In the year of our Lord 2013, Kanye West set out on a tour in support of his new album, Yeezus. Before he revealed the album, the famously outspoken rapper had spent months and even years declining interviews and generally keeping his head down. It was the artist’s 40 days in the desert, an uncharacteristic turn away from the public eye. When the concerts began, however, fans were treated to more of Kanye than they could ever have hoped for or expected. Each night, right after performing “Runaway,” West would appear in a priestly robe, stand before the mountain peak that was the centerpiece of his elaborate stage set, and offer a freewheeling, stream-of-conscious speech—Yeezus’ Sermon on the Mount.

The media almost universally labeled these speeches rants, belittling them as just the latest ravings of the irascible artist. To some extent, West has invited this dismissive tone; he openly enjoys provocation and has a penchant for making outré, if not outright offensive comments, including his tweet this week that read “BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!!!!!!!” But as many people have noted, rant is just about the only verb people use when West opens his mouth. We call it a rant even when he’s just calmly reflecting on an anniversary.

It’s true that it’s hard to know just what to call the concert set pieces, since nothing else is like them. For his part, West cheekily prefers the term visionary stream of consciousness. But whatever you call them, they are inspiring, funny, sometimes frustrating, and wildly entertaining. They also provide an unrivaled window into the mind of the most acclaimed, most influential, and most Grammy-winning musician of the 21^st century. They’re the best Kanye West interview that no one ever thought to transcribe.

Until now. On the eve of West’s new album, we’re taking the occasion to publish transcriptions of every recorded speech from these 2013 shows. In part, we’ve set this down for the sake of posterity. (Note to future biographers of Kanye West: You’re welcome.) But we’ve also discovered that they help explain West’s mindset as he composed his new album, out this week.

To understand these improvised performances, it’s worth pausing over the specifics of how they worked. Each night of the Yeezus tour, West reserved 10 to 25 minutes to speak extemporaneously about whatever was on his mind that evening. The form of the speeches evolved over the course of the tour, but they are best described as part rap freestyle, part Auto-Tuned jazz solo, part TED talk, part stand-up comedy routine. And, indeed, part sermon. Each night, clad in his custom cassock (camo-colored, in a militant twist on the usual liturgical vestments), West performed this segment over piano accompaniment and with a backing vocalist. And the tour, from its name on down, was stuffed with this kind of religious imagery. (At one point each night, the mountain at the center of the arena even split open to reveal a man West heralded as “white Jesus.”) The content of the speeches was no exception. West repeatedly lifted a verse from the book of Isaiah (“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper”), and the scripture matched the speeches’ message, which was a sort of gospel, or good news (G.O.O.D. news?), about the power of believing in yourself. Most nights he ended by telling fans, “If you believe you can do anything, put your hands up in the air right now.” In other words, the tour was the rap game Matthew 17:20: living proof that, if you have faith in yourself, you really can move mountains.

One of the great pleasures of these homilies from hip-hop’s “rap-lic priest” was the sheer surrealism of watching West’s mind roam in front of a sold-out arena. How often do you hear an artist hold forth on Willie Lynch theory, Alejandro Jodorowsky, or MPCs in front of a crowd of 25,000 people? On other nights, he launched into what we might call exegeezus, explaining what he really meant by “I Am a God” or the title of the album and tour. (Spoiler alert: “Yeez is us.”) But West did develop a few spiels and applause lines that he would recycle. For example, he frequently railed against his detractors, asking fans, “If I get in so much trouble for telling the truth, then the rest of the time, what are they telling you?” By Thanksgiving, he opened most of these freestyled sections with the same routine: First, in a loose riff on the Dells’ “A Heart Is a House for Love,” he’d ask anyone who came with a loved one to “hold on tight.” Then, the romantic mood set, he’d tease the audience that he had “one little small tiny question,” before finally unleashing it: “Can I talk my shit again?”

Talking shit was another of West’s terms of art for what he was doing. But he had a specific ambition behind all this brash talk, and over the course of the tour, a sort of dramatic arc emerged. Early on, West protested that various business leaders, especially from the fashion industry, had underestimated both his creativity and his influence and wouldn’t hear him out about his ideas. Worse, they tried to tell him to be less outspoken—to be more like Michael Jackson and less like Muhammad Ali. The tour, then, was his “demo tape,” as he put it, to show these CEOs what he could do with more resources, and to demonstrate that he wouldn’t be silenced. As he summed it up at one of the shows in Brooklyn, “And that’s why I turn up! ’Cause I want my turn!”

Did it work? According to West, it did. Toward the beginning of the tour, on Nov. 21, 2013, West was calling out figures such as the head of Louis Vuitton, telling them from the stage that they should take meetings with him. On Nov. 27, he issued a report on his progress, boasting, “I talked to the head of Disney today, and I talked to the head of Louis Vuitton today.” Similarly, he aired his grievances over his deal with Nike (“after I did the Yeezys, the CEO of Nike Mark Parker wouldn’t get on the phone with me for eight months”), until in late November he finally announced his deal with Adidas. By Dec. 5, he suggested he might not need to turn up anymore, because “some of these names that I named started calling me back, so it’s actually working.” During shows later that same month, he began claiming that he would be sending out “only positive energy, only positive vibes.”

Though this was all more than two years ago, this about-face helps explain how West reached his present state of mind; nowadays, he says, “All I want is peace and positive energy.” By the Dec. 13, 2013, tour date, he was already daydreaming of everything he would go on to accomplish in the following years: “You know, I can’t wait till the day when I’ve made the whole Yeezy line, and I’ve made my apparel line.” He also made another prediction, on the penultimate night of the tour: “I think in the past three months, the shit I’ve been saying, you’re all going to look at it in 10 years and be like, ‘That was very inspirational, actually.’ ” Church.

We’re aware that not everyone will read this document from beginning to end, though some doctoral students and superfans surely will. Many readers will prefer to jump around; you can use the tool at the right to do so by topic. 

The transcriptions aren’t perfect—there weren’t always reliable recordings of every word—but omissions have been marked with notes between brackets. We’ve also used line breaks to delineate where passages were sung and rhymed versus spoken, though the speeches slipped so frequently between those two modes that some of those calls were fairly arbitrary.

We live and learn.
We might make some mistakes, but
We live and learn.
We can’t let the past stop us from the future.
Right now, you are the future.
I said, you are the future.
Don’t let them enslave you.
Live your life to the fullest,
Because that’s the gift God gave you.
Don’t let them enslave you.
Live your life to the fullest,
Because that’s the gift God gave you.
And it’s inside of you.
And it’s inside of you.
It ain’t in no Prada.
It’s inside of you.
It ain’t in no drugs. It ain’t in no Molly. It ain’t in no narcotics.
It’s inside of you.
It’s inside of you.
And through God all things are possible.
Through him all things are possible.
Don’t let them enslave you.
You’ve got the power now.
It’s our hour now.
It’s our now.
It’s our now.
You’ve got the power now.
It’s our now.
You’ve got the power now. [5X]
Through him all things are possible. [4X]

If you came with somebody that you love tonight.
Hold on, hold on, hold on so tight. (Hold on so tight.)
If you came with somebody, somebody that you, that you love tonight,
Hold on, hold on, hold so tight.
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.

What I wanna say is. What I’m always trying to say is,
That it’s all inside you.
What I been trying to say this whole time, is that it
It ain’t about no brands.
It ain’t about nobody else’s opinion.
It’s all inside you.
I’m telling you right now you’ve been lied to.
It’s all inside you.
And anything is possible.
Love is possible.
We can do the impossible
Through Him anything is possible.
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. (Shall prosper, shall prosper)
Anything is possible.

And don’t let nobody tell you who you’re supposed to be.
They always wanted me to be [inaudible],
But instead I chose to be me.
Instead I chose to be me.
Instead I chose to be free. (To be free! To be free!)
What does it mean, to be free?
What does it mean, to really be free?
’Cause they could’ve freed the slaves,
But you’re not free till you’re free mentally.
When you can really be yourself, that’s when you can be free.
That’s the reason I don’t give a fuck what they say about me.
That’s the reason I don’t give a fuck what they say about me.

’Cause they always find (and they always find, and they always find) something wrong.
See we been puttin’ up with with their shit just way too long.
But we’re coming on strong.
See they always find something so wrong.
And we been puttin’ up with their shit just way too long.

[Ends on chorus of “Runaway”]

I just want to tell y’all tonight where I got all that shit-talkin’ from. So, my grandfather was named Buddy, right? And uh, he passed a couple months ago, but he made it to 98 years old. … And if you ever talk to Buddy, let me tell you, before the conversation even starts he will let you know, “I am the master.” And it sometimes seems like so many people they can’t, they can’t understand the way I express myself. But I don’t need to, I don’t need to think about it, you know, I don’t really stress myself. [Singing] Cause I’m feeling so blessed myself. And I’m feeling so blessed cause I [thinking about being?] myself. And I don’t need no advice unless you really help. Cause I’m feeling so blessed by being myself. I’m feeling so blessed by being myself.

