In the defense of Kanye West

Madyson Baker-Jones

I like Kanye West ..

Notorious for going off on the paparazzi and his marriage to Kim Kardashian, Kanye ruffles feathers, known as the “extremely obnoxious narcissistic rapper” that everyone loves to hate.

He isn’t a crowd pleaser, but I still like him.

It’s no secret that Kanye wants to be recognized, he wants to be seen. He calls himself a professional dreamer and will exacerbate his message with arrogance to make a point.

Transforming himself from a rapper to a fashion designer he will not be compromised or discouraged even by the very entities he needs.

His vision and desire to be the next Ralph Lauren or Louis Vuitton is probably laughable in those circles. Yet Kanye is focused and steadfast in this dream and his critics only seem to fuel a fire to reach his goal.

How many of us would still believe in isolation?

He takes on the persona of the gifted middle child who feels trapped by the shadow of his siblings. Trying to gain the respect and financial backing of parents who are oblivious to his vision. So he gets louder, works harder and ‘turn’s up’ so that he will not just be apart of the package of his siblings but respected as an individual.

West has earned the respect in the hip-hop world by speaking his truth, rhyming and being on the billboard top 100. He is ready to reach those heights in fashion, recognizing that Nike and Adidas will perpetually urbanize his products, he fights back.

Sometimes one has to be their own cheerleader and what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with loving yourself and demanding respect? Just because Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton were able to break glass ceilings with an un-presuming class doesn’t mean Kanye has to.

His attitude is: I know I’m special and I’m going to do and say outrageous things until everyone knows.

What is intoxicating about Mr. West’s journey is that it has momentum and versatility. His approach is unnerving and sometimes more robust than passionate but he is unafraid of his own mistakes and shortcomings. To be a flawed and unapologetic is true emotional and mental security.

He went from being just a teenage minority statistic in Chicago to multi-millionaire rapper/producer and now a relevant high end fashion designer.

The intensity in which he believes in himself when the world doesn’t is admirable. Kanye isn’t going to progress or be great quietly; and he shouldn’t have to. His attitude should be celebrated not demonized.