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Kanye West On Creativity
- pclark 17y agoKanye West found a way to prevent his content being made readable, even via readability.
- revorad 17y agoGimp to the rescue! http://hrishimittal.com/kanye_west_on_creativity.jpg http://hrishimittal.com/kanye_west_on_creativity.jpg
- michael_dorfman 17y agoNot enough for me, I'm afraid. I suppose someone could run it through OCR and put it into a normal paragraph form, but I'm not convinced it's worth the bother.
- petercooper 17y agoYet when _why did it with his code examples, it was cool! ;-) But, yeah, someone should clue him up on @font-face or something g I appreciate the crazy typography sometimes, but being able to copy and paste it is always nice..
- dasil003 17y agoCreativity is not about checking off a long list of small boxes
- brsanders 17y agoI was actually able to scroll through and read it rather quickly. I handwrite in all caps, so maybe that has something to do with it?
- deleted 17y ago[deleted]
- maxklein 17y agoWhat's impressive about Kanye is that when he reached the peak of the particular art form he was in (his music), he was willing to start on a whole new art form, where it was sure that he would initially have to go through a pain process. That's what we all have to do. Not just keep repeating the same shit in slightly different forms, but go somewhere else and do something new. You can't know what you don't know till you've been somewhere you haven't ever been.
- andrewcooke 17y agohi - i don't know much about the guy, except that he's a rap artist. what's the new art form?
- CoachRufus87 17y agothere's more than one form of rap
- andrewcooke 17y agothat's true, but Not just keep repeating the same shit in slightly different forms, but go somewhere else and do something new gave me slightly higher expectations, all the same.
- starkfist 17y agowhat's the new art form? Autotune. He also assembled a team of people hipper than himself to do research and development for him. In this way he's similar to contemporary artists like murakami, hirst and koons in that he's more of a manager, while his employees do the work of figuring out what's hip and helping him incorporate that into his music, videos and fashion sense.
- retro 17y agoWhat's Autotune? Auto-Tune was also used to produce the prominent altered vocal effect on Cher's "Believe," recorded in 1998. When first interviewed about this, the sound engineers claimed that they had used a vocoder, in what Sound on Sound perceived as an attempt to preserve a trade secret.[7] After the massive success of "Believe," many artists imitated the technique. It was evident in songs of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Some notable examples are Gigi D'Agostino's "La Passion" and Janet Jackson's US #1 hit "All For You," among many others. After years of relative dormancy, the effect was revived in the mid-2000s by R&B singer T-Pain, who elaborated on the effect in contemporary popular music by making active use of it in his songs, a style that has since gone on to be imitated by numerous other R&B and pop artists[8] such as Kanye West and, more recently, Jamie Foxx in his hit song, "Blame It".[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-Tune http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-Tune
- wmeredith 17y agoI'm sorry, but Mr. West is such an insufferable ass that I can't bring myself to read this.
- overgard 17y agoMy feeling on the guy, is that, while he is a pretentious and sometimes insufferable ass, he's also complex and interesting and hard to write off. He says and does a lot of things that are very foolish, but I respect him as an artist because he also dares to do a lot of things other people would be scared to try.
- david927 17y agoSo was Picasso. If you can't separate the artist from the art, you won't enjoy much. This essay actually betrays a vulnerability; it reveals a Heiligenstadt Testament-like calling. I, for one, am impressed.
- tungstenfurnace 17y agoHe does seem vulnerable, even tortured. Does this go hand in hand with creativity?
- jriddycuz 17y agoYes, but only for certain kinds of creativity. Hacking requires a lot of creativity, but there's not a tremendous amount of emotional content in it, so it doesn't really demand vulnerability. Even a lot of very creative musicians write from the head more than the heart (e.g., Frank Zappa, Robert Fripp, others). A lot of artists, however, try to explore and express something about the human experience. That kind of creativity demands vulnerability, because you have to be sensitive and introspective enough to be able to channel that emotion into some kind of medium.
- tungstenfurnace 17y agoHe does seem vulnerable, even tortured. Does this go hand in hand with great creativity?
