Kanye West tells Sway he's the most impactful artist of his generation, comparing himself to Warhol, Shakespeare, and Disney. He says he's willing to risk $13 million on his vision but can't get the support he deserves, blaming an industry system that blocks true artistic voices.
Chapters
I'm standing up and I'm telling you, I am Warhol. I am the number one most impactful artist of our generation. I am Shakespeare in the flesh. Walt Disney, Nike, Google. Now, who's going to be the Medici family and stand up and let me create more? Or do you want to marginalize me till I'm out of my moment?
Or why don't you empower yourself and don't need them and do it yourself? Halfway. Take a few steps back. You ain't got the answers, man.
You ain't got the answers.
You ain't got the answers. You ain't got the answers, Sway.
I've been doing this more than you. Doing what? You ain't got—
come on, chill out. You ain't got the answers. You ain't got the answers. I'm asking you, you ain't been doing the education, bro.
You ain't been doing the education.
Calm down.
You don't have the answers though, because you trying to give me advice about something. You ain't got the answer. You ain't spent $13 million of your own money trying to empower yourself.
Yes, but I spent hundreds of thousands and don't putting out clothing lines at a smaller degree. All I'm asking you— and there ain't no Ralph though.
It ain't Ralph level.
Let me ask you this.
I'm asking, what's the name of your clothing line? We don't know.
Kanye, because I lost money. But that's not exactly—
and I could lose money on a higher level too. Don't think just because I got the most money—
finish my question, dog, man. No, man, you don't have the answers. I'm asking you for the answer. It's a question. Why is it that you can't? You have money. I just told you I lost the money because I did not have the knowledge. So you You don't have the money to do it. That's your answer. You ain't gotta turn up, man. This ain't no fucking show, man. I'm talking to you as a homie. It ain't no homie, man, because the thing is, the bottom line is, man, everybody— everybody— hold up. Ain't no hold up. It ain't gotta be no hold up. I'm asking you a question. I'm asking you a question. What do you mean it ain't no hold up, man? We here talking as civilized people. I'm trying to understand your world because when I go to your concert I'm curious about what you're saying. I don't know. That's why I'm asking you the questions.
Well, I'm explaining to you.
Okay, but you ain't got to turn up on me, man to man, dog. Fuck these mics. We could turn all this shit off. You ain't got to do this. It's cool. I love you, bro, but you ain't got to turn away. No, don't try to embarrass us.
I'm not trying to embarrass y'all. What I'm trying to say to y'all is this industry of what I'm trying to get into Ain't nobody never broke down. Ain't nobody broke down. We all slaves. So I ain't trying to disrespect you on your show. We all slaves. It's not about my show. Yeah, I ain't trying to disrespect you, period. Let me talk if you're gonna have me talk. We all slaves. We all slaves. And y'all ain't experienced nothing right here but a moment from a movie out of Glory.
