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The Genius of Kanye West HOW THE NUMBER ONE RAP ARTIST USES CONTROVERSY TO HIS ADVANTAGE.

Kanye West, whether you love him or hate him, you can’t deny that his music has changed the hip-hop and rap generation time and time again.

Whether it’s being one of the first rappers to have made a song about Christianity in his debut album or establishing himself as a production powerhouse by producing Jay-Z’s most popular album to date, The Blueprint.

While Ye keeps coming up with more and more inventive ideas, he sees that he needs to find a way to advertise it, and that’s where we bring in Ye’s numerous controversies.

Kanye is no stranger to controversy, whether it’s calling George W. Bush a racist (Hurricane Katrina response) or throwing his support behind then-Republican Presidential nominee Donald J. Trump, he knows how to make heads turn.

This isn’t saying that Ye does all this to promote himself. It’s quite the opposite, actually; Kayne just wants to be heard. And you can see this as early as his debut album. In his song “Through The Wire,” he raps the following line “Make music that’s fire, spit that soul through the wire” to say nothing is going to stop him from rapping. This is, of course, referencing his car crash from October 2002 where many rappers didn’t even think he'd be able to talk again, let alone rap.

I asked people what their opinion on Kanye West's genius, and this is by far one of the most in depth and telling answers.

Kanye West is the most influential figure in twenty first century hip hop by far. While he may not be the best rapper or producer, his ability to be consistently great with every new path he takes with his music is what keeps him relevant and fresh. Kanye is an idol to me because of the unadulterated way he presents himself, something rarely seen from celebrities. He is someone who truly does not care what anyone thinks and will say and do whatever he wants, no matter if it pisses you of or not, all the while being able to back his statements up with consistent financial success. To call Kanye West anything but a genius would be a severe insult to his accomplishments. If you disagree with me, I urge you to actually listen to the Kanye West discography with an open mind, as I am 100% sure your mind will be changed. -Ryan Tyner