- CoachRufus87 17y agothough some may just not like the guy (for whatever reason), you can't deny the level of creativity that this dude possesses. his concert was the first i ever attended back in 05 in Dallas & every single hip-hop concert i've attended since (about 15 thus far) has paled in comparison (in terms of just sheer originality)
- TheSOB88 17y agoWhat about other concerts?
- hackermom 17y agothe mere headline makes me giggle a bit. oh, the irony.
- holdenc 17y agoSurprised to see this on hacker news. Alot of Kanye is unbearable, and this is not one of his best works. But his best songs I believe are pure art.
- overgard 17y agoI liked the last paragraph of that: "For me the hardest thing is to 'just' agree and that is what sparks creativity, the feeling that something can be better, the feeling that something's missing, the feeling that something's needed." I like the idea that creativity isn't just about creating something in a void -- it's about having a strong viewpoint and the taste to know how things should be.
- betageek 17y agoNobody, even Kanye himself, would disagree the guy is a bit of a dick sometimes, but it's nice to see someone that wears his (he)art on his sleeve and strives for the best. He's the Steve Jobs of Hip Hop.
- pclark 17y agoI disagree. Jay-Z, Tupac or Notorious BIG are the "Steve Jobs" (eg: consistently raising the bar) of Hip Hop
- petercooper 17y agoFor real, Biggie and Tupac are really pushing hip-hop to new places - I can't wait to see where they take it next.
- sueders100 17y agoI don't feel Steve Jobs is notable solely because he 'consistently raises the bar', but his approach to creation. Jay-z admitted in his lyrics where he says "I wanna rhyme like Common Sense, but i did five Mil, I ain't been rhymin' like Common since" that he prefers to be more profitable rather than to fulfill his desire to rap about what he wants to. Biggie doesn't have a catalog(2 studio albums) large enough to really say that he consistently raises the bar. Also both Biggie and Tupac came from an era that produced Naughty by Nature, A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, The Wu-Tang Clan and many others. It's a bit much they raised the bar when there were others around pushing hip hop at least as far. But I digress, the ways in which you can draw similarities to Kanye and Steve Jobs is that they prize aesthetics, are known for creating what they see as ideal, a disdain for compromise, going against the grain and being extremely successful at what they do. So I think Kanye is far more analogous to Steve Jobs than anyone else in hip hop.
- pclark 17y agowell explained. :)
- redstar504 17y agoI'm on the plane listening to the college dropout. It brings back so many memories. When we made it I had all 6 parents, 4 grandparents and my mom and dad. Now I have my dad and my grandfather. Music is so nostalgic. Every song I listen to brings me back to when I first played them for my mom, when I first played from for Dame, when I first played them Jay, when I first played them for Kweli, when I first played them for my niggas back in Chi, when the album first came out, when I first called Ebro from Hot 97 and begged him to play through the wire, when DJ Pharris blew me up in the Chi. We used to be the niggas rocking polo shirts, Louie back packs, paper denim jeans, and exclusive Adidas from Sporty LA. We were the underdogs. I never feel like I'm not the underdog. I never felt completely comfortable. I'm tormented by the need to create. With the loss of McQueen I feel like we lost one of those faces of modern creativity's Mount Rushmore. There were times that the only thing that kept me on this earth was the need and responsibility to create. Maybe McQueen felt his job was done because his last collection was the greatest of the decade. We are all so hurt. I know we're selfish because he brought us so much joy and inspiration. I know how it feels when the night demons come. We can't let them control our hands and feet. Sometimes when it hurts so bad we have to just lay in the bed. Just lay in bed and don't move please, I know how it feels. I wish McQueen could have just been still. Don't let the psychiatrists give you their drugs because it slows down your wings. Society and public opinion can beat the wings off of angels. When god sees they can't take it anymore he brings them back home. During this new album process sometimes I turn the music up and drink and cry. When something sounds so amazing and ground breaking I'm reminded of why I live. I drink the pain of now 2 generations and breathe our melodies and messages. The music keeps us alive. I was blessed with the opportunity to bring my and others dreams to life. It's like performing magic or something. It's surreal. We bring the unrealistic to reality. “Go hard, go hard, go hard” echoes in my dreams. When I wake up and brush my teeth and look in the mirror it's like I see Michael and my mom and Malcolm. Who's that African in the background mom? Oh he created the original layouts for the pyramids but was written out the history books and his MTV award was given to “aliens”. There's no such thing as fact anymore, only opinion. The closest thing we have to fact is “common opinion”. Everything is an opinion. The way you dress is an expression of your opinion. Your religious beliefs are your opinion. The music you turn up loud is your opinion. For most people it's easier to just agree. For me the hardest thing is to 'just' agree and that is what sparks creativity, the feeling that something can be better, the feeling that something's missing. The feeling that something's needed.
