topics: Hate, Boss, World, Tough World

I would like to thank Julius Caesar for originating my hairstyle.

source: - "Avicii's music inspired snobbishness - yet he was the sound of collective euphoria" by Elle Hunt, www.theguardian.com. April 26, 2018.

Topics: Hairstyles, Julius

I see stuff from the future, and I'm such a futurist that I have to slow down and talk in the present.

Topics: Down And, Stuff, Slow Down, Futurist

I use too much of my brain and need to let some of it rest.

Topics: Music, Brain, Too Much

Never stop fighting no matter what anyone says. If it's in your gut, your soul, there's nothing, no worldly possession that should come between you and your expression.

Topics: Fighting, Expression, Soul, Worldly Possessions, Never Stop Fighting

Man… ninjas are kind of cool… I just don’t know any personally.

Topics: Men, Ninja, Kind

My attitude is tattooed that means it's permanent

Topics: Attitude, Mean, Tattooed

I can sleep. I love sleep; it's my favorite.

source: - Source: www.harpersbazaar.com

Topics: Sleep, My Favorite, Love Sleep

I've been outta my mind a long time.

source: - Source: www.nydailynews.com

Topics: Long, Mind, Long Time

Well, if someone has got all the money in the world, they'd still want love.

source: - Interview With Steve McQueen, www.interviewmagazine.com. January 14, 2014.

Topics: World, Want, Wells

I would rather sit in a factory than sit in a Maybach.

source: - "Behind Kanye’s Mask". Interview with Jon Caramanica, www.nytimes.com. June 11, 2013.

Topics: Egomaniacs, Factories

Sometimes when I see a bad performance and people still clap... I wonder if they're clapping because they liked what they saw or because they're happy it's over?

Topics: People, Saws, Sometimes, Clapping, Bad Performance

Having money isn't everything, not having it is.

Topics: Money Isn't Everything

So I hope that there are people out there laughing. Laugh loud, please. Laugh until your lungs give out because I will have the last laugh.

source: - Interview with Steve McQueen, www.interviewmagazine.com. January 14, 2014.

Topics: People, Giving, Laughing

If you’re a Kanye West fan, you’re not a fan of me, you’re a fan of yourself. You will believe in yourself. I’m just the espresso.

source: - "Kanye West's vaulting ambition does him - and others - a disservice" by Dorian Lynskey, www.theguardian.com. September 24, 2013.

Topics: Believe, Espresso, Fans, Love Or Hate

My parents taught me that AIDS was a man-made disease designed to get rid of the undesirable people.

source: - "The Passion of Kanye West". Interview with Lola Ogunnaike, www.rollingstone.com. February 9, 2006.

Topics: Men, People, Parent

Come on now! How could you be me and want to be someone else?

source: - "Natural born show-off". Interview with Dorian Lynskey, www.theguardian.com. August 5, 2005.

Topics: Confidence, Want

I believe that everyone is a fashion insider, because it's illegal to be naked.

Topics: Fashion, Believe, Naked, Insiders

The longer your gevity is, the more confidence you build.

Topics: Egomaniacs

I live and breathe every element in life.

Topics: Elements, Breathe

When we die, the money we can't keep, But we probably spend it all 'cause the pain ain't cheap...

source: - "Song: No Church in the Wild (Watch the Throne)". March 20, 2012.

Topics: Pain, Causes, Dies

My goal, if I was going to do art, fine art, would have been to become Picasso or greater. That always sounds so funny to people, comparing yourself to someone in the past that has done so much, and in your life you’re not even allowed to think that you can do as much. That’s a mentality that suppresses humanity.

source: - "Kanye West Lectures at Oxford, Discusses Grammys, Nicki Minaj, The Matrix" by Jeremy Gordon, pitchfork.com. March 2, 2015.

Topics: Art, Past, Thinking, Lecturer, Oxford University

No flip flops for black dudes. I don’t care where you at. Wear some hot ass Jordans on the beach.

Topics: Beach, Black, Hot, Flip Flops

People always try to box you in to what they know you best for.

source: - "Kanye West to L.A. Trade-School Grads: It's a 'Tough World' When You're 'the Absolute Best'" by Jocelyn Vena, www.hollywoodreporter.com. May 30, 2015.

Topics: People, Trying, Boxes

I know I got to be right now Cause I can't get much wronger

source: - Song: Stronger, Album: Graduation

Topics: Causes, Right Now, Knows

I don't know what's better: getting laid or getting paid. I just know when I'm getting one, the other's getting away.

Topics: Rap, Hip Hop, Get Away, Getting Laid

I still think I am the greatest.

