By Kathleen Newman-Bremang
Kanye West may be hyping himself as the Michael Jordan of the rap world, but we've got some news for you, Yeezy — you might not even be the MJ of songs with "Paranoid" in the title. With yesterday's viral release of West's official (not leaked) version of his "Paranoid" music video and the Jonas Brothers' new hit single of the same name, we decided to take a look back at some other artists who were feeling the nervous vibe long before Kanye and the JoBros. Yes, Radiohead, Garbage and Black Sabbath did the paranoia-themed vid first. But who did it best? Let's take a look:
Kanye West - "Paranoid"
We have to admit, when the first version of the video leaked, we weren't that impressed. But the final cut finds Kanye in his true form, delivering a high-concept music video that feels more like a piece of art than anything else, and the black-and-white clip even guest-stars Rihanna as a disturbed vixen in the midst of a nightmare. In the song, Kanye advises his lady to quit worrying about "the wrong things," but there's nothing wrong with this clip. Kudos to Kanye for the old-school film noir vibe — we're digging it.
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By Jayson Rodriguez
Kanye West always stays fresh in the wardrobe department, but that doesn't mean he can't big someone else up for their fashion sense.
"Oh, I like your shoes," 'Ye told Bun B as he passed him backstage at the Drake show last night in New York.
Bun, of course, had on the Nike Air Yeezys. The kicks — a mix of Michael J. Fox's shoes in "Back to the Future Part II" and classic Air Jordans with an array of sensibilities from the swoosh — were designed by Kanye. 'Ye and Bun shared a laugh when they both looked down at the charcoal pair on the UGK rapper's feet.
"I got a big foot and I be needing a shoe that's comfortable, but still fly," Bun told Kanye. "Just because I'm big don't mean I can't be fresh."
See the video after the jump! Read more...
One thing you have to say for Kanye West: His stream-of-consciousness thoughts tend to lead to interesting places. On Wednesday, he somehow managed to transition from talking about the low aesthetic quality of paparazzi photographs to saying that Justin Timberlake is the new Michael Jackson, Lil Wayne is the new Jimi Hendrix, Jay-Z is the new Frank Sinatra and more — all in less than 150 words! Check out Kanye's blog here, and the post (as usual in all-caps, which we've put into sentence case) right here, which accompanies a classy paparazzi shot of Rihanna:
"Fresh a-- picture!!! Yo why can't all paparazzi photos be this good? Well obviously because most celebs just aren't Rihanna LOL! ... But on the real, this pic is hardcore. Peep the perspective shot of the city in the back. Sometimes the paps overexpose the lens or have the flash too high taking all the emotion out of the moment. This moment is captured in time now. I look at our current superstars like legends in the making ... Like Justin is the new Mike, Beyoncé's the new Tina Turner, [Lady] Gaga's Madonna, Jay is Sinatra ... Wayne is Hendrix, [Radiohead's] Thom Yorke is [Pink Floyd's] Roger Waters, these are the champions and should be documented as such. That said, it would be dope if the paps operated with the same integrity and attention to their craft as the legends they photograph ... Good job on this one!"
By Steven Roberts
When Kanye West told Mixtape Monday last November that his new artist Mr Hudson could be bigger than him, I'm pretty sure most of you were like, "Who is Mr Hudson?" When we caught up with the duo on the set of Hudson's "Supernova" video, Kanye continued with the compliments, comparing Hudson to Jim Morrison and Michael Jackson, among others.
"I believe that Mr Hudson has the potential to be bigger than me," Kanye told MTV News. "It's certain artists that ... I said that when Rihanna was opening up for me. It's certain people that have the potential to take it even further."
Hudson seemed flattered but joked that he was annoyed by the pressure of the compliment. Kanye apologized, realizing the gravity of his statement. Hudson pointed out that most people don't even know who he is. They do, however, know that he has a Louis Vuitton shoe named after him. Read more...
Earlier this week, we headed up to Chelsea, Massachusetts, for the filming of Wale's video for "Chillin," featuring the girl of the moment: Lady Gaga.
The set was a huge disused shipping yard on the banks of the Mystic River, complete with a broken-down ship, giant cranes, huge concrete blocks, wood timbers and two of the hottest new names from the worlds of hip-hop and pop.
Despite the industrial setting, everything on the video set went smoothly: After all, with veteran director Chris Robinson behind the lens, both Wale and Gaga were in safe hands. Wale brought the energy and swagger to the set, while Gaga added the finishing touches with her usual un-usual attitude and picture-perfect posing.
We'll have lots more from the set visit in the coming days, but I want to use this opportunity to put out a very serious warning ...
While I was getting changed that morning, I was thinking that the Wale video shoot might be the perfect time to break out my new black Nike Air Yeezys, but at the last minute I changed my mind and opted for a pair of dunks instead.