You know, the media try to take sound bites and shit. And it seem like they tryin’ to make y’all not like Kanye West or some shit like that, right. But obviously don’t none of y’all give a fuck about what the media say. We are more powerful than the media today. I control the media! I get on TV shows and do what the fuck I want, when I want, how I want, my way! [Singing] And I don’t cherish no day. No day. And I don’t give a fuck about no TV show. And I don’t give a fuck about no network. And I don’t give a fuck about no [inaudible] trying to talk shit. All I care about is God and that I’m doing what he want me to do. And all I care about is you. [Talking again] You know they try to confine me in this box, right. Even if I sit down—I had this one dentist I was at. You know, anytime he’s cleaning my teeth, he would say something in normal terms, he’ll be like, “Yo. So when I was like, I was going to dentist school, and we were depressed,” and he’d always have to put it in music terms for me and say, “It would be like if you were in the studio.” And I said, “I understand English, you don’t have to put it in music terms for me for me to understand motherfucking English.” People try to box you into this thing of, in your lifetime, all you can be is this one thing. But when you was two years old and you wanted to sing, then you would motherfucking sing. And if you wanted to ride a bike, you would ride that shit, and if you wanted to color, you would color. But as you get older and you get put in this motherfucking box, everybody says you can’t never be another thing or have another dream. [Singing] Or have another dream. Some people can do anything.

Put your hands in the sky right now if you believe that you can do anything. Put your hands in the sky if you believe that you can do anything. Put your hands in the sky if you believe that you can do anything.  If you can do anything. Never never let it go. Never let it go! Never let it go with your dreams. Never let it go with your dreams, don’t let ’em take anything. Don’t let ’em taking anything. I don’t want to tell you anything. [Inaudible line] [Talking again] Sometimes I look around it feel like I’m the only one who’s not crazy. [Singing] Everybody’s so goddamn scared. Everybody’s so goddamn scared. But I ain’t scared, I don’t pretend. Cause I’ve accepted, I’ve accepted, I’ve accepted [inaudible].

[Talking] You know they always say I word things the wrong way. But people see that I keep my intent. You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth. You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth. You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth. They want the truth? They can’t handle the truth. They want the truth? They can’t handle... [Repeats this a few times.] They try to control y’all motherfuckers, with [inaudible], with marketing, the media. They media, they try to make y’all less of yourselves. When I say I am a god, it’s because god is inside all of us. Cause I need y’all to hear that song. And when y’all working out or on your way to work in the morning, I wanted y’all to say, “I am a god.” That’s why I wrote that shit in the first person. I ain’t got no god complex. I know who the most high [points upward]. But I know that I can talk to my god and I know that everything is possible through prayer. [Singing] Cause I prayed for my fiancée. I prayed. I said, “God, I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl who looked good. I would call her.” [Singing] I prayed! I prayed, I prayed. One day, I pray, I pray. One day. So I will never let you go. I will never, never, never let you go. I want to do the chorus one more time. [Ends leading crowd in chorus of “Runaway”]

What fun is life if you don’t talk shit, right? Cause everybody gonna talk shit to you, right? And anybody gonna tell you what you can and can’t do, right? People try to tell you what you like. How many times has somebody said, “Well, if I was you…” And my only response is, “You ain’t me.” Everybody gonna try and tell you how to be you. I said, I’m starring in a movie, it’s called my motherfucking life. So you read the script to your movie your way, and I’ll read it my way. People be telling me how I should act when I’m on TV. [Inaudible exclamation] People be trying to act, tell me how to act, when I’m doing an interview. [Inaudible exclamation] Cause them motherfuckers wasn’t with me when I was driving my Nissan, 14-years-old, talking about how I want to be a producer and niggas telling me how I couldn’t ever fucking make it. [Inaudible exclamation] And them niggas weren’t with me when it cost me about $27,000 to fly all eight of those motherfuckers in the South Park photo when South Park was making fun of us, way before Givenchy came to the hood and shit. Fuck that shit! Remember that fish sticks bullshit? Niggas talking about tight jeans and shit? Nobody has swag motherfucker, we the Rat Pack!

They don’t let us into fashion shows, that’s what you don’t realize. We was in that motherfucker like the sit-ins. Just like my mama when she was six years old, getting arrested at the sit-ins. My mama was raised in the era when clean water was only served to the fairer skin. Doin’ clothes, you woulda thought I had help. But they wasn’t satisfied unless I picked the cotton myself. You see it’s broke nigga racism. That’s that don’t touch anything in a store! Excuse me, I said. I said, can I help you sir? That’s that racial profiling out in front of Barney’s and shit. Talking ’bout, did you steal that? And it’s that rich nigga racism. That’s that “Come here! Come here, Ye! Please don’t go! We got the, we got the fur coats! We bring the boats! Please buy mo’. I know you just got some money and you can’t wait to spend it, nigger.” You know what? These niggas think I’m playing, huh. This shit is through my [core?], so I hope they ready because they only about to get more. Fourth day of the Yeezus tour! I hope they ready cause they only about to get more! Cause I might not be a billionaire. I might not be the richest. I might not be the most polite. I might not sell the most records. But I’mma speak from my heart every time I open my motherfucking mouth.

And when I say “I am a god” it’s because I believe that god is inside all of us. I want you to believe that you can do and be anything. Yeezus is that sonic cocaine to get a nigga hyped up! Yeezus is that espresso. Yeezus is the new type of drug, high off life, high off confidence, high off self-esteem, high off believing that you can really live your motherfucking dreams, that’s that Yeezus.

And one thing these old heads out here in Hollywood, one thing they don’t know is, when they grew up, they ain’t had the Internet. Meaning like, if a nigga fucked up, like say if Arsenio Hall kept it too real, they’d cancel that nigga’s show, right? You ain’t cancelling my show! I’ll crash that motherfucking Internet when I feel like it! Anytime I want to message directly to y’all. I just … talk right in that camera. I don’t care what TV show I go on. This ain’t no joke. You don’t see no black people at the end of the runway in Paris! This ain’t no joke! These niggas is classist down here. Fuck racism! They classist out here. High class, low class, kiss my ass. When they segregate all this shit—art, fashion, music, pop culture. We not each other’s enemies. We are one culture. We are one. And we got enough information and enough resources to build a human utopia but we are led by the least dignified and the most corrupt. And they try to distract you with dumb shit, like the New World Order, what the fuck is that? What the fuck is that? And they try to take your power away from your most powerful leaders. They try to distract you. They trying to distract you from the truth. And the truth is inside you. And don’t believe nothing you see, cause you constantly being lied to. Cause you constantly being lied to. The truth is inside you! And don’t believe nothing you see, cause you constantly being lied to! [Singing] The truth is inside you. The truth is inside you. The truth is inside you. The truth is inside you. Let’s hear the chorus one more time. [Starts singing “Runaway” chorus]

I’m privileged because I get to make a career, make a living out of like making y’all smiling and making y’all feel good and I feel so blessed to be able to do that. But I understand that some people try to make a living out of antagonizing people or writing bullshit on the Internet or putting some dumbass quote on a news headline or on a weekly or something. I realize that, too. But you know the funny thing, it seems like [singing] they always find, they always find, they always find something wrong. See, we been putting up with their shit just way too long. They so gifted at finding what but they don’t like the most. [Talking] But these motherfuckers don’t get no toast.

[Singing]
You know I’m talking bout living life, living life without no doubts.
Living life, living life without no doubts.
If you know, if you what I’m talking about.
In front of the crowd—whoever, whoever’s the most loud,
That’s the one they say is not allowed.
See they wanna Willie Lynch him in front of the crowd.
They wanna Willie Lynch him in front of the crowd.
They wanna Willie Lynch him in front of the crowd.
They want to attack the one that’s the most proud.
They wanna Willie Lynch him in front of the crowd.

Because if y’all start believing it’s in you
And not inside of no Apple product,
And not inside of no media,
What happens now?
OK, OK, then what happens now?
If we really believe the children are our future,
the innocence of youth.
And it’s in the truth.
OK, OK, then what happens now?
Because we living in a new age, baby, what happens now?
Because we living in a new age, baby, what happens now?
What happens now?
See, they’re tryin’ to Willie Lynch Kanye West in front of the crowd.
They’ll try and attack the slave that’s the most proud.
They’ll say, “Never tell people what you believe. That that is not allowed.”
Well I’ma stand here, and I’ma go so loud.

Cause you know what? Ain’t nobody can take my video. Ain’t no [inaudible] if I get played on the radio. Cause there’s 15,000 people at this show. Everybody now everybody came to this show. So it don’t matter what they say, say about me. And it don’t matter what they do, cause you know every time I’m talkin’ shit, and y’all know exactly who I’m talking to. I’m talking right now to you. So it don’t matter what they say on the TV show. And it don’t matter, matter, matter, cause one thing I know is anybody on a TV show can get fired. But ain’t nobody cancelling my motherfucking show! That’s one thing, one thing I know. So everybody in Hollywood tonight, at CAA, at UTA, and all the agents: You will never stop what we doing. I ain’t no motherfucking actor. I ain’t no motherfucking rapper. This is an entirely new movement, ladies and gentleman. Based on the motherfucking truth. This is an entirely new motherfucking movement, and it’s based on you. If anybody here tonight feel like they can do anything, raise your hands right now. Raise your hands right now! Raise your hands right now! If anybody feels like they can do anything, raise your hands right now. And we will never ever let them hold us down. We will never ever let them hold us down. We will never ever let them hold us down. Yeah I’m talking ’bout the douchebags. Yeah I’m talking ’bout the assholes. Every one of them that I know. Every one of them that I know. Cause I don’t see no Steve Jobs, and I don’t see no Disney. And I don’t see nobody doing what we doing tonight right now so this is what the fuck I been talking bout.  You know what I’m saying? This ain’t rap music. This ain’t just entertainment. This is the very motherfuckers that didn’t let me down sitting right there at the fashion show eight years ago, and South Park want to make a joke out of it. But this ain’t no motherfucking joke, ladies and gentleman. This ain’t no motherfucking joke, ladies and gentleman. This is the very motherfuckers that [inaudible section]. This ain’t no joke, motherfuckers.

