Kanye West Calls Himself The Michael Jordan Of Music

Ahead of the release of his new album, the much anticipated "Yeezus," rapper Kanye West gave the New York Times a rare glimpse into the guarded mind of the man behind the music.

In a drawn out basketball analogy, West, 35, evokes an argument about credibility that he's been verbalizing during several of his most recent concert performances — often times in bizarre rants against the music industry.

"I wasn't on my eighth-grade team, because some coach — some Grammy, some reviewer, some fashion person, some blah blah blah — they're all the same as that coach," he said.

"Where I didn't feel that I had a position in eighth grade to scream and say, 'Because I hit every one of my shots, I deserve to be on this team!' I'm letting it out on everybody who doesn't want to give me my credit."

The Chicago rapper goes on to clarify his position in music — one, he says, he's been appointed to.

"You put me on the team," West said, referring to music listeners. "So I'm going to use my platform to tell people that they're not being fair."

"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."

West refers to the fact that he hasn't won a Grammy "against a white person" despite making "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and "Watch The Throne" in the same year.

"I don't care about the Grammys; I just would like for the statistics to be more accurate," he said.

The "Monster" rapper also maintains he has no regrets, not even in interrupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards because it's only led him to "complete awesomeness at all times."


"'Dark Fantasy' was my long, backhanded apology," he said. "I was like: 'Let me show you guys what I can do, and please accept me back. You want to have me on your shelves.'… That was the album where I gave people what they wanted."

Though his bravado takes center stage for much of the exchange, West shows his sensitive — and fiercely protective side — when it comes to the love of his life, Kim Kardashian.

“Any woman that you’re in love with or that loves you is going to command a certain amount of, you know, energy,” he said.

Kardashian, 32, is expected to give birth to West’s first child, a daughter, in July.

On the heels of the interview, West is shooting down reports that he cheated on Kardashian with a Canadian model. The rapper has denied any wrongdoing, saying 24-year-old Leyla Ghobadi's claims that she slept with him are "without merit."

“I would do anything to protect my child or my child’s mother," the "Good Life" rapper tells the Times. "As simple as that."

“I just don’t want to talk to America about my family... Like, this is my baby. This isn’t America’s baby.”








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