With President Obama calling him a "jackass" it's official: the entire country considers Kanye West a tool -- or worse. Grabbing the mike from sweet, little Taylor Swift -- really? Had West stole the spotlight from, say, Toby Keith or Trace Adkins, now that would taken balls. And the apology on Leno: Sorry, not buying it. The tears for mama might have been sincere, but the mea culpa smacked of disaster control.
Of course, this isn't the first incident that has made large portions of the population despise West. Long before his recent MTV Video Music Awards show stunt, he had established himself as one of the pop world's most annoying figures. Here they are, the top ten reasons (in no particular order) people hate Kanye West -- besides this year's VMAs.
1. "Voice of this generation"
"I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice," Kanye West declared in a 2008 interview with the Associated Press. "It's me settling into that position of just really accepting that it's one thing to say you want to do it and it's another thing to really end up being like Michael Jordan."
He disses Justin Timberlake in same interview.
2. "Jesus Walks"
The most laughable hip-hop song of recent memory. Favorite line: "The way Kathie Lee needed Regis that's the way I need Jesus."
3. "The Passion of Kanye West"
This time Kanye dresses up like Jesus. Tortured artist depicted on 2006 cover of Rolling Stone as the ultimate martyr, wearing crown of thorns, because, y'know, he sure had it rough growing up with a mom who was a professor, who sent her son to Chicago's American Academy of Art, from which he dropped out of to become a super rich rapper/producer.
4. "Gold Digger"
Is there anything more annoying than hearing Jamie Fox moan his Ray Charles impression over and over and over? Really, how did this song become such a smash? And, does Kanye really think he's the first rap star to be wanted for more than just his shining personality?
5. "This video costs a million dollars."
Kanye West jumps on stage at MTV Europe Music Awards after not winning best video for "Touch the Sky." Seriously, the guys in Justice -- who did win -- should have punched Kanye in the face, repeatedly. Click here to watch the utter fail video of that incident.
6. Takes Bonnaroo stage in 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Kanye West throws a fit and gets moved to the festival's main stage -- and then shows up two hours late. Fans rightfully boo him and pelt the stage with glow sticks and anything they can get their hands on. Later at same festival, Chris Rock hilariously mocks him: "Kanye's got the biggest ego in this motherfucker this week," the comedian cracked. "Kanye gets mad he don't win Miss America."
7. "I'm going to go down as a legend."
Another classic Kanye West interview in which he says, among other outrageous things, that in a new version of the Bible he would be in it. Compares himself to Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.
8. Typically arrogant Grammy acceptance speech.
West wins for best rap album, proceeds to behave like a brat. From ContactMusic.com:
He said, "It feels good to be home. A lot of people said hip-hop is dead, but that was just Nas. And Common, you can't drop an album the same year as me." As his voice was drowned out, he pleaded, "Come on - you gonna play music on me?" He added of his mother's death, "I appreciate all the support and all the prayers." And pleaded again, "It would be good taste to stop the music there," before continuing, "I appreciate everything and I know you are really proud of me right now and I know you wouldn't want me to stop and you'd want me to be the number one artist in the world. And Mamma, all I'm gonna do is keep making you proud. We won this."Mamma sure must be proud. Obama just called her son a "jackass." Nice work, dude.
9. 808s & Heartbreaks
Pretty much a whole album of Kanye West singing like a robot with Auto-Tune, gets all emo-y on terrible tracks like "Heartless." Click here to watch the video for it. (Well, the video itself was pretty hot.)
10. "George Bush doesn't care about black people."
On a somber, nationally televised Red Cross fundraiser Kanye West brags about how much money he's going to send the Katrina victims and then declares "George Bush doesn't care about black people" -- making even a Dubya disliker such as myself want to scream, "Hey Kanye, shut the fuck up."