And they all try to put you down cause you ain’t got no house in the Hamptons. They all try to put you down cause you ain’t go to Harvard. They all try to put you down if your uncle ain’t teach at Stanford. They all try to put you down. They all try to put you down. They all try to put us down. They all try to put us down. They all try to put us down. But we at the top right now. Cause ain’t nobody looking at Michelle Obama’s Instagram, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. So when you see me in the streets, keep it like I’m your brother. As people respect [inaudible] mother, keep it like I’m your brother. When you see me on the streets tell me I love you like I love my mama. When you see me on the street treat me like, treat me like, treat me like I’m your brother. When you see us on the street treat us like we’re your family. And help humanity. Help humanity. Cause when people who talk shit and think I’m gonna go crazy, that’s insanity. You see that’s the insanity.

How many people came here with somebody they love tonight? Right now’s about the time I need ya ... I need ya to ... 

[Singing] Hold on tight. If you came with someone you love tonight. If you came with someone you love tonight. Hold on tight. If you came, came with someone you love tonight. Hold on tight. Hold on, baby. If you love someone tonight, hold on real tight. [Repeats, continues singing “Runaway”]

[Speaking, tells his accompanist to play the piano soft] Yes or no?: Y’all see me on these, uh, motherfucking interviews? Do you love it when I talk my shit, yes or no? [Audience cheers.] Do you love it when I talk my shit, yes or no?! [More cheers.] Oh, wait a second—do you want me to get media training? Oh, wait—wait a second. What is it? Am I talkin’ too much shit? Or do y’all love it when I talk my shit, yes or no?! [Cheers.] Yes or no?! [Cheers]

Somebody called me the other day, and they said they don’t agree with the way that I be doing my interviews. Somebody called me the other day and said they don’t agree with the way I, the way—they don’t agree with my self-confidence. [Crowd boos.] So I’m just trying to think. Do y’all love it when I talk shit, yes or no?! [More cheers.] And you know what he told me? He said, “Michael Jackson would never do nothing like that.” I said, “I ain’t Michael Jackson, motherfucker!" He said, “Michael Jordan would never do nothing like that.” I said, “I ain’t Michael Jordan, mothafucker!” Know who woulda did something like this, though? Richard Pryor woulda did it. Muhammad Ali woulda did it. Malcolm X woulda did it. Mandela woulda did it. Don’t talk to me like a musician. Don’t talk to me like I’m just a celebrity. Don’t talk to me like that! I don’t give a fuck who you are! Don’t. Talk. To me. Like that! [Resumes singing “Runaway”]

[Singing] One time for God, ’cause through Him all things are possible. One time, one time: Let’s give it up for God. ’Cause through Him all things are possible. And he’s blessed me so much. And he’s blessed me so much. And I just wanna return the favor. Because my life is a favor. My life is a favor. Through Him, you gave me my flava. Through Him, you gave me my flava. And my life is a favor. I have been, I have been chosen. I’ve been chosen. I have been chosen.

And [inaudible] got an awesome power. I will. I will walk in. Walk in this nightmare. Walk in the night. Show me to the night. Expose the night. Only try to do what’s right. So give it up one time. One time. [inaudible]

And I know my mother is in heaven right now, getting more favors. So I will just keep praying, and knowing everything that I [inaudible]. I know my momma’s up there, asking for more favors. I know my momma, and I know Kim’s daddy put together our family. I know, I know they put together, put together our family. And I feel so blessed right now. And I feel so positive right now. And I feel so much energy right now. And I wanna give that all back to you right now.

And I wanna thank you for, I wanna thank you for just sticking with me for so many years. Well, we been in this bitch for, like, 10, 12 years. Well, we been in this bitch for like 10, 12 years.

So hold on tonight. So I’ma hold you so tight. See, I love, love, love, love, love, lovin’ you tonight, so I’ma hold you—hold on so tight.

And we’re just gonna go into this chorus one more time, but I want everybody, from the bottom [gestures towards floor] to the top [gestures towards back rows]. [Inaudible.] Let’s go. We gonna sing. [Resumes singing “Runaway.”]

So, I’ve been havin’ meetings with people and shit. Older people, way richer people, billionaires and shit. I’m meeting with them because you know I want them to help me out with Donda and everything. I’ve been meeting with them and shit. You know, and then they want to give me advice, right? And all this advice, free advice—when I say free advice I don’t mean that it’s something I pay them for. I’m talking about they trying to tell me what to do but they ain’t cut no check yet, that’s what I call free advice. Now, uh, you know what they be telling me? See I ain’t gonna name no names tonight. But I talked to this one person, they tell me, “I just don’t like the way you going about things now, Kanye.” You know because, if you think about most musicians, most celebrities, or anybody that want a company or anybody, they can’t say how they really feel, can they?

So I got one little question tonight [singing], one little question tonight, pay no mind, I got a little question tonight. I got a little, one little, one little, baby, one little baby small bitty, one little baby, small, midget, one little baby—short person—question tonight. One extremely small question tonight. If you don’t mind. ’Cause I talk to these people, they say, I just think that, uh, you should stop talking so much shit. And I wanna just ask y’all tonight:

[Singing] Can I talk my shit in here? Can I talk my shit? Can I talk my shit? Can I talk my, talk my shit? Can I talk my, talk my shit? Can I talk my shit? Can I talk, can I talk, can I talk… [Talking] Cause I don’t go on these interviews and try and get people to like me. I go on these interviews to try and get people to like themselves. Anybody that’s a fan of Kanye West is a fan of themself. Anybody that’s a fan of Kanye West believes they can do anything. And nobody can box them the fuck in. And I have to show you that dreams are [singing] possible. If not me, then who? If not me, then who? ’Cause before I got my record deal, I was just like you, and I’m still just like you. So I have to show that dreams are possible. If not me, then who? If not me, then who? You see they got Lauryn Hill locked up? If not me, then who?

’Cause they don’t want this type of message on the radio. Cause they want to control you. They want to hold you, they want to mold you, they want to scold you. They want you to do everything they told you, they don’t want this type of message on the radio. They don’t want this type of message on the radio.  Cause they want to control you, they want to hold you, they want to mold you, they want to scold you, they want you to do everything they told you. They don’t, they don’t want, they don’t want this kind of message on the radio. They want you to be drugged up, they want you to be thugged up, they want you to be bugged up, but they don’t want you to be you. And they don’t want you to be new. And they don’t, and they think, they don’t want you to be true [sings own backing vocal: “True”]. They don’t want you to be true. They don’t want you to be new. They don’t want you to be new. They don’t want you to be true. They don’t want you to be new. They don’t want you to be you. They don’t want you to be true [sings own backing vocal: “True”]. See that’s how they do, how they do.

[Talking] Has anyone ever heard of Willie Lynch theory? It’s the story of a slave. An old slave, not like new slave, an old slave. And what they would do is, if a slave got too strong, and his voice got too loud, and he was talking too much shit in front of the crowd, they would look each other and say, this type of behavior is not allowed, because if your slave gets too strong, then the other slaves will feel too proud. So what we gonna do is take this slave and put him in front of the crowd, and we gonna whip his ass every fucking day and tell him, “What’s up now?”

[Singing] So when you see the media talk shit about me. So when you see the media that don’t want us to be free. I’m talking mentally. I’m talking mentally. When I talk about freedom, I’m talking mentally. And you see Media Take Out talk shit about me. If you see any blog site talk shit about me. It seems like that’s the only insecurity. It seems like that’s the only insecurity. So then beat this slave, till he behave. They beat, they beat, they beat that slave. They beat that slave till he behave, till he behave. But I don’t wanna behave. I just wanna be me. I don’t wanna behave, I just wanna be free. I don’t wanna behave. I just wanna be me. And I want y’all to be you, and I want you to feel so new. I want you to feel so brand new. Like you could do anything that you want to do. There’s somebody in this crowd that’s gonna find the cure for cancer. There’s somebody in this crowd that’s gonna find the cure for AIDS. There’s somebody in this crowd that can fix the economy. I know it. I know it. I know I know I know. I know I know I know I know I know. [Talking] Before we get outta here I just wanna do that chorus again. [Starts singing “Runaway” chorus]

I want to ask y’all one little question. ’Cause it always seems like any time I do an interview or anything, people be so uptight. They get their panties in such a bunch. Why are people so irritated by the motherfucking truth? In a world of lies, the truth can feel so wrong, huh? [Singing] So I wanna ask just one little question tonight. I wanna ask y’all just one little question if that’s alright, if that’s alright, if that’s alright, if that’s alright.

