This week a petition was set up against the controversial booking of Kanye West for a headline slot on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage on the Saturday evening of this year’s festival. Entitled ‘Cancel Kanye West’s headline slot and get a rock band’ it now has over 80,000 signatures to its name, it also spawned some amusingly mocking petitions in return (Replace Kanye with Alan Partridge) ! Quite apart from how ignorant the petition appears to be on the face of it, the reference to ‘rock n roll’ seeming at best passe, at worst stupid; Glastonbury lest we forget started off as the ‘Pilton Pop, Rock and Blues’ festival. What could embody those three phrases more than a Hip Hop Act?!
And in that context, whatever your views on his works (some good, some bad), as one of the biggest and most famous figures in hip hop Kanye’s booking is actually perfectly in keeping with the spirit of Glastonbury. And further to that there are hundreds of other acts of all sizes and sounds, at Glastonbury so why are people so obsessed with the main stages? Jay Z, Metallica (who were deemed too metal) and even Gorillaz have come under fire for performing on the Pyramid stage in Somerset. Maybe it speaks to the fact that on the main stages at least, Glastonbury is now a Global event that can’t afford to fail; it is speaking to an audience beyond those that bought their tickets without knowing who would be headlining the main stages. Thus, figures like Beyoncé, Rolling Stones, U2 all fit this criteria of size. Gone are the days where an act like Pulp could steal the show like they did in 1994 when they replaced the Stone Roses.
Of course Kanye West is a controversial lightning rod figure, who clearly divides opinions, his outbursts at the Grammys, unusual behaviour and egotistical in this age of social media instantaneous ‘outrage’, create greater divisions between those who love and those who hate him. But the wider question was raised on Facebook, should we actually try to understand Kanye? Is his behaviour something deeper seated than mere Hip Hop bravado? So we threw it open to debate here are the results:
Debate: Perhaps Kanye Needs Our understanding? Perhaps he is dealing with mental illness?
John Clay: Kanye ought to just take a long break on one of his mate’s islands and recover. Let’s face it, being under the scrutiny of the world’s press has probably led to a psychotic break. Seriously, from the crying on radio, laying on the floor saying nothing during THAT interview and his continual inane outbursts, perhaps Kanye needs our understanding and support?
Bill Cummings: Following your question John, I just looked up the definition of a ‘Narcissistic Personality Disorder’ following our previous discussion about Kanye and whether he is displaying as someone with Narcissistic tendencies, someone who is struggling to cope. Apparently it is “is characterized by a long-standing pattern of grandiosity (either in fantasy or actual behaviour), an overwhelming need for admiration, and usually a complete lack of empathy toward others. People with this disorder often believe they are of primary importance in everybody’s life or to anyone they meet.
As part of a hip hop culture that already celebrates the grandiose and displays of wealth and power. I think Kayne has perhaps become SO famous and his ego and personality exists in such a rarefied air, where his every action has been condoned for years, every release, his collaborations and utterance poured over. His relationships dissected with a fine tooth comb. From his strange performances and egotistical babblings on screen and stage, to his most bombastic outbursts has fed into his inflated sense of self. Clearly a talent, he has reached the level of.
Which leads me to the point in question: whether the outrage directed at his clearly egotistical in part outbursts against Beck at the Grammys, the insinuation was that Beck is not a proper artist and his friend Beyoncé deserved the prize more. Which is hilarious given Becks’ varied and genre-hopping career, he typifies the idea of an artist. Also the fact that he spoke up for Beyoncé when she is clearly capable of speaking for herself is another display of narcissism and self-aggrandisement. This fits into his sense of entitlement, sense of self and his own opinions are more important than others, and his notions as beyond reproach. But maybe he had a point too, maybe Beck’s album wasn’t the best album of the year? Maybe there is a strand of racism and sexism still residing in the industry, in that way his outburst was brave in an era where pop stars do not challenge for fear of the backlash.
Kanye got a backlash but maybe we should try to understand why Kanye is the way he is, some of his actions, his outbursts and the way he treats paparazzi is perhaps a reflection of both our modern obsession with celebrity culture that is never quenched. And yes his disintegration as a personality, his insecurities and his strange appearances on TV.
Is it because he comes from a minority that this argument has never been made before? Is it as a simple as you are either with Kanye or against him? One thing is for sure his Glasto booking will turn up the heat of controversy on his personalities and persona, can he handle it or is it all a grand ruse?! Or maybe – just maybe – our culture doesn’t allow for the different, the other, the slightly challenging. Maybe we frown upon these notions because it challenges the status quo, when in reality that’s what music used to do.
Is Kanye the kind of person who can step back or is he going to inflate to the point of implosion like Michael Jackson is? One thing is for sure this is a very important area for debate. I might find Kayne’s brand of pos gangster rap quite boorish in the main, but I defend his right to be booked. The avalanche of column inches that will follow from the Daily Mail and NME alike are perhaps more of a reflection of us than of Kanye; maybe Kanye is a persona and not who we think he is. It’s something I have argued about Morrissey before. Who knows?
So let’s not come to bury him but maybe we need to try and understand him more, and if anything I have learnt from the previous discussion, maybe he does have a mental challenge that’s magnified by who he is and the scrutiny he lives with; it’s something we all face day to day but living in the bubble something is bound to crack. Maybe mental illness is the last taboo and maybe the criticism of Kanye comes from a mixture of misunderstanding and a guilt that we made him this way. Will one of the last taboos in a very macho kind of hip hop music be explored?”
John Clay: I’ve begun to feel a little guilty of late in regards to my comments on West’s actions. I don’t think I’m the only one to have wondered if he’s had a break with reality, am I? Did we make him this way? Are we more forgiving of Cobain, Morrison, Moon, etc because of our ability to know West’s every move?
Adam Burrows: Best headliner choice since Beyonce and the most interesting since Radiohead (not that there’s been much competition in recent years). Good work Piltons. Won’t be there this time but definitely watching it on telly.
Damien Sayell: Glastonbury is one of the biggest festivals in the world. Foo Fighters are one of the biggest rock bands in the world. They’re announced. No one bats an eyelid. They announce arguably the biggest hip hop artist in the world and it’s an outrage. It doesn’t make sense to me. I can completely understand that Kanye as a person might not be to everyone’s taste, but his music in the last ten years has been far more interesting and creative than that of Foo Fighters, Kasabian and most of the bands that have headlined Glastonbury in that time. Would they react that way if it were Oasis announced as headliners this year?
‘Kanye needs our understanding’ not our ridicule. What do you think?!
