Kanye West

Released: February 23, 2013

Songwriter: Kanye West

How y'all feelin' tonight? Thank y'all for coming out to this impromptu type important performance, let me just say that right quick. I love the energy in this city - this is one of my all-time towns y'all know I stay out here. But I came here for the creativity more than anything, because creativity fuels everything

I hate business people. People get on the phone with me and tell me ya know like, 'What kind of business can you do, though? What type of business are you doing? What's the numbers? How much did you sell? What's the radio spins? How much shampoo can you sell with your face on it and shit?

Remind me again why we in this shit
Can you remind me again why we in this shit?

Remind me again why we in this shit (3x)
I know it's for more than to just get rich
Since when was making music about getting rich?
Since when was making art about getting rich?
And I know it's easy for me to say cause
Having money's not anything and not having it is

Remind me again why we in this shit
Remind me again why the Grammys couldn't suck my dick

Remind me again who's the original Superfly -
And I got love for Hov but I ain't fuckin' with that "Suit and Tie."

Remind me again
Remind me again why we in this shit -
Every nigga tryin' get rich
Every rapper tryin' get rich
And every rapper rap about fuckin' somebody else... bitch

Remind me why we in this shit -
And why the Grammys can suck my dick, suck my big, black dick

And every motherfuckin' sponsor, shit
They try to put their logos all over the concerts and shit
For a meet-and-greet, and you gotta meet the execs and their daughter
And they'll show you what they just bought her

Remind again why we in this shit -
Real niggas don't live too long in this shit. (x5)
They say either you comin' on too strong in this shit -
They always talkin' 'bout what I'm doing wrong in this shit
Well I COULD GIVE A FUCK ABOUT ANYTHING, DICK
I COULD GIVE A FUCK ABOUT ANYTHING DICK!
Remind me why we in this shit -
I lost my motherfuckin' mama
So I could give a fuck about your comments
I promise
Cause we all gonna die one day
BUT I'MMA LIVE MY LIFE MY WAY!

Remind me why we in this shit? Please? can I sell a drink for you please?
So you can help me put on a better show, Please? Corporations?
Can you please support me? I swear I'm a nice nigga now. I swear I'll put the pink polo back on. I swear to you. Please. Just for three million dollars. I need it so bad. I need a new pool in my back yard. So I tell all my fans that your shit is cool. And if they believe in me they should also believe in you. Did you get the check yet? I have to call a business manager - did the corporations send the check yet? What's my public rating right now? Are people liking me again? Enough to get money from the corporations - is it OK now? They forgot about the whole Beyonce thing right? Okay cool. Is it OK now?

Remind me why we in this shit -

Nigga I'mma make my music from my heart, and I live and I die by
Everything that I say and everything that I do
And everything that I make is what I believe to be true
And if that shit don't make sense and sound like nonsense
I don't give a fuck - cause that was my stream of conscience
And that's the way I felt at that time
And feelings was the only facts
And Racism and materialism is killing blacks
And one more thing, if I can ask -
One more thing if I can ask -
Cause in this life our life just moves too fast
And time is something you will never get back
What's your quality of life?
What's your quality of life?
And that's why I mean it when I say I hope you have a good time tonight
I hope you have a good time tonight...

LONDON! It's Louise Wilson's birthday tonight - an inspiration, not the lead instrument I'm the lead instrument. Happy birthday to Louise who taught Alexander McQueen... and Kanye West, even though she doesn't want me to put that on my resume. But I just feel sometimes like there is no good ideas and no real ideas and nothing sincere left. And everything's been so homogenized. And it's all Big Business, and there's no creativity. When really we have the ability to have a union Utopia if we just help each other, if we just use our resources and stop trying to compete against each other and
Beat each other and
Eat each other
And maybe come together and try to teach each other and
Reach each other and
Maybe try to come together and love each other
Love each other and
Love one another, man
The way you love your mother, man
The way you should love her, man

Y'already understand
Cause this is our shit
And this is our clique
Ain't nobody fresher than my motherfuckin' clique
I said ain't nobody fresher than MY MOTHERFUCKIN' CLIQUE!

The ubiquitous Kanye West—from his famous quip, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” to “I'ma let you finish,” to marrying Kim Kardashian, to announcing that he’s running for President, and admitting his love for President Trump—you can see that he’s a staple of the tabloids and the entertainment world, industry-wide.

That certainly doesn’t take anything away from his music; as a matter of fact, it only seems to add to his fortuitous career. For instance, his 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, was universally praised by fans and critics alike; it was recorded during the backlash he received from the Swift interruption and during his break-up with then-girlfriend Amber Rose.

He has scored other well-known hits, as well, from each of his previous studio albums—such as “Stronger,” “Heartless,” and “Gold Digger.” Each of his albums has been massive critical and commercial successes, including his collaboration album with JAY-Z, Watch the Throne. As of 2020, West has won an astounding 21 Grammys, tied with JAY-Z as the most decorated hip-hop artist in Grammy history.

more tracks from the album

Kanye West’s Visionary Streams of Consciousness

From the album

Kanye West’s Visionary Streams of Consciousness

Kanye West popular songs

On Business People and CorporationsKanye West

Kanye West

Kanye West’s Visionary Streams of Consciousness