[Talking] Now you know, it always seem like I’m complaining about some shit. It’s like, what do you have to do to prove that you’re creative? What do you have to do to prove that you’re creative? Do you have to scream it at the top of your motherfucking lungs? If you do the Glow in the Dark tour. If then you do the Watch the Throne Tour. And then you do the Yeezus tour. I just want to ask y’all one little question tonight. [Singing] One little small question tonight. One little small question tonight. [Talking] And that is: [Singing] Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Cause I love, I love to talk shit. I love to talk shit, I love to talk shit. I love it. I love, I love to talk shit. I love it. ’Cause I wake up in the morning and I’m like, “fuck it.” I’m like, “fuck it.” I’m like, “fuck it.” ’Cause I love it. I love to talk shit. Cause when I was in high school, they told me I’d never be here. Back in high school they told me I would never be right here. Right here.

[Talking] I got more, I got more that I wanna give to y’all, creatively. [Singing] But now that I’m a musician and I got here, mentally, a lot of people think I should just stay here. And it feels like I’m back in high school again. And it feels like I’m back in high school again. And if I could do it all again, I would do it just like I’m doing it right now. I’m doing everything [inaudible]. I would just be so proud. I would just be so proud. I would do it like I’m doing it right now. I say fuck [inaudible] that told me [inaudible]. ’Cause I don’t see those motherfuckers with this kind of crowd. I don’t see those motherfuckers with this kind of crowd.

If you believe in yourself tonight, put your hands up in the sky. If you believe in yourself tonight, put your hands up high. If you believe in yourself, put your hands up high. See, I love that. See, I love that. And I love you. ’Cause y’all the reason that I can talk that shit. Y’all the reason that I talk my shit. Y’all the reason why I talk so much shit, I talk so much shit, I love it, I love it, fuck it, fuck it. Fuck it, fuck it, you know? You know? What’s the worst that could happen? See I don’t think about that, what I think is, what’s the first that can happen? See I don’t think about what’s the worst that could happen. I just think about what’s the first that could happen. [Starts singing “Runaway”]

Transcription via Rap Genius:

I got off the phone with this one dude. I guess he used to run a multi-billion dollar company or something like that and he had some advice for me, right. He said, 'I don't approve of your methods in your interviews lately.' He said he only saw one person before who ever really pulled this off and that was Muhammad Ali. But he said if he could just give me some advice, he doesn't approve of the way I'm going about things as of late. And when anybody that's supposed to have a lot of money talks to me and they give me advice, I call that free advice, because they're trying to tell me what to do and they ain't cut no check yet. If I look to the side of me, or the other side of me, or if I look to the Internet or if I'm reading, and I don't see somebody that 36-years-old that made it this far with nobody that told they couldn't do it this much. Because the people that give me advice... I don't see them rocking for 15,000 motherfuckers in Brooklyn tonight. And I don't know if y'all have heard of [Nikola] Tesla, and I'm not talking about the car, I'm talking about the inventor. Or if y'all ever heard about [Alejandro] Jodorowsky, the director who made Holy Mountain. But there's so many amazing creative inventors who weren't recognized in their time. And if I've got the voice and I've got the opportunity to turn up in these interviews, I just have to look and say, 'What do I have to lose?' What do I have to lose? We only have everything to gain. So don't ever let them make you think for one moment that I'm going insane. Because I sit back and see shit and think 'Am I the only one that's not crazy?' But every celebrity is so goddamn scared of losing everything, that they won't ever say nothing to you. And y'all see that shit too. I gotta keep it so true for you... Because when I say 'creative genius,' I'm not saying that as a compliment to myself. I'm saying that because it's a burden to myself when these ideas keep me up at night. When you wanna give the world more and your ideas keep you up at night. When you wanna give the world so much more, so much more. And then nobody that runs Disney comes and sees this tour. And nobody that runs Disney comes and sees this tour. They'd rather see the headline and be on some bullshit than to give me one little chance. Than to give me one little, little, little chance. Than to give me one little chance despite the advance out of Tesla's basement, despite the advance out of me saying Jodorowsky's name and ya'll don't know who the fuck he is when everybody copied off of him... And there's gonna be motherfuckers in this arena in a few months dancing all sloppy off of him...I love y'all so much you don't even understand. Because y'all help me to talk all this shit. Because when I be on the phone with these people that used to run companies and they're trying to tell me how to be me, y'all give me the power to talk my shit. And I swear to you, this is only the motherfucking beginning. And anybody who [says], 'Oh, he's the best of rap.' That's racist. And that's pigeonholing. That's pigeonholing. That's pigeonholing and putting motherfuckers in a box. And putting creative niggas in a box. If you believe you can do anything, please raise your hands up tonight. If you believe you can do anything, please put your hands in the sky. If you believe you can do anything, please put your hands so high. And I wish you could see my tears right now. Put your hands up high. I wish you could feel my pain right now.Cause these dreams keep me up at night. Cause these dreams keep me up at night. These dreams keep me up at night. Dreams keep me up at night.

[Beginning inaudible]

Every time I do a concert, I thank my mom, I thank God, and I thank all of y’all. But this is the first time that it just so happened that when I turned and looked this direction, I saw something so important, that I forgot I needed to thank. At all these shows, and out of all these beats, and out of all these albums I did, I never thanked my motherfuckin’ MPC. ’Cause this is our guitar right here. This is our piano right here. This motherfuckin’ drum machine is the heart of why I am where you see right now. It gave us the ability to chop up bands when we couldn’t afford to have a whole band. The SP-1200. The 808. And I got my MPC in 2000 in my mama’s crib, listenin’ to Tribe Called Quest and shit, inspired by Tribe Called Quest and shit. Did not my single greatest inspiration perform tonight? Make some noise for Tribe Called Quest and shit!

I do this for my culture,
To let y’all know what a nigga look like
when a nigga in a Roadster.
And a nigga’s on Oprah.
I do this for my culture, to let y’all know what it look like
when he’s surrounded by vultures
Sick enough to give you ulcers.

[Singing] You see I do this for the culture,
to let you know what it look like,
to let you know what it feel like to be on TV,
and still keep it real like me.
You see I do this for my culture,
to let you know what it feels like
when you’re just trying to live a good life.
You have to keep it real.

[Speaking] You know I hear my boys be talkin’ ’bout “Kanye crazy” and shit, and sometimes I wonder, “Am I the only one that’s not crazy? Am I the only one that’s not beat into submission? Am I the only one whose mind hasn’t been conditioned to always ask permission to sit the fuck down and listen?” ’Cause what they scared of is more people acting crazy and shit. They scared of y’a’l chasing your dreams too. ’Cause they wanna control you.

[Singing] They want you to do anything they told you, and do everything that you’re told to.  But that’s old school. And that’s old news. That’s no news. We came to listen to news.

[Speaking] OK. Just like shit like this, right. When I went to the MTV awards, Rick Rubin hit me and said, “Are you performing at the MTV awards?” I said, “Yeah.” He said, “Look man, just do your motherfucking song and leave. Just do your song and leave. Just do your song and leave. Sure enough, I’m sittin’ down to enjoy the motherfucking performers and shit, I’m watching Drake perform, I see Bruno Mars perform, and then he started giving out awards and shit. And Bruno Mars won all the fucking awards and shit! And I was thinkin’ about what Rick Rubin told me ’cause I don’t give a fuck about no TV show! All I care about is, if you a artist, and you work hard as fuck, and the streets say that you deserve that shit, then can’t no motherfucking networks try to gas everybody up so they can sell some product with the prettiest motherfucker out! See that’s the shit I be talkin’ ’bout. I be talkin’ about. ’Cause I still haven’t seen a video better than Beyoncé’s video to this fuckin’ day.

And I sit down with Oprah and she say, “They scared of you, Ye. They scared of you, Ye.” She didn’t say I was the most talented, she just say, “You gotta learn how to play.” I said, [singing] “Oprah, it’s a new day.” I said, “Oprah, it’s a new day!” It’s a new day.

[Speaking] [Yeezus tour co-director] Elon [Rutberg], shut up. I motherfuckin’ heard you. There’s a dude that calls the show in my ear, tellin’ me the video’s been out for like five minutes … You breakin’ my stream of consciousness, man. Fuck. What I do with my rants it’s a stream of consciousness, it’s like a meditation and shit. I was reachin’ the height of it and he’s like [pointing to his earpiece], “Kanye, sorry to interrupt about Oprah…” [laughs] You was about to receive a genius moment and shit. Some inspiration so some nigga woulda went out and cured cancer tomorrow and shit. Now we gon’ have cancer forever, ’cause of Elon.

So, uh, I gotta ask y’all one question tonight

[Singing] One little little question tonight. One little question tonight. Can I talk my shit again? The reason why I talk so much shit, ’cause every time you go on a blog, like, Media “bitchass, let me see your face, I’m gonna fuck you up” Takeout, hidin’ behind a computer and shit.