- nlanier 17y agoI quite enjoyed that and I'm not afraid to admit it.
- wallflower 17y agoWhen I meet someone at a party or a random event, I find that I hit it off most with those who genuinely want to create things with love, passion, and stubbornness and share them with people. Even if they are amateurish. I ride the train every day and I see so many people just consuming content. Be it whatever they do on their Blackberry or iPhone or book or the local paper. I always smile when I see someone crocheting on the train. We are a consumer society. I think, most of us, as developers and designers are especially privileged in the sense that we can bring form to thoughts - bring them into actuality. To create is to be happier. Yes, it's good to watch the occasional TV show - but if you're just sitting there consuming content all day, it's a net trade deficit for you in the long run. Thank you for posting Kanye West's heartfelt paen on creativity and the impermanence of life. EDIT: If you have not ever seen this, Ira Glass of This American Life on 'making stuff even when you know it sucks'. The power of persistence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hidvElQ0xE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hidvElQ0xE Related: http://www.unlikelysalsero.com/2007/08/magic-of-time-last-one-standing.html http://www.unlikelysalsero.com/2007/08/magic-of-time-last-on...
- spoiledtechie 17y agoThanks for the Extra Video and read.
- roc 17y ago> We are a consumer society. I don't think it's quite that bleak. The trick is that we only create in a small handful of arenas. So most of what we have in common with one another, most of what we do, is consume other people's productions. But that guy passively consuming on the train might have a woodshop at home and could be reading about woodcraft and fueling his passion even as he consumes. That guy on the blackberry could be exchanging recipes to further his own. And who knows what might be going through the mind of the guy reading the paper. Perhaps you've just caught him during his 'offline, recharge' time. Where he steps back to broaden his awareness to stimulate new ideas. Frankly, you have to take a pessimistic, judgmental (borderline-misanthropic) view of anyone not actively creating at any given moment to decide that most people do nothing but consume. I'm sure the stereotypical mindless consumers exist. But I know that even creative people go through phases of their life that are like that. But that's how it is with passion. If you don't have it, there's no sense trying to force a craft.
- nickpp 17y agoWho the f- is Kanye West?!
- viggity 17y agoHe's a rap artist who is in love with fish sticks
- nickpp 17y agoThanks. It was a honest question - I had no idea who he is. Your answer makes sense, I rarely listen to rap music. Ed: oh, and I don't live in US either, so maybe is a cultural thing.
- zackattack 17y agoFish dicks. In his mouth. He' a gay fish
- nickpp 17y agoAaa now I finally get the South Park episode! It was about this dude?
- zackattack 17y agoHaha yeah
- Willie_Dynamite 17y agoAre you under the impression that you look sophisticated and cultured when you pretend to not know who he is?
- kevinh 17y agoNo, he's making fun of Kanye's response to Colbert's attempt to have his Christmas album beat Kanye's music on iTunes. http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/smokingsection/2008/12/stephen-colbert-declares-war-o.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/smokingsection/2008/12/ste...
- deleted 17y ago[deleted]
- kerringtonx 17y agoI've always liked the crafts of those who are perceived socially to be flawed in some manner. Michael Jackson, Kanye West, and now Tiger Woods to name a few. Even with their problems, I'm still drawn to them solely because their art is inspiring and creative. What he wrote is interesting. He reminds me of the music industry's Andy Warhol.
- jdietrich 17y agoYo Kanye, I'm really happy for you and imma let you finish, but I think Ken Robinson had the best creativity essay of all time. OF ALL TIME!
