While Kanye’s career had continued to flourish, his personal life was a far more winding road. Unfortunately, two months before the tour began, in September of 2009, Kanye West went to the VMAs. Given what we know of how creative both artists are, their penchant for epic staging and storytelling, one can only imagine the legendary potential of Fame Kills. “Just Dance” and “Poker Face” had been the number one songs in the country.
While Gaga was the newly minted star, as her debut album, The Fame, had arrived with the force of a hammer blow. Kanye was, at that time, already established. In the summer of 2009, West and Lady Gaga announced a joint-tour called “Fame Kills,” set to kick off in November. Why else would he call out George Bush on national television rather than sticking to the script regarding Katrina relief? Why else would he condemn the homophobia in hip-hop and call for his peers to be better and do better? As much as he cared about himself, he seemed to care about others. Yes: he could be loud, he could be brash. While West’s reputation for ego and arrogance defined his perception at-large, the power, vulnerability, and thoughtfulness of his art made him one of the most relatable musicians of the era. The Grammy’s-often considered the music industry’s top prize-would, in this early period, knight Kanye 12-times, including “Best Rap Album” and “Best Rap Song” awards for his first three projects.
0 kommentar(er)