[Speaking] Every time you go on the internet, in the comments everybody wanna say some dumbass shit. Instead of supporting somebody who’s trying to break boundaries. You know what they do when they write about my shows? They say “this was the absolute most amazing most beautiful most theatrical rap concert.” They say this is the most beautiful, amazing theatrical rap concert. As to act like it’s another type of concert when it’s a fucking Kanye West concert. And they try to box you in and shit. You see me on my fucking interviews talkin’ about how I wanna do clothes how I wanna get support and shit, and y’all say, “Why can’t you just do it by yourself?” Well I wanna let you know I signed my deal a week and a half ago. And it’s been 10 years, 10 years in the making of us not bein’ let into the fashion shows. Not let into the Givenchy shows, and still never let into a Balenciaga show. Well I got these Balenciaga sneakers. But if you sell enough sneakers, you get diminishing returns, because they want you to stay in that position forever. And as I get off that plane in Paris with my crew, that they wanna make jokes about us on South Park, when they get off that motherfucking plane with me, Don C, Ibn, Virgil, the motherfuckin’ sit-ins. … We don’t want no … Gucci suit. We wanna make Gucci. The problem is, they let me sip that clean water when they let me make the Louis Vuittons, and saw how the universe reacted. They let me sip that clean water when they let me make the Yeezys, and they saw how the universe reacted. … [Nike CEO] Mark Parker even talked shit, talkin’ about he didn’t even know why people like the Yeezys. They like ’em like they like the Jordans, because I was in fourth grade getting kicked out for drawing Jordans, for being connected to that emotion as a creative.

[Singing] These major corporations wanna control you. And they take and all these celebrities and hold our motherfucking product up and that’s what they show you. Well, fuck that! Fuck that, that’s old school. Fuck that, fuck that, that’s old school. And Oprah say, “They scared of you.” Well, of course, they should be. ’Cause I’m gon’ be, I’m gon’ be, everything I could be. Y’all gonna see, I’m not gonna be Tesla. … And I’m not talking ’bout the car. That’s what I’m talkin’ about! And that’s why I turn up! ’Cause I want my turn! These guys got fat off it! And I want my turn!

[Speaking] And I want somebody out there to see this shit. And 10 years from now, 30 years from now, annihilate the fuck out of what I doing right now and give some more fucking fresh shit. If anybody believes they can do anything, put your hands up right now! If anybody believes they can do anything, put your hands up right now!

Did anyone come here tonight with somebody that they love? Even if it’s a friend of yours, you know, someone you’d take a bullet for.

[Singing] Is there a heart, is there a heart in the house tonight? Stand up. Stand up. Let me know that you understand. Stand up, stand up. Stand up. Stand up. If you love someone tonight, hold on real tight. If you love somebody tonight, hold on real tight, real tight. Hold on, hold on.

[Speaking] So tonight I’ve decided that I’m just gonna keep it politically correct and all. [Crowd boos.] No tonight I decided … tonight I decided I was gonna worry about what people might say, for the first time in my motherfucking life. I was gonna cut this segment short. I got a question.

[Singing] I got one little, little, little question, y’all. I’ve got one little small tiny question, y’all. One little miniature, midget-sized question, y’all. Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? [Inaudible.] And I’m the livin’ evidence that dreams can come true. And they say why you name the album Yeezus? And what I need you to understand is Yeez is us. Yeez is us. Yeez is us. They ask why I name the album Yeezus? That’s because Yeez is us. ’Cause you see someone in a position like me. You see when someone gets in a position like me. They calm down because they on TV. They so scared you see. ’Cause for them it comes down to the money. But for me it comes down to you! But for me, it comes down to you. ’Cause it is one motherfucker that keeps it true. One motherfucker that keeps it true. True. One motherfucker that keeps it true. True. One motherfucker that keeps it true. ’Cause for me the bottom line ain’t the money y’all. It comes down to you. And what I could do is fight the fight so motherfucking hard. It’s why we fight, fight so, so hard. It’s why we fight this all so hard.

[Speaking] Now you tell me I want your opinion right quick, DC. So I designed the Yeezy IIs about three and a half years ago, right? And since then, they ain’t never let me pick up a motherfucking pen. Now if you make something, and the world responds to it, and you’re creative, and someone tells you, you could never do this again.[Singing] “’Cause I don’t understand what you’re doin’. And I don’t even understand why people like it.” You don’t gotta be a psychic. To see people lined up, lined up in front of the store. And I just wanna make you more. All I wanna do, all I wanna do is make you more. ’Cause I swear that’s why God, I swear that’s what God sent me here for. To create more, more. That’s why I make this Yeezus tour. So when I say I’m a creative genius, you know what the fuck I’m talking about. And they tell me I’m crazy, and it’s only ’cause they’re scared of their own dreams. They’ll tell you I’m insane, that’s because they’re scared of their own dreams. So I want you to put your hands in the air if you believe that you can do anything. I want you to put your hands in the air tonight if you believe you can do anything, do anything. It ain’t a black or white thing. It ain’t a wrong or right thing. It ain’t a straight or gay thing. It ain’t a man or woman thing. It ain’t an American thing. It’s a world dream, I got a world dream. I got a world dream. I got a world dream. It’s called a hood dream, hood dream. And I’ma tell you like Dr. Benjamin Carson told me, the black neurosurgeon that will be president one day. He said, “We’re not each other’s enemies.” We’re not each other’s enemies. We’re not each other’s enemies. It’s like we’re so in competition with each other. Tryin’ take down your sister or your brother. Daughters in competition with they own mother. And like Dr. Benjamin Carson told me, “We’re not each other’s enemies.”

[Speaking] So after I did the Yeezys, the CEO of Nike Mark Parker wouldn’t get on the phone with me for eight months. After I did the Yeezys, the CEO of Nike Mark Parker wouldn’t get on the phone with Kanye West for eight months!

[Singing] Don’t let your ego get the best of you. Because the world will take the rest of you. And everybody thinks I’m so narcissistic. I’m not narcissistic I’m doin’ it for creativity, for dreams and I’m fightin’ for you and me. I’m getting out our dreams. ’Cause ain’t no real niggas on the screen. But it’s too late now, I put the motherfucking pink polo on. And I slipped right by. And I’m in this motherfucker now. I’m in this motherfucker now. And they won’t ever tear me down. They will never take us down. They will never take us down. ’Cause every night, it’s another few thousand people that believe in they dreams. Everybody that sees this tour is more people that believe they can do anything so they will never tear us down. They will never tear us down. So I’m gonna speak to you, Mark Parker, tonight, why you need to get on the phone with Kanye West! And I’m gonna speak to the head of Louis Vuitton, why you need to take a meetin’ with Kanye West! And I’m gonna speak to the head of Gucci tonight, why you need to take a meeting with Kanye West! ’Cause real brothers own shit now.

[Speaking] So don’t ever let ’em tell you that I’m crazy. ’Cause I’m smarter than all of them. And they are trapped by the successes they never had. They are trapped by tradition. They are trapped by permission. And they are not allowed to make their own decisions. And I’m ready, ’cause I made it through the collision. And I feel like I’m livin’ in a second life.

[Singing] And God gave me everything! And I feel so blessed. And I feel so blessed right now. And I will fight for him. And I’m gonna fight for him right now and it’s no words that they can say to stop me. ’Cause I know I can make things better. If I only had a chance to. If I only have one chance. If I only have one chance. Only have one chance. [Speaking] So mark my words ladies and gentlemen as you see me tonight in this motherfucking mask and look in five or 10 years later and see what the fuck I’ve done as the first motherfucking black Walt Disney, black Steve Jobs, black Howard Hughes, how you gonna tell me I can’t compare myself to Steve Jobs?! How you gonna tell me I can’t dream?! How you gonna tell me I can’t be anything?! Why?! ’Cause I’m an entertainer?! Why?! ’Cause I’m a celebrity?! Why?! I ain’t sayin’ its ’cause I’m black. I ain’t be sayin’ that. But how you gonna tell me I can’t dream? How you gonna tell me I can’t dream?! How you gonna tell anybody here tonight in Washington, D.C. that they can’t do everything?

How many people came her with someone they love tonight? I mean it ain’t gotta be a girlfriend or a boyfriend, it could just be a friend you’d take a bullet for.

[Singing]
If you love someone tonight,
hold on real tight.
If you love someone tonight,
hold on real tight.
Hold on, hold on, hold on.

If you love someone tonight,
hold on real tight.
If you love someone tonight,
hold on real tight.
Hold on, hold on, hold on.

What do they want from me? I ask: What do they want from me? And it’s so easy. I swear to you all—New York, New Jersey, Brooklyn, Harlem—I swear it’s so easy. It’s so, so easy. What do you want from me? I swear to you it’s so easy. ’Cause I’m just playin’ with your boys out here. I’m just playin’ with ’em. I’m just playin’ with ’em. I’m just playin’ with ’em. I got a plan with ’em.

And if you believe they put a man out on the moon, somewhere out there. Just know I’m just plain’ with ’em. I’m just playin’ ’em. ’Cause don’t y’all think I got the sense to know how to behave? Don’t y’all think I’m smart enough to know exactly how to behave? Wouldn’t y’all think that I was smart enough to know exactly how to behave? But instead I decided to be … me. Do you want me to behave? But instead I want to be me. And I want to be free. And I want to be free.

[Singing] So when I talk about “New Slaves.” This is the time when they condition you to behave. And I don’t even know who the fuck “Have” is at this point. So I can’t be “Have.” I can only be me. I can only be free. And you know it’s so easy, you know it’s so easy, it’s so easy to get a rise out of motherfuckers when you do it, when you do it yourself on TV. Let’s think about this for one second y’all. Every time I get in trouble it’s because I tell the truth. So what does that mean? That means that they’re always lyin’ to you! That means they always lyin’ to you! If I can get in so much trouble for just telling the truth.

