The musical icon who secretly had a love for Kanye West: “He liked him”
College Dropout creator Kanye West has been in Japan for the past few months and has been off the radar regarding hip-hop since 2022. Whether it was related to his divorce or problems with business, since getting cancelled, he has definitely been an elusive figure.
Furthermore, many agree that the Chicago rapper, producer, and entrepreneur hasn’t made a good album since the release of Ye in 2018. That said, there has been a theory in the culture that the “new Kanye” isn’t the same as the “old Kanye.”
Vultures 1 and Vultures 2, made alongside Ty Dolla $ign didn’t live up to people’s high expectations, and for many, this has only reassured them that his run has come to an end, and, as he approaches 50 years old, has lost the captivating creativity he had in the 2000s and 2010s.
Despite people’s opinions and speculation about his talent, West is still of interest to many music lovers, and some of the most unlikely people have revealed they are fans of him over the years.
Throughout his career, West has compared himself to the world’s creative giants. Whether that be Steve Jobs or Michaelangelo, the Chicago native remains insistent that he is as good as or better than some of the most influential artists, musicians, and minds of the 20th and 21st centuries.
During an interview with Zane Lowe ahead of his Yeezus LP release, Kanye decided to drop his name alongside Prince and Michael Jackson when talking about his impact on popular music. That said, until 2016, nobody was ever aware whether or not these late legends liked Kanye West and whether or not they appreciated his music.
Fortunately for fans of the Graduation creator, in 2016, the world did find out that, in fact, the “King of Pop” himself, Michael Jackson, was fully aware of West and was a big fan of his 2008 project 808s & Heartbreak.
This came as a shock to many due to Jackson’s status as a vocalist. While MJ is known for producing natural, sweet-sounding vocals, West’s fourth album is known for its unapologetic and bold use of autotune, a technology that many classic singers hate. However, thanks to his daughter, Paris Jackson, fans now know that the “King of Pop” was an avid listener of 808s & Heartbreak.
Jackson was such a fan of the project that he showed it to his daughter. In response to a 2016 Instagram post expressing sadness that Kanye had surpassed MJ in Top 40 hits, Paris optimistically suggested how we should all look at the art of our times, proposing less competition and more recognition.
In response to the post, Jackson opened up about her father’s love for Kanye, writing, “The first time I ever heard Kanye’s heartbreak album was from my dad. He played it for me all the time. He liked him. He never saw music as a competition or a game, never had a motive to talk shit about other artists. It was always about the love and respect and appreciation for music.”
She continued, “So if someone breaks a new record, be happy for them. they worked hard for it and they earned it. don’t be angry or jealous or bias. Music is music and if it’s good it deserves recognition.” So it seems that, behind closed doors, MJ did, in fact, consider Kanye extraordinarily talented, although he never revealed it publicly.