Kanye West: A Moder Day Philosopher

Courtney Pouncy

Dr. Oliver

PS 1030-006

25 April 2016

Kanye West: A Modern Day Philosopher

            In our world today, we are exposed to celebrities almost everyday; whether it be on reality T.V. shows, or blogs we read. In particular, there is one man that almost everyone has an opinion on and his name is Kanye West. Kanye West one of the most controversial figures in the world today and he bases his platforms on his personal beliefs. So to make a long story short… Where am I going with our beloved Kanye West and philosophy. Well for starters Mr. West (Kanye) goes by an alias that has upset many people throughout his career. That alias is called “YEEZUS”; not really having to think about it you can immediately pick up that YEEZUS is a bit from Jesus Christ himself. So why does Kanye refer to himself as YEEZUS? Does he think he’s some sort of “god”? Who knows with his huge ego he probably does, but I personally believe that in the world today he is one of the most if not most influential people in the world.

            Moving on from Kanye’s god complex I will talk about his music, and how he get his points across to people in that way. Kanye’s music in my personal opinion opens the door for many people in different races, genders, and etc. to listen to and relate to the struggles that everyone goes through in their everyday life. Not only does Kanye appeal to the hip hop genre, but he appeals to every genre by incorporating pretty much every song he makes with a rhythm or beat to a song from a different genre. I think Wests music makes him a modern day philosopher, because it allows him to connect with others from around the world and make his voice be heard. Kanye’s music isn’t pop culture, but he is using his popularity to establish a permanent seat in the industry.

            The definition of a philosopher is “a person who regulates his or her life, actions, judgments, utterances, etc., by the light of philosophy or reason.” (Dictionary.com). Although Kanye West may voice his opinions regularly about everything that is on his mind, or how he feels about certain issues combined with his erratic behavior he is still someone who wants to make the world a better place. When you think of the great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, etc. you think of the old times and how they were and how they are now portrayed in the public light. Not saying that Kanye will have nearly as much influence when hundreds of years pass by, but who are we to say that he won’t.

            In this next paragraph, I will discuss whether or not I think Socrates would have appreciated Kanye West if they were both alive during the same time. Socrates believed in practicality, so he pretty much believed that people should achieve practical goals to achieve the greater well being of society. Socrates didn’t believe in perfection; he knew things had to get worse before they had gotten better. Kanye on the other hand, has said many times that he is a perfectionist and he will not stop until everything is perfect. I feel like these two would be complete opposites, but if you look at the bigger picture you would have to see that Kanye West has played a part in the influencing in our society today, and I honestly believe that when it is all said and done his music and voice will continue to travel through the decades, centuries , and so on.