All Praise Be To Yeezus
But seriously, he asked a poignant question...who the f#ck is Bob Ezrin? And why does his opinion matter? Macklemore more important than Ye? To rap? To music period? To pop culture period?
Regardless of what you think about Kanye on a personal level, dude has changed the culture. And I'm not even talking about just hip hop culture. I'm talking about pop culture overall.
Dude took hip hop from being tough and over-masculine to being something that the average person could relate to in a more honest, genuine way. Dude paved the way for those who dominate rap today...Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Drake. Without Kanye, the genre would not have had the palate for these rappers. No longer did you have to have a "rep" where you sold drugs, spent time in jail and possibly murdered people. No, you could be a college kid or a college dropout struggling to get over your ex who left you for the star football player on campus.
Dude changed the sound of hip hop....or should I say, he expounded it. People clowned him for 808 and Heartbreak, but without this sound, the hip hop/pop game would not have been so ready to embrace the biggest draw in hip hop right now, Drake. Hip hop has an expounded sound now because one of its biggest stars, Ye, was willing to own his art and push a new sound.
Dude changed fashion in hip hop. Him and his crew were rocking pastels, fitted Polos and designer backpacks when the dregs of baggy jeans, wife beaters and Timbs were still clinging on. People use to clown him for how he dressed. Now, look at the game.
Dude changed footwear period. He was the one wearing classic Jordans when everyone had all but forgot about them. Jordan Brand needs to send him and Don C a check every month. If any company should partner up with Ye, it should be Nike. Because he breathed life back into a segment of their lineup that was dead. Now, retro Jordans are all the rage.
Continuing on footwear, dude partnered with two different companies, Nike and Adidas, and made the most sought after sneakers in the sneaker game, period. Owning a pair of Yeezys is a status symbol. Can the same be said for any other rapper, or even pro athlete, whose name and/or likeness is attached to a sneaker? No, it cannot. People aren't sleeping outside for Huaraches or even LeBrons. Only two sneakers have people doing crazy things and spending crazy money to get them....Yeezys and retro Jordans. Both of which are because of Ye.
I know someone is going to say I'm a d#ck rider or whatever. But facts are facts. I admire Kanye as an artist and enjoy his much of his music. He's the most poignant rapper I've ever come across in terms of raw honesty in his music. And even if I wasn't a supporter of his music, I would still type the same post. Why? Because the facts stand on their own.
Peace