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Rick Ross has made Kanye West a believer. The Miami rap kingpin is still awaiting his first-week numbers to find out if Deeper Than Rap will be his third consecutive album to debut at #1 one. However, as the fans hit stores and critics critique the opus, Ross has one very vocal supporter: Kanye West, who raved about Deeper Than Rap on his blog last night.
"Rick's album is the sh--," Kanye boasted. "He made an album I can play in my apartment, which is the highest honor I can give any piece of music. TV on the Radio, Feist, Pink Floyd and the new Rick Ross album!"
Of course ,West is not completely objective about the project. Kanye is one of the stars of album highlight "Maybach Music 2," which also features T-Pain and Lil Wayne.
"Marrrrrrrr-tinnnnnn, Louie the King Junior," West raps on the song, calling out his newest nickname. "Starrrrrrrr-tinnnnnnn all that stuntin' is gon' ruin ya/ If B.I. was alive, he probably have a two-tone/ With the Grey Poupon, anything 'Ye poop on/ Will explode, 'cause I am the sh--, and this is my commode/ Uh-oh there they go/ Talking 'bout how ya boy clothes extra tight/ I just remembered that my limelight extra bright."
Kanye is still promoting his own #1 album, 808s and Heartbreak. He recently released the video for the third single, "Amazing," with Young Jeezy. The song is also used in a commercial for the NBA postseason.
By Cara Alwill
How does he do it? Besides juggling his day job as a rapper/producer, in just one week Kanye West has announced that he will be releasing sneakers, a fragrance and now an energy drink. Perhaps that's the secret to his seemingly boundless stamina?
Kanye has joined forces with GURU Beverages, maker and distributor of organic and natural drinks. He plans to infuse his style into the product and, according to a statement released by GURU, the drink will be "inspired by his own personal artistic vision." A self-proclaimed Renaissance man, West commented on the new deal by saying in a press release, "I express myself through music, fashion, art and design and that's why I am excited to collaborate with GURU; because the brand values what I value and I can put what inspires me into this new product." It will be interesting to fit all of that into one drink, but if it gives me half the energy and talent Kanye has, I'll try it. Between Big Boi's Coca Cola Full Throttle Fury, 50 Cent's Vitamin Water Formula 50 and now Kanye's latest concoction, at least we have some variety when selecting which rap-inspired drink we'd like to sip on.
By Nicole Tahan
BALTIMORE, Maryland — We're all aware of the crazy fans camping out in NYC to buy Kanye West's Nike Air Yeezys last Saturday, but the stories from die-hard fans in other towns ought to be heard too.
My boyfriend wanted to drive down to Baltimore to buy a pair, and, being a shoe fanatic, I sort of understood and agreed to go along. He figured Baltimore would be a better bet for the highly coveted shoes than New York. Oh, was he wrong.
We arrived at 5:45 a.m. on Saturday and seemed to be the first and only car to be found at the Mondawmin Mall. Only one store in the city, Down Town Locker Room, was selling them that day, and they had only 24 pairs in stock. When 7 a.m. rolled around, we began to wonder where all the other Kanye/Nike fans were. Or was he the only person insane enough to be there so early? We drove to the opposite side of the mall to find a group of starving, freezing and anxious sneaker-heads.
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By Steven Roberts
Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label runs the gamut from well-known MCs like Common to lesser-known artists like Consequence, Big Sean and GLC. Now, Kid Cudi is emerging in the mainstream — with his hit song "Day 'N' Nite" and appearances at mtvU Spring Break and South by Southwest — and it looks like the future of Kanye's label is in good hands.
"My job is to make not only myself look good, but to make 'Ye look good," Cudi said. "I tell him all the time: 'Don't worry, I got you. I'm going to make you look better than what you look right now.' "
The Ohio MC said he and West are building toward the future. "He's like my Quincy Jones, and I'm the Michael Jackson," Kid said. "Eventually, I want to be the Quincy Jones and find my Michael Jackson. It's a circle, the circle of life, circle of music, circle of good things."
Cudi said he was invited to Hawaii to record tracks for West's 808s & Heartbreak, and Kanye rewarded him with a chain. Cudi was grateful, and he texted West to thank him. "I definitely told him that I appreciated him more than he knew and just to say 'thank you.' He hit me back, like, 'Man, you inspire me too,' " Cudi recalled, saying he was shocked by his response.
Kid said West thanked him for the future of G.O.O.D. Music: "When he told me that I inspired him on his project, and he's thanking me for adding years to the brand of G.O.O.D. Music, that's just so crazy."
FROM MTVNEWS.COM: How can we say this nicely? Kanye West can be a wee bit of a control freak. It's not really a secret, though; the producer and rapper has spoken out in the past about the lengths to which he goes to create his art -- whether it's mixing songs over and over again or tediously planning out his Glow in the Dark spectacular. The result of his passion, however, usually leads to universally amazing work.
Read more about Kanye's complicated Complex cover shoot, and the revealing interview, at MTVNews.com
