Kanye West: rise and fall, or is it, of a Hollywood cash cow

At the age of 20, Kanye West left the world of art hungry to follow his musical career.

While he is heralded as one of the best rappers today, Kanye’s career was laid down by his impeccable music production skills. So much so that he scored his first deal with Def Jam Records and turned heads for the songs he created for established legends like Jay Z.

As his career soared, Kanye’s burning desire to express his thoughts was overwhelming. Rather than sit behind the credits of hit tracks, he wanted his voice heard. On the fast track to kick-starting his rapping pursuits, Kanye was involved in a near-fatal accident that would turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

True to his brand that we are familiar with today, Kanye was not one to be silenced and hit the recording booth while his jaws were wired shut following the car incident to record his iconic debut track, Through The Wire. A brazen song sampling Chaka Khan’s Through the Fire. A sample that baffled her so much she resents the use of her vocals.

It was this track that would define him as a respected artist rather than a musician. So how did he become the disastrous star that he is today?

First, his opinion on social matters was powerful. In 2005, he admonished then president George Bush for “not caring about black people” during the relief efforts for the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in the city of New Orleans.

The impassioned slighting of his president pushed Red Cross to work with haste to help those affected by the hurricane, something credited to the public being riled up by Kanye’s statement.

Secondly, he changed the face of rap in 2007, when he squared off against 50 Cent in a friendly match-up of whose billboard track was better that Kanye West walked out of as the victor. This would change preferences from gangster rap to Kanye’s highly creative productions.

This was followed by his album 808s and Heartbreaks. Hot off the career-defining trilogy of college themed albums, West’s new effort was seen as a love letter to the 808, an 80s music machine whose sound became a major influence for rappers and producers to this day.

The third was not done through the marriage of sampled classics and lyrics but through Kanye’s image instead. In an era that was becoming more and more vain, Kanye made a name for himself as a style icon. You are more than likely to remember some of the items he made popular. He brought bow-ties back into fashion for black pop culture. He bridged the gap between obscure/high end brands and the average layman with items like shutter shades made by Alain Mikli.

His womenswear brand DW did not fare well with critiques but it was the futuristic creations of Yeezy in 2013 that he would change the world of streetwear as we know it. A post-modern collection of distressed pieces that catapulted to fame thanks to the eponymous sneakers made under collaboration with Adidas that sold out the 9,000 limited pairs in the small space of 10 minutes.

He is also responsible for the image of Kim Kardashian, a star in her own right, who followed trends prior to their union. It was West’s style as seen in his designs that would be mirrored onto Kim who is now an untouchable influencer and reality TV star. It also played a significant role, next to his late former business partner Virgil Abloh, in allowing more men to feel comfortable to have conversations about the world of fashion.

The fall of Kanye is seemingly triggered by his mental health which has played a significant role in how he has been perceived. The star was diagnosed with bipolar and in 2016, after many of his infamous rants, he was hospitalised and put on medication. This was not for long though and it became part of his many viral moments that have seen him go from millionaire musician to a miserable meme star.

His political views have been sullied by his support for Donald Trump’s controversial run as president. His rants around why he was in support of him were muddied in controversies and incoherent thinking that mirrored the effect of the Trump Administration utilising the internet to misinform and stoke people’s biases using sites like Facebook and Google. Contradicting his previous stance in 2005 with George Bush.

His worldwide sales for music have dropped significantly, by 17% worldwide, and his foray into gospel hardly had the same effect as his protégées like Chance the Rapper have enjoyed. Unlike in the past where he has been the game-changer in hip-hop.

His anti-Semitic views have gotten him shunned by the fashion world, including Adidas whom he has earned fortunes. While the two fashion forces were set to refurbish fledgling retail giant The Gap, there was no love lost from the Adidas camp who threw him aside in a tongue-in-cheek poster.

While Kanye is at the forefront of his decline, actively stoking fires of divisions to anyone who will decipher his ramblings, it seems that his complaints on racial injustice truly do hold up.

Unlike his fellow designers, including John Galliano, who also shared antisemitic views but scored a job out of it, Kanye is not a darling of the media. His brand has always been one that is rebellious. As a black man, Kanye raises no branding issues in sharing his perspective as seen from his “white lives matter” fashion pieces but his divisive comments on other races, genders and religions puts everyone associated with him at risk.

It is a contradictory reality shared by other black icons like Serena Williams and Lewis Hamilton who get labelled as problems when they stand up for themselves. West’s fellow artists like Beyoncé have been snubbed for creative work that speaks directly to the interests of black communities. Even Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex , still struggles with the bad press around her that is often shared in racially motivated sentiments.

However, Kanye differs in that he is actively unable to engage with the critique of his problematic work. While he may have paved the way for millions, he has shrouded himself in so much negative press that it loses the appeal of spontaneous creativity and borders on inappropriate.

Hollywood is not a space for people struggling with mental health and it also not a space for people with mental health to think that they cannot be held accountable. If anything, Kanye is as much a victim of cancel culture as celebrities like the transphobic JK Rowling or Will Smith who took the defence of his wife too far.

Our actions have consequences and perhaps it is high time celebrities realise the fickle nature of fame. Kanye’s legacy does not feed Hollywood but it is the carefully curated opportunity he brings the many companies that benefited from him that do so.