Kanye West is one of the biggest names in modern music whether it comes from his controversy or incredibly talented musical ear. Much of his public identity comes from controversy he creates and then later addresses it in his music. Kanye has never been the type of person to back down when faced with talking about his conflicts. What makes him stand out as a person is that his controversies live within his music. They will show up in the lyrics, the tone, the production, and the messages he chooses to highlight. When breaking down his music it often feels like listening to a whole conversation between Kanye and everyone judging him. Each album becomes a record of the situations he faces and the ways he wants to be understood.

The more popular Kanye became, the more controversies started to surround his name. By the time he released his albums Late Registration and Graduation, he was already known for speaking his mind without hesitation. His strong personality was apparent. His biggest controversy came up when he said on live television that George Bush does not care about black people. That moment followed him in interviews, public debates, and media conversations for quite a while. Kanye used this to fuel certain music and try to show people where he came from. Songs like Crack Music and Champion take on themes of racial inequality, politics, and cultural identity. This is what he wanted people to notice when he made the outrageous comment on television. Even when the songs are not directly about the incident, Kanye makes it clear that his role as a musician is something he views greater than just making music. He wants to spread a message. He views controversy as a way to bring difficult topics to light, topics that people often avoid.

The release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy marked one of the most important moments in Kanye’s career, as well as one of his most popular songs, Runaway. Kanye was facing severe backlash for interrupting Taylor Swift during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. He grabbed the microphone and said Beyonce deserved the reward. Headlines labeled him arrogant, out of control, and unprofessional. Instead of addressing these criticisms publicly, he made the album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and truly embraced all of the accusations coming at him. Songs like Runaway and Power explore themes of ego, self-sabotage, and the fine line between being famous and being moral. Runaway in particular addresses these criticisms in what feels like an apology. He acknowledges his flaws while at the same time refuses to be somebody who he is not. This was a big moment for Kanye. He turned his controversy into an artistic masterpiece. He took a cultural scandal and turned it into a study of personal identity. Many critics later described the album as both a confession and an act of resistance against a society that judges celebrities without viewing them as people either.

This constant relationship between controversy and musical expression is what makes Kanye West such a tough person to analyze. Some listeners see him as fearless. Some listeners see him as unpredictable. He does not care what people think. He continues to create music that reflects the issues he faces. He uses music as a creative outlet for his public mistakes. He uses them to shape the messages he wants to share. His music does not just show musical advancement, but also personal advancement. Every controversy he encounters ends up influencing his music whether that is his sound or message. This invites all listeners to enjoy his own story behind his musical creativity.

About the Author

I am a second year information systems student in the College of Business. I was born and raised in the city of Chicago and now live in Indianapolis. I chose to go to UC because I liked their focus on experiential learning. Writing has never been a strong suit of mine which is why I am doing a podcast.