Cornell William Brooks: Kanye Is ‘Betraying the Very Art Form that Made Him Rich’

CUOMO Now look this ░░░░░░░░ what he does OK ░░░░░░░░ did it with the ░░░░░░░░ Swift thing You know ░░░░░░░░ provocative get attention I ░░░░░░░░ at the memorial for ░░░░░░░░ Dawg from Tribe Called ░░░░░░░░ who passed away at ░░░░░░░░ Apollo He just got ░░░░░░░░ on the stage there ░░░░░░░░ started talking in a ░░░░░░░░ that was like about ░░░░░░░░ It was a little ░░░░░░░░ key People were a ░░░░░░░░ he wanted the attention ░░░░░░░░ he s doing it ░░░░░░░░ Trump and he s ░░░░░░░░ with racial politics and ░░░░░░░░ he s playing with ░░░░░░░░ that is more profoundly ░░░░░░░░ HILL Yes CUOMO Do ░░░░░░░░ think we re seeing ░░░░░░░░ type of evolution in ░░░░░░░░ far this guy will ░░░░░░░░ to get attention Because ░░░░░░░░ keep giving him the ░░░░░░░░ HILL Well I don ░░░░░░░░ want to dismiss the ░░░░░░░░ health piece of this ░░░░░░░░ well I don t ░░░░░░░░ to diagnose Kanye either ░░░░░░░░ you know talking to ░░░░░░░░ talking to folk you ░░░░░░░░ there are some significant ░░░░░░░░ within his camp about ░░░░░░░░ stability right now CAMEROTA ░░░░░░░░ by the way HILL ░░░░░░░░ CAMEROTA He himself on ░░░░░░░░ admitted that he had ░░░░░░░░ breakdown in 2016 HILL ░░░░░░░░ CAMEROTA And then before ░░░░░░░░ he was abusing opioids ░░░░░░░░ Right CAMEROTA That he ░░░░░░░░ taking too many that ░░░░░░░░ had been prescribed HILL ░░░░░░░░ That s what he ░░░░░░░░ acknowledging CAMEROTA Yes HILL ░░░░░░░░ when we look at ░░░░░░░░ this also seems to ░░░░░░░░ the performance of someone ░░░░░░░░ could be struggling or ░░░░░░░░ through an episode or ░░░░░░░░ through some kind of ░░░░░░░░ challenge right now And ░░░░░░░░ that s part of ░░░░░░░░ There s also the ░░░░░░░░ that he has bad ░░░░░░░░ and there s also ░░░░░░░░ fact that even before ░░░░░░░░ was struggling with any ░░░░░░░░ of mental health issue ░░░░░░░░ we know of he ░░░░░░░░ craved attention in a ░░░░░░░░ peculiar sort of way ░░░░░░░░ that makes a really ░░░░░░░░ cocktail when you mix ░░░░░░░░ of that together And ░░░░░░░░ don t know which ░░░░░░░░ is standing out right ░░░░░░░░ But what is for ░░░░░░░░ is that Kanye needs ░░░░░░░░ be under control not ░░░░░░░░ for himself but for ░░░░░░░░ career Even if you ░░░░░░░░ at it in self ░░░░░░░░ the way to sell ░░░░░░░░ records isn t to ░░░░░░░░ a bunch of black ░░░░░░░░ mad at you right ░░░░░░░░ because even if white ░░░░░░░░ buy it they buy ░░░░░░░░ when we think it ░░░░░░░░ cool And we don ░░░░░░░░ think it s cool ░░░░░░░░ it s just a ░░░░░░░░ strategy CAMEROTA I think ░░░░░░░░ s a good point ░░░░░░░░ I mean he does ░░░░░░░░ albums coming out Two ░░░░░░░░ them June 1st and ░░░░░░░░ 8th OK So yes ░░░░░░░░ needs publicity But the ░░░░░░░░ that this is just ░░░░░░░░ publicity stunt seems self ░░░░░░░░ BROOKS It s self ░░░░░░░░ And think about this ░░░░░░░░ is in effect betraying ░░░░░░░░ very art form that ░░░░░░░░ him rich Hip hop ░░░░░░░░ rap represents a musical ░░░░░░░░ of rage and resistance ░░░░░░░░ compromise accommodation and commercialization ░░░░░░░░ so the best way ░░░░░░░░ sell albums would be ░░░░░░░░ to betray your fans ░░░░░░░░ you imagine Public Enemy ░░░░░░░░ Ronald Reagan It s ░░░░░░░░ for me to imagine ░░░░░░░░ embracing Donald Trump given ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump stands for ░░░░░░░░ certainly doesn t stand ░░░░░░░░ what the fans of ░░░░░░░░ West stand for CUOMO ░░░░░░░░ the interesting part is ░░░░░░░░ right So you have ░░░░░░░░ choices you shut this ░░░░░░░░ down you censor him ░░░░░░░░ don t give him ░░░░░░░░ attention anymore But then ░░░░░░░░ don t get this ░░░░░░░░ HILL Right CUOMO Is ░░░░░░░░ the better way to ░░░░░░░░ HILL Absolutely CUOMO Or ░░░░░░░░ you think we shouldn ░░░░░░░░ be giving the platform ░░░░░░░░ all HILL Well the ░░░░░░░░ is he s just ░░░░░░░░ some wing nut screaming ░░░░░░░░ the cheap seats CUOMO ░░░░░░░░ HILL He has you ░░░░░░░░ tens of millions of ░░░░░░░░ He has the attention ░░░░░░░░ the entire world If ░░░░░░░░ ignore him he still ░░░░░░░░ a platform and he ░░░░░░░░ be articulating that message ░░░░░░░░ his fan base and ░░░░░░░░ the world and his ░░░░░░░░ will be used to ░░░░░░░░ bad policy bad ideas ░░░░░░░░ bad practices So if ░░░░░░░░ don t say something ░░░░░░░░ we live Kanye to ░░░░░░░░ people all alone that ░░░░░░░░ the last thing I ░░░░░░░░ CAMEROTA OK Cornell Williams ░░░░░░░░ and Marc Lamont Hill ░░░░░░░░ you very much for ░░░░░░░░ conversation.”