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"Kanye West - My new hero"

In light of the recent devastation down in New Orleans, and Bush's slowness in responding with anything other than flying over in a helicopter and hugging a couple of folks in Mississippi, NBC broadcast a benefit/donation show with loads of stars asking for help to be donated.
All goes well, donations come in.

Until Mike Myers & Kanye West do their bit in the studio.
Myers explaining what has happened, the destruction and lives lost.
Kanye West's turn comes up and he deviates from the autocue and delivers an unscripted outburst criticising Bush and the government for not doing anything in a system that "is set up to help the poor and the blacks as slowly as posisble" and pointing out that a third of the National Gaurd are in Iraq anyway, and that "they've given them permission to go down and shoot us"
Myers looking off-camera with a "Help" expression before attempting to steer it back on course, before West delivers his final statement. Cameras cut away to Chris Rock looking unprepared.

This segment was cut from the repeated broadcast by NBC who felt that "one persons comments shouldn't overshadow this tragedy"
Bear in mind that Kanye West was the biggest selling rap/RnB artist of last year and has a new album out to promote.
And he's risked that to deliver a genuinely angry, outraged statement that an awful lot of people are thinking but nobody is saying on the television.

Watch, enjoy and pass along as the largest selling recording Artist of 2004 alienates the Christian right-wing element of America by simply refusing to play along and speaking from his heart.
Outstanding and I'm buying his album purely to support somebody willing to risk **EDITED FOR THE BONUS OF BLANK** minor financial loss in the short term but possible gain when balanced against the projected earnings from previously unaware members of the public who wish to support somebody speaking out on National Television*** because they cant sit back and say nothing

[URL]http://gorillamask.net/kanyebush.shtml[/URL]

I'm not sure it'll harm his career at all. I think the Dixie Chicks sell to a different demographic.

However, I'm sure that's not why he did it.

Actually, then again presumably the corporate side is as important as the audience reaction, if he gets stiffed by the radio stations etc it might cost him quite a bit.


Either way, I definitely have a much higher opinion of him now.

I'd never heard of Kayne West - till this. But I liked the outburst, because he's probably right.

I don't think I'm missing the point. It takes a lot of guts for someone in his position to speak out as he's done, undoubtedly. Yes, he's risking the success of his career, his reputation etc. But "complete financial ruin"? Going a bit far, I think. As you said, he's already had the year's biggest selling R and B album.

I'm not saying that he's already well off enough to not care about the consequences of his actions.

It's good to see someone in the sort of position Kanye is, using their voice for something other than financial gain for once. It's also amusing to see the kind of reactions his little speach has got from some Americans, especially on internet boards.

Blank wrote:
> You think this guy's actually going to go bankrupt? I just can't see
> it.
-----

Petty? Yep.
Focusing on one point from a webmong who can't predict the future earnings of a stranger? Yep
Missing the point? Yep

Bonus wrote:
> Naive or stupid? Vote now.....

You think this guy's actually going to go bankrupt? I just can't see it.

I think that's Chris Tucker not Chris Rock, pretty funny look on his face though when it cuts back.

Blank wrote:
> I can't see that he's risking "complete financial ruin"
> though. Maybe a couple of million less copies of his next album will
> be sold, which amounts to quite a lot probably, but he's still got it
> made. And then there's the fact that people like you will be buying
> his album due to the outburst. I don't think he'll come out of it too
> badly at all.

Naive or stupid? Vote now.....

This was what a lot of people were thinking.

Jesse Jackson said the same thing yesterday, without criticising Bush by name on the BBC yesterday.

These people deserve a lot of respect for actually standing up for what they believe.

I was already liking Gold Digger and can't get it out of my head, I'm guessing Kanye deserves the support for realising freedom of speech is more than saying something, or not, just to make money.

***edit***

Nope

Couldn't watch the clip, for some reason Windows Media crashes my PC.

I can't see that he's risking "complete financial ruin" though. Maybe a couple of million less copies of his next album will be sold, which amounts to quite a lot probably, but he's still got it made. And then there's the fact that people like you will be buying his album due to the outburst. I don't think he'll come out of it too badly at all.