[Speaking] ’Cause remember when gagster rappers were so politically incorrect. When somebody would like lose their deal if they cursed and shit. Now what’s somebody gonna lose their deal for? If they tell the truth! [Singing] So that means they all been lyin’ to you. They been lyin’ to you. But we ain’t gonna take this shit no more, and I want y’all to know tonight what I am fighting for. For the belief that you can be anybody that you wanna be. That you can follow your own dreams. So put your hands in the air [puts right hand in air] if you believe that you can be anything that you want to be. If you believe you can be anything you want to be. And you can follow your own dreams. It might be harder than it seems.

[Speaking] You know what’s so funny? I get people that call me, and they say “Kanye, I don’t agree with your methods or the way your interviews are goin’ lately and shit.” You know what I’m sayin’ they want me to turn down this shit. They want me to turn down this shit. They say “I don’t agree with your methods.” They say “I only seen one person actually succeed at this in history and that was Muhammad Ali.” I said well excuse me sir, [singing now] I’m not tryin’ to be like Michael. I’m not tryin’ to be like Ali. I’m not even trying! I just be being me. I just be bein’ me. And I’m not tryin’ to be politically correct. And I’m not runnin’ for office. I just want a chance to be free.

[Speaking] Now I know y’all don’t even know who the fuck Hedi Slimane is, but let me explain to you who he is. He was once a friend of mine, he designed for Christian Dior. And I used to wear his tight-ass jeans when I was on tour and get called names for it. And I visited Hedi Slimane at his house in L.A., when he had lost his deal. And I asked him for somebody to keep it real.

[Singing] ’Cause I was so happy for him. I was so happy for him. I was so happy for him. I was so happy for him and I was so happy for the world. ’Cause somebody that actually had a vision was now put in a position of power again. ’Cause I’m tellin’ you my friend, they servin’ you bullshit. And Hedi Slimane is a god who don’t serve you no bullshit. But a god, should recognize another god. But a god needs to recognize another god. So when he told me “You can come to my show, but you can’t come to see Phoebe [Philo], and you can’t come to see Ricardo [Tisci].” That was odd. He tried to control me! He tried to tell me where I can go. [Speaking] And when Nike—last conversation I had with them I said “Well it’s November now when are the Red Octobers comin’ out.” And they said “We not sure.” Then I talked to my man down in Miami that run the store. And he said Nike pressuring them. And they said “If you want the Red Octobers, you gotta take all these trash ass shoes!” Nike’s pressuring them. Tryin’ to leverage off some shit that I made. I made the Yeezy IIs three years ago. And they never let me pick up a pencil and draw again. And I wanna build mountains [walks toward mountain]. And I wanna give you more. [Sings] I wanna give you so much more.

[Speaking] I wanna explain to y’all tonight, New York. Do you mind if I explain to you my story, ’cause I feel so misunderstood. Do you mind if I tell you, because I feel so misunderstood. For one moment, for one second, can you believe that maybe I can actually do it? Do you believe that maybe I can actually do it? When you see all of this, do you think I can actually do it? Well that’s not what the head of Disney told me. And that’s not what the head of Nike told me. And tonight we have the head of Google, Eric Schmidt in the house tonight and let’s pray he gives me a chance. Let’s pray he gives me a chance. This is real life, ladies and gentleman! This is real fucking life. This is not the fashion world. This is not the music world. This is inspiration, this is creativity. And I pray you give me the chance! I need your support, I need money! So I can make this happen over and over and over again. ’Cause I am Steve Jobs! And I am Walt Disney! And I am Henry Ford! And I am Howard Hughes! And I am David Stern! [Sings} And I am Michelangelo. [Speaking] Of this generation. Of this generation. And while y’all can put your ad money behind any celebrity you want, anybody you want, but accept no imitation. ’Cause I am the inspiration. And this motherfucking New York crowd with me is my instigation. Y’all are my instigation. And we gonna turn up, and we gonna turn up, and we gonna turn up. It don’t matter, let them tell you I’m crazy. Don’t let ’em tell you that I’m crazy. ’Cause I believe in you.

Wait a second, would you rather me not talk at all? ’Cause I don’t want to like, I don’t want to rattle no cages or nothing, I don’t want to like, I don’t want to get in trouble. I want to be scared. I’m trying my best to be scared. [Feigns cowering.] I’m trying my hardest to be scared. No, no, no, I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to talk at all. As a matter of fact I’m just going to tip-toe on this… [Tip-toes sarcastically.]

I’m scared of anonymous comments online. I’m scared of them. These words affect me so much. They affect me so much. No, I’m sorry. I’m scared, I’m scared. I’m scared of these corporations, like, not giving me another deal that they didn’t give me already. I’m scared. I’m scared.  I’m so shook. [Singing] I’m so, so scared. So scared. Sooooooo.

[Still singing] You ain’t never seen, you ain’t ever seen, that my great, great, great, granddaddy somehow ended up on that boat. Somehow he ended up on that boat. But I know that we were royalty. I know we built the pyramids. I know anything is possible. I know anything is possible. And everybody has a moment in time and I picked y’all when I was walking in Madison Square Garden, I just wanted to make sure, thank y’all for giving me this moment in time. ’Cause everybody has a moment. And in your moment you gotta own it. There’s so many people have a moment and they don’t own it.

[Back to speaking] You know, it’s so funny when people compliment me and they say the word genius, and somehow that like, separates me from rappers in some way, there’s the connotation of that. But what I need y’all to realize is Jay Z is a genius. And I need y’all to understand that Drake is a genius. I need y’all to understand that rap is an amazing way to express genius.

’Cause just as an architect would build buildings, we put our words together to express the shit that we going through. We are the modern day poets, obviously. But why are so many writers so condescending to the rappers? Why do they try to classify us as musicians as being ignorant in some way? Why do they try to classify us, as far as the classes go? You know how it goes, right? I think it’s like a battle between art and architecture as the top. And if you’re an artist or an architect, you look down upon a fashion designer. And if you’re a fashion designer, you look down upon a musician. And if you a musician, you sign a deal with a corporation so you can buy a bigger house. And every time you go in the studio you watch your fucking mouth.

[Singing] You watch, you watch your fucking mouth. You don’t, you don’t want to lose this house. But when they write these history books, they’re not going to talk about what house we had. When they write the history books they aren’t going to talk about the money we made. They’re going to talk about the impact we had. They’re going to talk about the impact we had.

[Back to speaking] And being that I saw The Hunger Games today, I wanted to bring up something, because it was very inspiring. It felt like almost a mimic of my exact life and shit. I know it. I was like, “Baby we gotta be on that movie board when they writing this shit.” And I saw Lenny Kravitz. There wouldn’t be no song called “Niggas in Paris” if it wasn’t for Lenny Kravitz. ’Cause that was the first nigga in Paris. Fucking with the models and shit, rocking Rick Owens head-to-toe and shit. Black. Rock. Star. 

But what’s interesting to me is like I was fond of hanging out with different people, in Paris, right. ’Cause Lenny Kravitz has like, the best taste. And he has like the dopest crib in Paris, everybody knows about it. And I don’t know if you know this, but he designs furniture, he designs lighting fixtures, and he had been working on a clothing line for a [singing] long, long, long, long, long, long, long time. Long time. Long, long, long, long time.

[Back to speaking] And the designers would love it when Lenny Kravitz would show up at their fashion show. [Imitating:] Yeah we gonna take some pictures of Lenny Kravitz and we gonna say he’s at the such and such show, and that’s gonna promote our brand. [Singing] Hey Lenny, promote it the best you can. Hey Lenny, promote it the best you can. Hey Lenny, promote it the best you can. Best you can. Hey Kanye, promote it the best you can. Hey Kanye, promote us the best you can. From Paris to New York all the way to Japan. Hey Kanye, I mean Lenny, I mean any of you niggas, promote it the best you can. Any of you niggas promote if the best you can.

So I said, “Wait a second, though.” I said, “I’ve got a dream of doing my clothing and I, I want to learn about furniture,” and you know what they told me when I was in Paris? You know when the W Magazine writer came out and wrote that classist-ass interview about me? You know what they said? You know what the billionaires told me? I went to about three or four different people and you know what they told me when I told them about my dreams? They said, [singing] “Lenny Kravitz wanted the same, same thing.” They said, “Lenny Kravitz wanted the same, same thing.” [Back to speaking] Don’t let me sing because I want y’all to understand that I need to talk to you. They told me, “Hey that’s cute, that’s the same thing Lenny wanted to do.” Like it’s a motherfucking joke. It wouldn’t be no Kanye west if it wasn’t for Lenny Kravitz. You know what I’m saying?

But the only difference between me and Lenny Kravitz is I turned up on these niggas. I don’t give a fuck about looking cool or being cool. And this is no disrespect to Lenny. But they got this shit called cool, everybody want to look cool, everybody want to be cool, everybody don’t want to break their motherfucking cool, don’t nobody want to look like a fool…

My boy [name unclear], who used to work for Donda and now designs stages for Jay Z and Justin [Timberlake]… The other day he said a word that I hadn’t heard people say before. And he said he was working at some corporation, and the head of the corporation is always like, kind of down on him and shit, and the word was to marginalize. To marginalize. And then he also said he tried to make him look like an idiot in front of people, right? So has anyone here tonight ever read a piece of press or saw something or heard something on the radio where they tried to make me look like an idiot? Wait a second, I don’t know, have you ever heard anything in the press where they’re trying to make me look stupid? You know what I’m saying, like I’m actually stupid. [Laughs] You know what I’m saying, like I’m not smart, like stupid. Like, like what the fuck is wrong with him? You know what I’m saying? Have y’all ever read or heard someone say, “I don’t like Kanye West”?

