Kanye West Thesis

Hip-Hop music has always been equated with fashion in our society and Kanye West has platforms for artists before and following him to be more creative with their work in both sectors. Being a rapper and producer was not a common occurrence in the hip-hop industry and Kanye was initially refused at the doors of labels because nobody at the time believed that could work. Labels were further uncompliant when West presented songs with religious references, such as "Jesus Walks" because such lyrics were not deemed as marketable as gangsta rap music. His constant push to spread his soulful music shaped the mind of the industry to understand that not every person who raps has to communicate street life through their words. Today, years later, almost
anything goes when it comes to lyrics and whether that is a good or bad thing, West laid a lot of the foundation that artists of this decade walk upon in order to express themselves to how they see fit. He has also fueled the idea of starting up one's own clothing brand into such a fire that it is almost the new trend amongst the children of this generation. Creating and expressing oneself has always been something we as people take pride in yet sometimes the way an individual thinks society will perceive him can suffocate his ideas and prevent what could have been the next greatest thing from happening. Kanye West may have not totally eliminated this problem but like many artists, leaders, and activists before him, he has offered his own solution to the problem by becoming a figure to follow when it comes to keeping focus, staying tenacious, and always pushing to find new ways to put yourself and your vision.