- nazgulnarsil 17y agowhat exactly is impressive about kanye west vs every other pop "artist"? does anyone have any examples?
- jriddycuz 17y agoHe's probably the only male in the hip-hop world that makes music with a lot of personal, emotional content. Also he has a pretty good ear for hooks, and is widely regarded as a good producer. Not a big fan myself, but I think that's basically why he's well liked. Then again, maybe it's the shutter shades.
- zoba 17y agoI think Eminem covers a lot of his own, personal issues. Eminem does hooks well too...
- jriddycuz 17y agoPerhaps I shouldn't have said "only". But Eminem presents himself as a gangsta, and while he does cover a lot of his own issues, he doesn't strike me as particularly introspective. I'm not necessarily preferring one guy over the other here--I'd much rather listen to OutKast or Mos Def than either Eminem or Kanye--but I think Kanye's merger of the traditional content of a lot of singer-songwriters with hip-hop is what makes him stand out.
- ebun 17y agoI hated his latest album (808 and Heartbreak) and the one prior to that (Graduation) was mediocre, minus a hit or 2. But if you listen to his first two albums, "The College Dropout" and "Late Registration", and compare it to what was being released at the time, you find something completely different. In addition to the new sound (summary: sped up soul samples), he came with emotion as well as acceptance of his being a upper/middle-class guy (his mom was a college professor) while others would try to masquerade as gangsters. Basically, what he did was bring relevant hip-hop to the mainstream, showing suburban kids, college students and yuppies that you can relate to rap music without having to act like someone else.
- cmelbye 17y agoBest comment below the post: i know your not gonna name your album this but this would be cool if you named it “IMA LET YOU FINISH”
- NIL8 17y agoI can't believe this is on HN. Leave this stuff to Yahoo or one of the other pop-news aggregates. Come on Paul, a little more filtering please.
- mcantor 17y agohttp://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html On-Topic: Anything that good hackers would find interesting. That includes more than hacking and startups. If you had to reduce it to a sentence, the answer might be: anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity. What is creativity? Where does it come from?
- tibbon 17y agoSince this is HN I should point out a lack of any alt tag or longdesc. Stevie Wonder will not be reading this.
- petercooper 17y agoStevie Wonder will not be reading this. Do you seriously think Stevie Wonder sits around reading Kanye West's site? :-)
- orblivion 17y agoWell hopefully he reads hacker news, because redstar504 transcribed it above.
- pluc 17y agoOh. Looks like Kanye's attempting a little heartfelt PR stunt to make people believe he actually has a responsibility to create. Fair attempt, but his actions say the exact opposite: that he's doing it all for himself, the fame and recognition. I, for one, don't believe this jackass.
- petercooper 17y agoI don't think they're mutually exclusive. Where does this urge and feeling of a responsibility to create come from? Preservation of the ego, legacy, a feeling of importance.. all things that fame and recognition fuel. It's a bit like economic motivation in capitalism. If someone's greed for money leads to them doing great things to make money (hiring people and redistributing wealth in the process) then that "greed" is considered good, from a capitalist point of view. In the same way, Kanye routinely admits he has a massive ego, and I think that if that ego and pride leads to him doing some great work (even if he says some stupid shit from to time) then it's worth it. It's not like he's running drugs, touching kids, screwing taxpayers out of money, or whatever.. being an ass and jumping on stages is a small inconvenience for what he brings to the world.
- pluc 17y agoMaybe you're right - but he still comes across as a self-absorbed jerk, and that's his own doing.
- nchlswu 17y agoIf you've read his blog before (when it was kanyeuniversecity) you'd believe.
- antidaily 17y agoSounds like he's studying Scientology.
- scrame 17y agoi hate kanye west.
- detcader 17y ago"We used to be the niggas rocking polo shirts, Louie back packs, paper denim jeans, and exclusive Adidas from Sporty LA. We were the underdogs." I laughed. If those "niggas" are the underdogs, what should we call the "niggas" dying in Haiti?
- zackattack 17y agoCongratulations on being unable to pick up context!