The Top 7 Kanye Quotes of All Time

West has been an icon in rap since the 2000’s. Here are some of his best quotes.

Kanye West has been an icon in hip hop for a long time. He started as a producer and beatmaker for different artists but soon broke through as a rapper with his iconic first album, The College Dropout. Over the years, he has poured his heart and soul into his music, often in a very humorous or deep way that captivates his audience. Love him or hate him, Kanye is a hip-hop legend, and here are some of the top quotes from his music.

   

7. “Before anybody wanted K-West beats, me and my girl split the bucket at KFC” – “Touch the Sky,” Late Registration

This quote shows how driven Kanye was from the beginning of his career to succeed. There isn’t a better motivator than the fear of failure, and failure could have been a reality for West in the days when he only had enough money to buy a single bucket of chicken for two people. This is a quote that some people can relate to in their own lives, and his transformation from then shows why you should never give up and keep working toward your goals.

6. “I’ma open up a store for aspiring MCs, won’t sell ‘em no dream but the inspiration is free” – “Gone,” Late Registration

When Kanye first entered the music industry, he was frustrated to find that people were taking advantage of him as a beatmaker instead of giving him an opportunity to succeed as a rapper (as he elaborates on in “Last Call”). As a result, he resolved to stay away from doing this himself and create an avenue for up-and-coming rappers to get into the industry, as long as they worked hard (only the inspiration was free).

5. “Reach for the stars so if you fall you land on a cloud” – “Homecoming,” Graduation

This isn’t an original Kanye line, but it fits his style so well that it had to be included. “Homecoming” is about West’s admiration for his home city of Chicago and the time when he came to the conclusion that he would have to leave in order to follow his dreams. He still wants to make his city proud and carries a chip on his shoulder that allows him to set his goals higher than others and achieve them. This is a truly inspiring quote.

4. “You’re telling me that if my grandma was in the NBA, right now she would be OK?” – “Roses,” Late Registration

When Kanye’s grandmother had a near-death experience in 2005, Kanye wrote “Roses”. In the song, he asked why medicine had been able to help Magic Johnson with HIV, a currently incurable disease, but his grandmother couldn’t be helped and would need a miracle to live. This bitterness culminates itself in this quote, which challenges the different social statuses and social value of people depending on what they do.

3. “Lock yourself in a room doing five beats a day for three summers. That’s a different world, like Cree Summers. I deserve to do these numbers” – “Spaceship,” The College Dropout

From a young age, Kanye wanted nothing more than to become a rapper and provide for his family. “Spaceship” is about the point in his life where he was held back by the retail job that he hated, but could not quit if he wanted to support his mother and provide for himself. To chase his dream he forced himself to work on his craft, and that’s what made him able to write this inspiring quote and put it into his own album.

2. “Never listen to Hollywood producers. Don’t stare at money too long, it’s Medusa” – “Saint Pablo,” The Life of Pablo

There is a stigma that Hollywood, being run by money, has a way of sucking someone in and killing their dreams if they are not talented enough. Producers are infamous for this, exploiting many up and coming rappers (such as West) by dazzling them with money for a short time while not benefiting them in the long run. Kanye warns against this, having been through it himself.

1. “Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push miracle whips” – “Last Call,” The College Dropout

This quote embodies everything people love about Kanye. Being a double entendre (a whip is a name for a car), this quote is actually deeper than it originally seems – which listeners love. It also shows off Kanye’s new found success through the rap that brought him there, which really brings his career full circle to his fans and makes them feel more connected. As the icing on the cake, it’s also a funny line in itself. This is the type of line that makes listeners want to rewind a song and buy more Kanye music in the future.

It’s clear that Kanye is a great rapper. The numerous beats, lyrics, songs, and albums he has released over the years have granted him a following that he undoubtedly deserves, and it’s great to see him do well. Hopefully, the albums and feelings will keep rolling in for a long time.

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