Man vs. Machine.

Kanye is on the cover of Complex.
"The Most Influential Brand in the Universe."
(as if you didn't already know)
Note: We took the liberty of highlighting the quotes that make him
a bit smarter than the rest

Do you think you’ve gotten to a place where there’s no self-consciousness or insecurity?

Kanye West:Yeah. There’s no insecurity in the work I do, the outfits I put together, the beats I make, the raps I say.

What was the turning point?

Kanye West: I guess my mom passing and getting out of certain situations and just being myself. Just getting the opportunity to be me and not be concerned about what people are going to say about things—to be my own worst critic. Like, I look at my Grammy speech from last year and I cringe. Me and Common always had an inside joke about releasing albums in different years, and it came off completely wrong. Nobody got it and it made me look like a complete asshole, and it just confirmed that Kanye’s arrogant and not appreciative. You should always be gracious in a situation like that because that’s their show. You know, who the fuck am I to feel like I have rights to any extra time when it’s their show? I came in as a bit of a hothead and now I’m completely respectful; I really have the opportunity to live my dreams out and have my Grammy moments and build a great relationship with these people. And I learned from that; I publicly apologized for it, and I apologized to Common for the way it sounded.

(time lapse)

So when you go to bed at night, there’s nothing—

Kanye West: Frustrating me?

Yeah.

Kanye West: The only thing is that I can’t talk to my mom anymore. Mistakes that I’ve made—things I didn’t do, things that I didn’t say, things I didn’t do to change that situation. That’s the only thing that hurts. In all the time that you’ve been around me, did I seem like I was really stressing shit?

You’ve said 808s is your most personal record. Listening to it, there are recurring themes of trust, cheating and paranoia. Why is that?

Kanye West: Because of mistakes that I’ve made from the beginning by not establishing a proper foundation of trust, just being a young dude who’s not trustworthy. Whoever you’re with is a reflection of you. It’s hard to be fully forgiven. People forgive but they don’t forget.

What did you learn about yourself in your last relationship?

Kanye West: That I have to believe in myself. Then I had to learn that a woman is a reflection of you, so if you make mistakes you will pay for them for the rest of the relationship.

Are you looking for a relationship in the future?

Kanye West: I think everybody wants to be in a relationship. I’m more of a boyfriend type. If I was ever in a situation with a bunch of girls, it’s just by default.

Oh Kanye, we love you so.
The Swills

Please read the rest of the article at
www.complex.com