The digital air, particularly in the realm of pop culture commentary, often hums with a pervasive, almost religious, reverence for certain figures whose influence is deemed undeniable, their genius unquestionable. To express dissent, to admit a profound lack of connection, can feel like uttering heresy, inviting a swift and merciless digital reckoning. Today, I’m here to commit that very heresy, to confess a deeply personal, often humorous, truth: Sorry, I Skipped the ‘Genius’ Era: Why I Never Got the Kanye Hype.
This isn’t an attack born of malice; it’s a critical, often sarcastic, and deeply amused exploration of a pop culture phenomenon that, despite its immense gravitational pull, simply never drew me into its orbit. While millions lauded his artistry, declared him a musical deity, and hailed him as a fashion icon, I remained on the periphery, observing the spectacle with a healthy dose of skepticism and a persistent, often bewildered, question mark hovering above my head. Because sometimes, when the emperor’s new clothes are unveiled, a few of us are just left wondering where the actual clothes are.
The Problem: When ‘Genius’ Becomes a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Kanye West’s career, particularly from the mid-2000s onwards, has been defined by immense critical acclaim, groundbreaking musical innovation, and a relentless, often self-aggrandizing, declaration of his own genius. For many, his influence on hip-hop, fashion, and cultural discourse is undeniable. But for me, the narrative of “Kanye as unparalleled genius” often felt like a carefully constructed, heavily marketed performance, designed to be believed rather than genuinely experienced.
- Musical Disconnect (The Emperor’s New Sound): While I appreciate musical evolution and artists who push boundaries (my love for 90s R&B, for instance, is rooted in its fusion and innovation), Kanye’s specific brand of musical genius often left me cold. The autotune, the experimental production, the often-minimalist beats—it simply didn’t resonate with my musical palate. I prefer raw vocal power (hello, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston!) or the complex harmonies of 90s R&B. Kanye’s sound often felt more like an intellectual exercise than a genuine emotional connection. It wasn’t the kind of musical essence that captivated my spirit.
- The Cult of Personality: A significant part of the “Kanye hype” has always been tied to his personality—his outspokenness, his controversies, his audacious self-declarations. For me, this often felt less like genuine artistic expression and more like a calculated performance designed to generate attention and controversy. In a world full of “performative everything” (a concept I’ve critiqued in other posts about social media and corporate allyship), Kanye’s antics often felt like the loudest, most persistent example, overshadowing the actual art. It was noise, not signal.
- Fashion Icon? My Eyes Must Be Broken: The fashion icon status is perhaps the most bewildering aspect of the hype for me. While I understand that fashion can be abstract and boundary-pushing (and I appreciate personal style, even if it’s “messy” like the Desperate Housewives characters!), many of Kanye’s “contributions” to fashion simply looked like ill-fitting, dystopian loungewear or variations of glorified homeless chic. The emperor’s new clothes, indeed. Perhaps my eyes, accustomed to the glamorous flair of a Madonna (even if I don’t love her music) or the sharp elegance of a well-tailored suit, simply aren’t calibrated for this particular aesthetic revolution.
- The “Genius” Label as a Shield: It often felt like the “genius” label was used as a shield to deflect criticism, excuse problematic behavior, and dismiss any dissenting opinions. To question Kanye was to implicitly reveal your own lack of cultural sophistication or understanding. This created an atmosphere where critical thought was subtly discouraged, replaced by an expectation of unquestioning adoration.
The Uncomfortable Reality: When Hype Collides with Personal Values
While my initial disinterest was purely musical, Kanye West’s later public actions and escalating controversies have solidified my inability to engage with his artistry, even in retrospect. This is where the humor drains away, replaced by genuine concern and profound disagreement.
- Anti-Semitism and Hate Speech: His public embrace of antisemitic conspiracy theories, his praise for Hitler, and his repeated use of hate speech are not merely “edgy” or “controversial.” They are profoundly dangerous, harmful, and morally reprehensible. As someone who fights against bigotry in all its forms (having personal experience with discrimination as a gay, biracial man, and constantly railing against politicians who “profit off misery” by fomenting hate), I cannot, and will not, make room for such ideology. There is no “artistic freedom” that justifies spreading hatred and inciting violence against any community. This is not subjective; it is morally clear.
- Mental Health as a Public Spectacle (and Excuse): While mental health struggles are real and deserve compassion (a topic I’ve explored extensively from my RN background, and through artists like Demi Lovato), Kanye’s highly publicized erratic behavior and his public struggles often felt like they were leveraged for attention, or used as an excuse for harmful actions, rather than being managed responsibly. This complicated the important conversation around mental health awareness, turning profound issues into a public spectacle.
- The Hypocrisy of Performance: For someone who built a brand on authenticity and challenging the status quo, his later embrace of a deeply conservative, often hypocritical, political stance felt like a profound betrayal of the very rebellious spirit he claimed to embody. The rhetoric became divisive, the actions alienating, and the constant performance utterly exhausting.
My Verdict: A Skip, Not a Celebration
So, no, I never got the Kanye hype. And frankly, after witnessing his trajectory and confronting his later embrace of hate, I’m profoundly grateful that I didn’t. My musical universe is vast, filled with artists who inspire, uplift, and challenge in ways that align with my values of empathy, integrity, and genuine connection.
His impact on pop culture is undeniable, yes. He pushed boundaries, he generated immense attention, and he amassed a fortune. But impact alone does not equate to universal genius or moral justification. For me, his legacy is a complex, often disturbing, case study in the perils of unchecked ego, the dangers of celebrity worship, and the profound responsibility that comes with wielding immense cultural influence.
My pop culture palate prefers its musical experiences to be genuinely inspiring, its fashion to make sense (even if it’s messy!), and its artists to stand for something beyond their own self-aggrandizement. I’ll continue to seek out the truly radiant stars in the pop firmament, the ones who light up the atmosphere with brilliance and purpose, rather than just generating a lot of heat and noise. And for that, my “gay card” remains firmly in my wallet, unscanned and unrevoked.