Kanye West slams perception that musicians control society ‘like the Illuminati’ as he covers same magazine with which wife Kim ‘broke the internet’
- The 37-year-old rapper covers Paper magazine's April issue, in which he penned an essay about his 'world dream'
Kanye West has revealed that he is sick of the notion that celebrities are controlling society as members of the secret group The Illuminati, in an essay that he penned for Paper magazine's American Dream issue.
Less than a year after his wife Kim Kardashian posed nude for the magazine, the 37-year-old rapper stars on Paper's latest cover, donning a grey sweatshirt from his collection for Adidas and a necklace featuring his daughter North's nickname, Nori. In the April issue, Kanye explained his 'world dream' and noted that if there was an actual Illuminati, 'it would be more like the energy companies' - not Hollywood stars.
'I am tired of people pinpointing musicians as the Illuminati. That's ridiculous,' he said. 'We don’t run anything; we’re celebrities. We’re the face of brands.'
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American icon: Kanye West covers Paper magazine's April issue - less than a year after his wife Kim Kardashian posed nude for the glossy
Close up: Kanye penned an essay for the magazine, in which he discussed his 'world dream'
After it was announced last month that Kanye, Madonna, Beyonce and other famous musicians were all co-owners of Jay Z’s new Tidal streaming service, rumors began to swirl online that everyone involved in the project is a member of
He explained that celebrities don't even get the freedom to say and do exactly what they want, let alone 'run anything': 'We have to compromise what we say in lyrics so we don’t lose money on a contract.
'Madonna is in her 50s and gave everything she had to go up
On the subject of children, the rapper said we should be thankful that we can raise kids, before noting that we should be trying to bring them up in a 'truthful world', not one that is 'based on brand and concepts of perception'.
Star style: The 37-year-old rapper modeled a Kanye West x Adidas Originals shirt and vintage military pants for the photoshoot
Proud dad: The father also wore a necklace featuring his daughter North's nickname, Nori
Sunny day: Kanye put his
'When I look in North’s eyes, I’m happy about every mistake I’ve ever made,' the father-of-one said. 'I’m happy that I fought to bring some type of reality to this world we choose to stay in right now, driven by brands and corporations.'
In addition to striving to bring reality to the world, Kanye said that he is a proponent of people following their dreams, advocating that a 'little self-belief can go a long way'.
'I think the scariest thing about me is the fact that I just believe,' he said. 'I believe awesome is possible and I believe that beauty is important.'
And while Kanye said that beauty is 'undermined by our current corporate culture', he added that he also sees money as something that is 'equally important' - even though 'artists have been brainwashed to look at it as a bad thing'.
Mentoring younger artists, such as Drake, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift, is of the utmost importance to Kanye because he said it will help 'make better music in the future'.
True artist: Kanye showed his Kanye West x Adidas Originals Fall 2015 collection (pictured) at New York Fashion Week in February
Fatherly love: Kanye said that when he looks
'It’s funny that I worked at the Gap in high school, because in my past 15 years it seems like that’s the place I stood in my creative path - to be the gap, the bridge,' he said.
Kanye also candidly discussed the fashion industry, saying that while he was grateful that his collection for Adidas - which was shown at New York Fashion Week in February - was 'accepted positively', he found an article that asked: ''Should Kanye leave fashion to the professionals?' to be
'The second I sell my first T-shirt or my first shoe, doesn’t that make me a professional?' he asked before saying he finds it 'funny to be so famous and noted for one thing, and to have so many people try to box you out of another form of art.'
When it comes to his love of fashion, Kanye explained he wants to be as close to as a kid as possible, because when children say that they like something, they aren't looking for a 'thumbs up' or a 'thumbs down', they are just sharing their admiration.
'Fashion is something that’s in my heart to do - in my spirit,' he said. 'There’s no world that can stop me from what I love. Not the rap world, not the fashion world, not the real world.'
High-profile couple: Kanye and his wife Kim Kardashian can be seen arriving at Montaigne Market's store in Paris last week
Family legacy: Kim tried to 'break the internet' with her racy Paper magazine cover last November
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