Top 547 Quotes & Sayings by Kanye West - Page 2

Our focus needs to be less on what our legacy's going to be or how we can control each other and more how we can give to each other.

Do I worry about being in the public eye and raising kids? Yeah. Any situation you're in, you're gonna worry about raising kids. But it's champagne problems, too. There are people who can't feed their kids.

The concept of Kimye has more cultural significance than what Page Six could write.

I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family it says they're looting, if you see a white family it says they're looking for food.

I told y'all I didn't vote, right? But if I would've voted, I would've voted for Trump.

The concept of commercialism in the fashion and art world is looked down upon. You know, just to think, 'What amount of creativity does it take to make something that masses of people like?' And, 'How does creativity apply across the board?'

It was a strike against me that I didn't wear baggy jeans and jerseys and that I never hustled, never sold drugs.

I think business has to be stupider. I want to do really straightforward, stupid business - just talk to me like a 4-year-old. And I refuse to negotiate. I do not negotiate. I can collaborate. But I'm an artist, so as soon as you negotiate, you're being compromised.

People have me pinned as a shark or a predator in some way, and in no way am I that. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone. I want to defend people. I want to help people.

It's always going to be a fight for anyone who isn't an older white man. I want to fight for anyone who doesn't have a fight.

My doorman is more important to me than any head of any company. He keeps us safe.

Why, if someone is good in one field can they not be accepted or given the slightest opportunity to express and be creative in other fields?

Blacks, especially in America, have been raised with a slave mentality - they don't feel that they have the right to speak as loud as possible.

I'm giving all that I have in this life. I'm opening up my notebook, and I'm saying everything in there out loud.

I would hear stories about Steve Jobs and feel like he was at 100 percent exactly what he wanted to do, but I'm sure even a Steve Jobs has compromised. Even a Rick Owens has compromised. You know, even a Kanye West has compromised. Sometimes you don't even know when you're being compromised till after the fact, and that's what you regret.

Madonna, I think, is the greatest visual musical artist that we've ever had. If you look at her photo log, the photographers that she was able to work with throughout her career framed her in the proper way. It was the proper context. It was that visual that made sure that everything was gonna cut through in a certain way.

If I was just a fan of music, I would think that I was the number one artist in the world.

I'm here to fight for the re-education of what celebrity is: to say, 'Yes, we are celebrities, but yes, we're also innovators. We're also inventors. We're also thoughtful.'

Black people can be the most conservative, the most discriminating. Especially among ourselves. It wasn't white people who said all black men have to wear baggy jeans.

I think I do myself a disservice by comparing myself to Steve Jobs and Walt Disney and human beings that we've seen before. It should be more like Willy Wonka... and welcome to my chocolate factory.

I definitely think, generally, rap is misogynistic.

I dislike the concept of 'chic' being the highest compliment for a human being. I'd rather someone be nice than to be chic.

I'm a trained fine artist. I went to art school from the time I was 5 years old. I was, like, a prodigy out of Chicago. I'd been in national competitions from the age of 14.

My favorite record label of all time is Motown. That era of music was my favorite.

Michael Jordan changed so much in basketball, he took his power to make a difference. It's so much going on in music right now and somebody has to make a difference.

I really appreciate the moments that I was able to win rap album of the year or whatever.

You don't have to be scared of me, because I am loyal. Why are people so scared of creative ideas and so scared of truth? All I want to do is do good.

I didn't know the term 'synesthesia' until I was working on 'Cruel Summer.' Halfway into writing that, I really understood that, my entire life, I had been trying to describe this condition of mine: through painting, through this seven-screen Surround Vision film we shot in Qatar, through all these things.

If you see a black family, it's looting, but if it's a white family they are looking for food.

Man, I'm the No. 1 living and breathing rock star. I am Axl Rose; I am Jim Morrison; I am Jimi Hendrix.

I wouldn't say that anyone in fashion is on my side. I don't think there's anyone on my side.

Thirty-three-years-old, still creating art. It's rage, it's creativity, it's pain, it's hurt, but it's the opportunity to still have my voice get out there through music.

I can always tell if a band has a British rhythm section due to the gritty production.

There was a time Michael Jackson couldn't get his video on MTV because he was considered to be 'urban.' The Michael Jackson. So I literally have to be the Michael Jackson of apparel in order to break down the doors for everyone who will come after I'm gone, after I'm dead.

In today's world, having money has allowed people who are extremely uncool to think that they're cool and carry it like that. People who really are cool and people who really are artists and have ideas have to literally turn in their cool card to society just to make it past the age of 28.

I love being American, and I love family. I love having a family, and I feel so blessed, and I feel like God gave me exactly what I wanted, so now I have to do the right thing in God's eyes also. Just follow what God wants me to do.

Sometimes people write novels and they just be so wordy and so self-absorbed.

I'm inspired by Walt Disney. I'm inspired by Howard Hughes. I'm inspired by Henry Ford. I'm inspired by Steve Jobs. I mean, I'm inspired by James Perse.

My goal is just to be respected as a man when I walk down the street with my family. I don't care what your job is, you're not gonna talk down to me, you're not gonna try to get a rise out of me. I'm a man first. And in establishing that, some interesting things have happened.

I didn't want to play it boring and safe. I also didn't want to innovate too much. Second albums, man, they're even scarier than first ones.

But for me to have the opportunity to stand in front of a bunch of executives and present myself, I had to hustle in my own way. I can't tell you how frustrating it was that they didn't get that. No joke - I'd leave meetings crying all the time.

I thank Marc Jacobs so much for giving me the opportunity to design a shoe for Louis Vuitton, but the thing that broke my heart most was when they said, 'You're finished. The shoe's finished.'

I know how to swim through backlash. I can tread water through backlash... If anything, that's all giving me power.

You basically can say anything to someone on an email or text as long as you put LOL at the end.

For me to say I wasn't a genius I'd just be lying to you and to myself

This is my life homie, you decide yours

Having a Rolex or a Benz is not something that actually represents your success because there’s always something more expensive to buy. Success is really being able to do things for others as well as the people around you and yourself.

People will have a problem with whatever you do. At the end of the day, nobody can determine what you need to do in order to be successful and why would you listen to someone who is not successful tell you what you need to do?

Everything I'm not makes me everything I am

Even a broke clock is right twice a day

I don't expect to be understood at all.

Believe in your flyness...conquer your shyness

Criticism can bother you, but you should be more bothered if there’s no criticism. That means you’re too safe

You're not perfect, but you're not your mistakes.

Everyone's always telling you to be humble. When was the last time someone told you to be great?

I've known my mom since I was zero years old. She is quite dope.

I'm on the pursuit of awesomeness, excellence is the bare minimum.

Okay, for me, first of all, dopeness is what I like the most.

Life is 5% what happens, and 95% how you react.

I refuse to follow the rules where society tries to control people with low self esteem.