Every year, TIME magazine names “The TIME 100,” a list of the hundred most influential people in the world. This year, Kanye West was not only included on the list– he also appears on the cover of the issue. His blurb on TIME.com is written by none other than Tesla mastermind Elon Musk. Read it and watch the accompanying video below.
“Kanye West would be the first person to tell you he belongs on this list. The dude doesn’t believe in false modesty, and he shouldn’t. Kanye’s belief in himself and his incredible tenacity—he performed his first single with his jaw wired shut—got him to where he is today. And he fought for his place in the cultural pantheon with a purpose. In his debut album, over a decade ago, Kanye issued what amounted to a social critique and a call to arms (with a beat): ‘We rappers is role models: we rap, we don’t think.’ But Kanye does think. Constantly. About everything. And he wants everybody else to do the same: to engage, question, push boundaries. Now that he’s a pop-culture juggernaut, he has the platform to achieve just that. He’s not afraid of being judged or ridiculed in the process. Kanye’s been playing the long game all along, and we’re only just beginning to see why.”
