Wake up, Mr. West.
As an encore to last year’s epic rant, Kanye West made the most of his allotted four minutes — stretching it to almost seven — during Sunday’s Video Music Awards, when he graced the stage inside Madison Square Garden to praise his one and only: himself.
“I am Kanye West. And that feels really great to say that especially this year,” West began. “I came here to present my new video, but before I do that imma talk.”
“Now later in the night, ‘Famous’ [West’s music video] might lose to Beyoncé. But I can’t be mad, I’m always wishing for Beyoncé to win,” he alluded to the VMAs moment from years past, in which he swiped the mic from Taylor Swift in the great stage crash of 2009.
West, 39, referenced his ongoing feud with Swift, 26, saying, “We came over in the same boat, now we’re all in the same bed. Well, maybe different boats, but … If you think about last week, there was 22 people murdered in Chicago. You know, like, people come up to me like, ‘Man, that’s right… Take Taylor? I love all y’all. That’s why I called her!”
He continued to explain the music video, in which nude likeliness of Donald Trump, Anna Wintour, Amber Rose and other famous personalities are sprawled out in bed, “But for people to understand just how blessed we are, it was an expression of our now, our fame right now. Us inside of the TV — you just know.”
“The audacity to put Anna Wintour right next to Donald Trump. I mean, I put Ray J in it bro!” he exclaimed.
After giving wife Kim Kardashian‘s ex a shout out, he did the same for his former flame, Amber Rose.
“I see you Amber,” he said to a smiling Rose in the audience. “My wife is a G — not a lot of people’s wives would let them say that.”
West continued to name drop, comparing himself once again to Steve Jobs and Walt Disney.
“I sit down and talk to older like rich people. A.k.a. white. And they tell me don’t compare yourself to Steve Jobs, don’t compare yourself to Walt Disney … They told me there are three keys to keeping people improving. Taking away their resources and role models. My role models are artists, merchants, Truman, Ford, Hughes, Disney, Jobs, West,” he explained.
West then signed off with a few final words of his wisdom about the future of the industry.
“Tonight we’re here to have fun. I’m standing in front of my idol Puff Daddy,” West said. “I’m standing in front of my wife Kim Kardashian West. I’m standing in front of the future, Chance the rapper. 2 Chainz, Jaden Smith. We are undeniably the influence, the thought leaders. I’m gonna play y’all a piece of my art and I hope y’all have a good time.”