S. Samuel
Grammy-winning rapper Kanye West gave a surprising statement last night at the screening for his new film Runaway, revealing that he considered ending his life in the past.
West explained his remark during the film’s Los Angeles screening.
Kanye West told an audience at a screening of his film, “Runaway,” that he thought about killing himself, but now feels a responsibility to make a meaningful contribution to pop culture and art. Describing himself as a pop icon and “soldier for culture,” West told the crowd “there were times that I contemplated suicide.” However, he said, “I will not give up on life again.” “There’s so many people that will never get the chance to have their voice heard” as loudly as his, West said Monday. “I do it for them.” (Associated Press)
Despite the shocking news, West did not state the exact point in his life that he considered taking his life.
West, who didn’t say when he had considered suicide, is credited as director of the abstract 35-minute film, which features portions of nine new West songs, boldly colorful visuals and off-kilter camera angles. The mostly dialogue-free piece, set to premiere this weekend on MTV, VH1 and BET, will accompany West’s upcoming album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” which will be released Nov. 22. (National Public Radio)
Last summer, West tweeted about his past internal struggles.
“People ar so scared of pain hurt and embarrassment that no one takes risk anymore … I’ve made so many mistakes that made me better today,” Kanye wrote Thursday (August 5).
“I’ve been hurt and embarrassed but I still believe in good will. Give of yourself with no fear and one day he’ll have you in the clear.”
“He returns the blessings you give 10 fold. I feel God’s light shining through my darkest year of my life and career. I feel the glow again.”
“I will be a better man, friend, role model, citizen, blogger, tweeter, artist, creator, giver, thinker, motivator and person. IFEELTHEGLOW.” (Kanye West’s Twitter)
In September, West inked out his personal feelings and how painful his comeback to hip-hop was after making headlines for disrupting country singer Taylor Swift‘s televised Video Music Awards 09 speech.
“I spent the last year improving every element of myself as a person. By default, my raps are way better now, because I’m at a point where I don’t have to come up with lines–I just think of what I’m really doing and make it rhyme. January first of this year, I started back in the studio. I knew for a while I was going to start that day. I still had a lot of pain, and I needed to write that pain out, and it’s on my new album. But toward the end is when the Kanye West music really came. Everything is a form of my music, but the style of 808s & Heartbreak is better served by Drake and Kid Cudi than it is by me. I think they could both carry that sound better than I could, and also being that Cudi helped design that sound. That style of music is very nighttime, very streetlights. It’s, like, ‘streetlights glowing.’ All that.” (XXL Magazine)
Check out a recent Kanye West interview down below:
