I was twelve years old when I first heard the name "Kanye West". It was featured in a song I was quite fond of at the time, called “Forever,” and one afternoon while discussing the song with my friend I remarked, “I also like the Kayne (pronounced like Citizen Kane) West line.” “It's pronounced 'Kan- Yes,'' she corrected me with a giggle. a little disarming if I were a Kanye West fan. “No,” I remarked innocently. “I mean, I liked that song he played on, but I would hardly call myself a fan,” I thought. “He's prejudiced, you know.” aunt. I found out later that week that the man had apparently made a public fool of himself, jumping on stage and drunkenly trying to disarm Taylor Swift from her newly received VMA Award, declaring “Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! ” At this point, the only information I had was so interested in the truth that I suspended my assumptions about West while I sought additional information through research, providing me with an objective lens. It really shook me that I had been so wrong in my assumptions, it felt strange to know that because of something I didn't know, I had believed something. It really shook my self-esteem. I was really proud of my knowledge of hip-hop, I thought I knew all the classic albums, how could I have neglected this one for so long? So, shaken by this sting of self-embarrassment, I searched further, wanting to know what else I had been oblivious to. It became increasingly clear to me that there were two completely opposite views on Kanye, the more popular view: he is a selfish, worthless pop star, who has created nothing of value and, as I was shocked in the 'learning over time, the informed point of view and the truth, that he was and is one of the most influential artists of the 21st