I’ll tell you something. Have you ever heard anyone talk shit about Lenny Kravitz, though? He’s a nice guy. He’s a nice guy. He’s so well-mannered. I envy manners. I envy it. I envy people who are extremely likeable. I’m like, “Damn, I wish I could be likeable like them.” I wish people would like me like that.

So what they basically did was, at Fashion Week … Let me explain something to you. I don’t give a fuck about fashion. I care about talent. I care about creativity. And it just so happens that with the advent of the Louis Vuitton bag, fashion rise to the top, and stole all of the creativity to only work for its small box, and sell it back to you at a higher price. That’s what the fuck fashion is to me. I care about dreamers. I care about heart. I care about soul. Not those who are marginalized.

So if you think about someone like McQueen. Instead of being forced to make some fucking T-shirts with a skull on it, why wasn’t he allowed to make movies? He was just as good as Tarsem, he’s just a good a visualist as anyone else. But they would marginalize him as only a fashion designer. Which, let’s rewind, is above a music producer, and it’s above a rapper…

’Cause you gotta stay in your tier, in your section. [Points at members of the audience] You gotta stay right there, you can’t move. But if you pay for a ticket, you wanted to come to see this show, and you standing right there, right? And when you’re trying to go you say I want to go up there, a security guard stops you, and then holds you, and if you start screaming the paparazzi catch you, catch you with your face looking all crazy, and then you scream out loud, and you got to really scream, you gotta say, “I am a god!” Just for them to let you a little bit up.

But you know who fucked it up for everyone? Marc Jacobs. Because he gave two niggas a shot, me and Pharrell. He fucked the whole game up, and Pharell’s such a nice guy. ’Cause soon as I was able to make that Louis Vuitton sneaker, and the world reacted—I didn’t price it, but the world reacted to it—I got to see what it meant to create inside of that type of production facility. And wait a second, the same guy that was creative enough to make all of this [gestures back to his stage setup], that’s worn Jordans his whole life, could create a sneaker with Louis Vuitton and people reacted to that. And I said, I made another color. I did a pink model, and I did a red model, and I named them after my friends. I made one in Jasper after Ivan Jasper and one Mr. Hudson after Mr. Hudson, and one, the Louis Vuitton Don, for my nigga Don C. And that last day in the factory, I was going through the colors and it came to me, when they made me do a couple pictures and shit, and I called back after they sold out. And they said, “I’m sorry, Mr. West, but you’re not going to be able to create anything else in here. [singing] You’re not going to be able to create anything else again.” They said, “I’m sorry,” and I said, “But wait a second. I sold out.” They said, “I’m sorry Mr. West, you can never create anything else again.”

And right there, I was scared. Right there I was scared. ’Cause I thought that if I just went to their fashion show again and I just sat down like a good nigga they would let Lenny Kravitz get his shot! I thought maybe, maybe they would let Pharell get his shot. But no, no, no. Fuck you, nigga. Fuck you, nigga. Fuck you, nigga. Is that abrasive enough for you? ’Cause that’s what it is. Fuck you, nigga. Is that abrasive enough for you?

And what about [Nike CEO] Mark Parker, and what about [designer] Hedi Slimane? I thought Hedi Slimane was my friend, and that’s why I’m so hurt. How many names did people call me for wearing tight jeans when I’m the rapper that wore tight jeans and shit, that brought tight jeans to the ghetto and shit? I thought I was Hedi Slimane designing motherfuckin’ tight jeans that you want. I’m the nigga that, you know I’m rocking that shit. Then he had his first fashion show, and I was so happy for him. I was so, so, so happy for him. And he told me, you can come to my show, but you just can’t go to Riccardo’s show and you can’t go to Phoebe’s show. 

But he wouldn’t say that to Anna Wintour. He wouldn’t say that to [name unclear]. And now his whole shit based off of rock and roll, and you trying to tell the number one rock star on the planet where the fuck he can go? So he can sell y’all, some motherfucking $10,000 pair of jeans? Fuck fashion. Fuck fashion. I mean, what’s the worst thing they gonna do, not help me again? [Singing] What’s the worst they gonna do tell me I can’t go to these shows again? What’s the worst they gonna do, tell me that because I’m a musician, I don’t have any ideas for clothing again? What’s the worst they gonna do, marginalize me again? And never let Pharrell get his shot, and never let Lenny get his shot?

[Still singing] But I’mma tell y’all right now, I will take that spot. I am Tupac of this clothing shit.  And I’mma take that spot, and we gonna combine all the creators, the best creators on the planet, and we gonna lower the motherfucking prices, so everybody can get it. And we ain’t gonna steal from people’s ideas like H&M. And we ain’t gonna steal people’s ideas like Zara. We gon’ make our own shit. We gon’ combine the best creators on the planet, and we gon’ take them from Harvard, and we gon’ take them from St. Mark's, and we gon’ take ’em from the street.

[Still singing] And I’m sorry I went so long tonight. I know you just want to hear another motherfuckin’ hit song tonight. I’m so sorry I went so long tonight. I know you just want to hear another motherfuckin’ hit song tonight. Hit song tonight, hit song tonight. Another hit song, another hit song. Yes they do. I ask people about it, I tell them that I’m this creator, and they say I need another hit song. They say I need another hit song, hit song tonight, hit song… [Slowly walks off stage]

[Runs back on stage, speaking] Hold up, hold up. I’m sorry, if anyone out there thinks they can do anything, put your hands up right motherfuckin’ now! Almost forgot that part.

[Speaking] Before I got here, somebody asked me, “Ye, I know you ain’t fittin’ to start talking shit when you in Nashville?” So I got a question for y’all: [singing] Can I talk my shit again? Do you want me to talk that shit? Can I talk my shit again? Do you love it when I talk that shit? OK. Well alright, then.

[Speaking] Well I guess the motherfuckers is wrong. So ladies and gentlemen, tonight, [singing] ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, tonight, tonight, tonight. Before we even get started, do we have any dreamers out there? Do we have anybody with dreams out there? Before we even get started, before we even get started.

[Speaking] ’Cause sometimes people ask me they say, “Ye, you know ’cause they can look at what I have to say you know, “you pretty successful for what you wanted to do in music and everything.” And I would agree with them, you know. I made a lot of dreams come true. Especially what I wanted to do in music, and they ask me, they say, “Wait, how did you do what you wanted to do? How did you get that far?” And you know what’s so funny is everybody wants to say that I got such an ego and everything and I’m so narcissistic. But the first thing I say is the way I got this far is that I worked with other people. I worked with people that were around me. ’Cause I ain’t buildin’ this motherfucking mountain by myself every night. [To audience member] Don’t ask me to take off the mask, that’s ridiculous. Chill. Y’all niggas can’t control me. You can’t control me. The mask comes off when I see white Jesus, you know. Y’all act like you don’t look at the Internet. You don’t use online, you don’t use the World Wide Web.

[Singing] In performance, or whatever you wanna call it. This is just my demonstration, this is just my demo tape, this is just the beginning of what I wanna do. And it’s not for me. I wanna do this for you. It’s not for me, I wanna do this for you. ‘Cause I know I got so much more I wanna do. And don’t think, don’t think, that you think somebody got money, don’t think that everything is easy.

[Singing with autotune] Don’t think that everything is easy. Don’t think, don’t think that everything is easy, easy, easy. ’Cause how many people you know, how many people you know? [Speaking] ’Cause y’all know y’all hear me talk about clothes and shit. Y’all hear me talk about shoes. Y’all hear me talk about Disney. Y’all hear me talk about all this. 

And the reason I’m talking about this is not that I don’t like the corporations. I want to work with them and I need them to allow me to use their know-how and allow me to use my creativity and my influence and combine those to make the same type of moments as what we have tonight, can have the same type of moments as what we had when the Yeezys dropped, to have the same type of moments [singing with autotune] when The College Dropout dropped. Or when Late Registration dropped. Or, or when Graduation dropped. Or when 808s & Heartbreak dropped. Or when My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy dropped. Or when Yeezus... You know what I’m sayin’. [Speaking again] And you might not understand. I don’t know if y’all been looking at the interviews lately—y’know what I’m sayin’? What I’m trying to say is … What’d you say, “Sway ain’t got the answers?”

’Cause I told ya, as I stand here 36 years old, before I might get my dreams out, [Singing, then shouting with autotune] I’ma go down kicking and screaming. I’ma go up kicking and screaming, kicking and dreaming, kicking and screaming at the top of my lungs. And I’m not scared! And I’m not scared, I’m not scared, I’m not scared of anything that I’ve done! And I’m not scared, and I’m not scared, and I’m not scared of no one. The only thing I’m scared of, the only thing I’m scared of is not getting my dreams out and that’s the only thing I care about, and that's the only thing I care about. And I’m not scared, I’m not scared, I’m not scared of what nobody might think. I’m not scared, I’m not scared, I’m not scared what nobody might think or say. I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care what they say about me. All I care is about my dreams, and I’ma go up kicking and screaming. [Applause]

[Continues with autotune] You can't tell me to stop dreaming. You think my dreams end on a Maybach? You think my dreams end on a Maybach? If I have a Maybach? If I have a Maybach, what the fuck do that mean to you? What the fuck am I doing for you in the Maybach? But if I can bring out shoes anytime I want, maybe that’s something I can do for you. When I bring out the music I’ve done, maybe that’s something I can do for you. When I bring out you guys clothes, maybe that’s something I can do for you. But I have more ideas like this, maybe there’s something I can do for you. It’s not for me, it’s for you. It’s not just for me, it’s for you. 

