S. Samuel
Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons took some time today (November 27) to reflect on his admiration toward Kanye West and detailed just how much of a positive contribution he makes to society.
According to Simmons, they recently spoke face-to-face and he realized just how passionate Ye is about making a difference in the world.
“I recently sat down with Ye in New York and got the chance to hear about his hopes and ambitions, his frustrations and contradictions, his happiness and his anger. But through it all, what I felt from Kanye was an artist who desperately wants to leave his imprint in the history books. What’s often times misunderstood about Kanye is that people believe he wants all of this for himself, in fact, quite the opposite, he wants all of this for the rest of us. He wants to destroy the glass ceiling with 808?s and crack music…so one day WE have the power to see all of the lights. Certainly he wants a piece for himself…everybody would, but at his core, at the bottom of his heart, lies an inner-truth that has led to an external battle to make this world a bit easier for those who have been dealt a hand of struggle, by showing them a glimmer of hope through his art.” (Global Grind)
In Simmons’ opinion, Mr. West has the power to lead masses into a new generation of advancement.
“We will no longer be lost in the world and we will survive in this America. I believe these truths to be self-evident. That is what Kanye West told me on a cold morning in New York City just seven days ago. It is his genius, his tenacity, his creativity, his relentlessness and his madness, that will allow us all to one day have the ability to touch the sky.” (Global Grind)
Shortly after Russell posted his blog entry, Kanye jumped at the opportunity to respond.
“Thank you Russel for these kind insightful words, I appreciate your mentorship.,” Kanye tweeted November 27. (Kanye West’s Twitter)
Kanye recently talked about his evolution as an artist, specifically how his flow has changed.
“I used to not rap that good, but I knew that I had something to say. People would put up with it because they liked that soul sound that Jay Z and Mos Def had presented to them. This new version of the sound that mixed Roc-A-Fella and [Dr.] Dre drums next to a more Wu-Tang type of soul. And my style of rap was more spoken word. That’s why I had to be so message based. It had to be something where if you took the beat away, it literally would be a poem. But coming from those places, by the time I learned how to rap, now you’re getting the combination of the highest level of information next to a good rapper.” (Q102)
Make sure to also follow SOHH’s Instagram and Get Frush’s Instagram pages!