Topics: Thinking, Stills

I woke up early this mornin' with a new state of mind/ A creative way to rhyme without usin' knives and guns

source: - Song: Family Business

Topics: Gun, Knives, Up Early

I am not what I would consider truly a musician. I am an inventor. I am an innovator.

source: - "Kanye West: In His Own Words". www.papermag.com. April 20, 2015.

Topics: Musician, Inventor, Innovators

Everything in the world is exactly the same.

source: - "Watch Kanye West Perform a Career-Spanning Medley, Chat on 'Seth Meyers'" by Evan Minsker, pitchfork.com. February 26, 2014.

Topics: World

We have the ability to approach our race like ants, or we have the ability to approach our race like crabs.

source: - Guest Lecture at Oxford University, www.vulture.com. March 2, 2015.

Topics: Race, Oxford, Ants, Oxford University, Crabs

..my music isn't just music- its medicine.

Topics: Song, Medicine

50 told me go head and switch the style up and if they hate, let 'em hate, watch the money pile up.

Topics: Hate, Hip Hop, Style

Death is promised. So what do you do with your life? How do you make the most of it? How do you make your voice the loudest?

source: - "Listen to Yeezus Bless Fashion Students With His Wisdom" by Sean Fitz-Gerald, www.esquire.com. May 31, 2015.

Topics: Voice

I think God has me on a path. I think he puts certain people in my life, and angels send messages to me, like, Kanye, I want you to say this, and I want you to say that, and I want you to talk to this girl here, and I don't want you to do this over here.

source: - Source: fionaapplerocks.tumblr.com

Topics: Girl, Angel, Thinking

Went from most hated to the Champion God Flow, I guess that's a feelin' only me and LeBron know.

Topics: Rap, Hip Hop, Champion

Brands are selling our self-esteem back to us, through association. We need to own our brands.

Topics: Self Esteem, Needs, Association

If everything I did failed - which it doesn't, it actually succeeds - just the fact that I'm willing to fail is an inspiration. People are so scared to lose that they don't even try. Like, one thing people can't say is that I'm not trying, and not I'm not trying my hardest, and I'm not trying to do the best way I know how.

Topics: Inspiration, Trying My Hardest, People

You want me to be great, but you don't ever want me to say I'm great?

source: - "Kanye West plays Jesus on Rolling Stone". www.today.com. January 25, 2006.

Topics: Want, You Want Me, Want Me

I just close my eyes and act like I'm a 3-year-old. I try to get as close to a childlike level as possible because we were all artists back then. So you just close your eyes and think back to when you were as young as you can remember and had the least barriers to your creativity.

source: - Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

Topics: Creativity, Eye, Artist

That that don't kill me, can only make me stronger.

source: - Song: Stronger, Album: Graduation

Topics: Thug, Stronger, Only God Can Judge Me, Pacs, Thug Life

I love nudity. And I love beautiful shapes.

source: - Source: www.harpersbazaar.com

Topics: Beautiful, Love Is, Shapes

Every time I crash the Internet, it's like this little drop of truth. Every time I say something that's extremely truthful out loud, it literally breaks the Internet. So what are we getting all of the rest of the time?

Topics: Littles, Truthful, Internet

If anyone's reading this waiting for some type of full-on, flat apology for anything, they should just stop reading right now.

source: - "Kanye West New York Times Interview: Rapper Takes Back Taylor Swift Apology, Professes Love For Kim Kardashian", www.huffingtonpost.com. June 12, 2013.

Topics: Reading, Apology, Waiting

Respect my trendsetting abilities. Once that happens, everyone wins.

source: - "Behind Kanye’s Mask". Interview with Jon Caramanica, www.nytimes.com. June 11, 2013.

Topics: Winning, Ability, Happens

I'm not going to sit inside of a corporation for 20 years. The time is now. The time is now to express yourself. The time is now to believe in yourself.

Topics: Believe, Years, Corporations

I'm a let you finish, but the French Revolution had the best severed heads of ALL TIME.

Topics: Revolution, French Revolution, All Time

It is true you can be successful without [college], but this is a hard world, a real world, and you want every advantage you can have. I would suggest to people to do all that you can. When I dropped out of school, I had worked in the music industry and had checks cut in my name from record labels and had a record deal on the table, and when I wasn’t successful and Columbia said, ’We’ll call you,’ I had to go back and work a telemarketing job, go back to the real world, and that’s how life is. Life is hard. Take advantage of your opportunities.

source: - "College Dropout Kanye Tells High School Students Not To Follow In His Footsteps" by Corey Moss, www.mtv.com. December 5, 2005.

Topics: Jobs, Real, School, Record Labels

Wait 'till I get my money right.

source: - Song: Can't Tell Me Nothing

Topics: Waiting