[Still singing with autotune] ’Cause I could give a fuck about being a celebrity if I can’t get nothing for you, if I can’t do nothing for you. ’Cause I remember being 14 and I remember my mom not being able to afford Fords. And I remember, I remember... [Speaking again] So let me just explain something to you if you’re confused slightly when I deal with corporations. What they do is they have us come in because they have an idea for a celebrity, a nice celebrity, a nice, attractive celebrity. Maybe someone safe, maybe someone with a hit record, maybe someone that’s popular. And they say, “Hey, we got an idea for you.” And I say, “I got an idea for you!” ’Cause if you had more ideas than me, Corporation, you woulda made yourself into me. ’Cause I don’t see no 36-year-old Kanye West. And they try to tell me what to do! 

(Did you ask me to take the mask off? Do you not look at the World Wide Web? It happens when Jesus comes out. Chill. Chill. You’re distracting my train of thought.)

’Cause I want you to feel, [Returns to autotune] I want you to feel when you look at me and see me fighting, I know you going through the same type of shit. When you see me fighting, I know it's people telling you what you can't get. And I know it's, I know it's, I know it's people telling you [that] you ain’t shit. I know it's people telling you that you ain't shit. And I know you don't believe me ’cause I'm on TV. But it's people that say the same things to me. They say you just a musician, Ye. They say you just a musician, Ye. And you can’t think about anybody else. You can’t think about anything else. And they don't help. 

[Still going with autotune] But I’ma tell you like I told Sway, everybody needs a little help. Everybody, everybody needs a little help. And don’t them confuse you … don’t let them confuse you. They’re just trying to distract you from the truth. ‘Cause if I get in so much trouble for the truth. And if I get in so much trouble for the truth, then all the rest of the time, what are they telling you? [Begins to bring back the chorus of “Runaway”]

[Speaking again] Hold on, fuck that, I ain’t done. The reason that I have a problem is not particularly with the corporations, it’s people that currently work for those corporations that give a lot of other people opportunities, and they look at me, and they try to son me, like I ain’t just make this motherfuckin’ tour, or like I ain’t the most important artist in the past 10 years, or like 15,000 people don’t come every night. This ain’t nothing but my demo tape. 

If y’all don't think I met with Disney eight times, y’all don't think I’ve tried to call Nike for five years motherfuckin’ straight. Y’all don't think I’ve met with every head of every single luxury company possible. Meanwhile, I got niggas walking around with Louis Vuitton, fuckin’ tight pants, leather jogging pants, whatever y’all sayin’. They try to son me? Oh, y’all thought I was gonna leave y’all hanging, huh? Y’all thought I wasn’t gonna turn up, huh? 

This ain’t about nothing they write in the press. They trying to marginalize me and make me look like a motherfuckin’ lunatic, but never for a second think I’m that smarter than all of them. And they want to hold me back. They don’t want to give me a chance. And I know that you’re dealing with the same kind of shit in your day-to-day. And even in the situation I’m in, I deal with the same kind of shit in my day-to-day. I can make this, and not get a fuckin’ call back. Do you know who the head of Nike is? No! Well let me tell you who he is. His name is Mark Parker. And he just lost culture. 

Everyone at Nike, everyone at Nike: Mark Parker just let go of culture! So you just sit in your office and not take Kanye West’s call, and sit with your two designers on your [inaudible—HGT?], whatever the shit is called. But I will give you an opportunity to still invest in Donda if you like, I have other ideas that do not involve shoes. 

And I ain’t mad. I am focused. Jay Z said something to me, twelve years ago, probably even madder, he talked to me through his music. He said, “I’m focused, man.” This is a new frontier. And I ain’t gonna wait till I’m 45 like Michael to turn up. ’Cause Michael ain’t had the internet. I got the Internet and I got this stage and I’m talking directly to you. No miscommunication! Did you not want the Yeezys? [Cheers.] Nike would make you believe that it was my fault that you couldn’t get them. But that was not the case. I wanted there to be as many Yeezys as there was LeBrons. And I wanted them to be at a good price, but that was not my choice. 

And we gonna change everything. And I’m gonna create more for you. And I’m gonna create more than you think any musician in the history of time ever could have, thanks to Michael Jackson, thanks to Lenny Kravitz, thanks to Pharrell, thanks to Jay Z. I stand here on their shoulders tonight to do something far more incredible than what is expected of a musician. What you want me to do, another awards show? I ain’t got an awards show speech. Only thing I can say is you know what it is! I don’t care about another Grammy. 21 [awards]? I shoulda had 31! I don’t care about these awards.

[Returns to singing with autotune] All I care about is getting out my dreams. And I got more dreams, and I got more dreams, and I should get a chance. And I talked to the head of Disney today, and I talked to the head of Louis Vuitton today. I swear to God on my life I talked them both today. I swear to God on my life I talked to them both today. I swear to God I talked to them both. And they wished me a happy Thanksgiving. [Laughter] I said I wanna talk about something different than the turkey thing. I wanna talk about something different. I wanna talk about, I wanna talk about dreaming, dreaming, dreaming, dreaming. I wanna talk about dreaming, dreaming, dreaming. I wanna talk about dreaming, dreaming...

[Singing] If you came here with someone you love tonight—I mean it don’t gotta be a girlfriend or your boyfriend, I mean it could be someone you would take a bullet for—I mean someone that you love tonight. I’m talking about your real friends—no new friends, no new friends, no new friends. I’m talking about somebody that you love tonight. I’m talking about someone you get to love tonight, or maybe it’s somebody brand new that you wanna love tonight, tonight.

[Speaking] Anybody here on their first date? [Cheers] I’ma let y’all know it’s all downhill from here. [Singing again] All downhill.

[Speaking] I’ve been getting in a lot of trouble lately, so I’ve decided tonight that I would just not say anything. What y’all think about that, Miami? [Boos] What you mean? You don’t want me to be, uh, safe? Well, I have to ask you one question. One little question. One little, small, little question. [Singing] One little, small, little midget question. One little, politically—uh, the correct way to say this—small people question. One little, super short [inaudible] question. 

Three, two, one… Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? ’Cause I got a lot of shit to get off my chest. I got a lot of shit to get off my chest. [Speaking again] Nah, fuck that. I wanna be extra safe, I don’t wanna give y’all nothing. But I wanna, fuck that... [More boos] Oh! You want me to talk my shit again? You want me to talk that shit? [Echoes] Is this what y’all come to get? Is this what y’all come to get? [Singing again] Why do they love it when I talk that shit? Why do they love it when I talk so much shit? [Speaking] Well, maybe because... [High-fiving crowd around stage] 

This evening let me start with God. ’Cause without Him, none of this is possible. As I walk on this tightrope of fame, relevance, finance, and public opinion, without God, [singing] none of this is possible. And He is the only one that gives dominance up against every challenge. And all I care about is God and my family, is God and my family. And tonight y’all my extended family.

[Speaking] Y’all wanna know what they told me? Just in case y’all don’t quite understand what I’m saying. You know, like, I like clothes and shit, I’m into that. It’s a creative outlet for me. I’m into it. But you know what they told me? And I ain’t saying that it’s a black or white thing. I ain’t saying that it’s a straight or gay thing. I ain’t saying it’s an American or French thing. But you know what they told me? They said because I’m known for music that no one would believe in me if I designed anything else. [Crowd boos] So the man that designed this motherfucking mountain [points at mountain on stage] can’t design a t-shirt? 

[Singing again] You know what they told me? ’Cause I was at Bal Harbour today. And I looked at every single one of them stores. And this ain’t no disrespect to any of the brands I’m about to name, because they brought us to where we are right now. But I’m not trying to make Phat Farm, I’m not trying to be Rocawear. I’m trying to have a store right next to Valentino, right next to Lanvin, right next to Yves St. Laurent, right next to [Unclear]. Hey, you know [inaudible], fuck it. Hey, [singing] you know what they told me? They said because of my skin ... you know what they told me? They said because I was a musician... you know what they told me? And you might never hear that again. ’Cause I’m not scared, and I’m prepared. And I’m not scared, and I don’t care, and I don’t care, and I don’t care. You know what they told me? 

[Speaking] So they had the Louis Vuitton call me two days ago, you know. So I’m meeting with the head of Louis Vuitton now. [Singing] And you know what I told him? I want in, I want in, I want in. Or I’ll make sure we never buy nothing again. Or I will make sure we never buy nothing again. I will make sure. I want in.

[Speaking] I’m tired of hustling on the block. Niggas got fat. They would rather we play out, they would rather we lose our relevance before we get a chance. And tonight, I’m in the presence of my idols. Tonight in the motherfuckin’ building, we have Hype motherfuckin’ Williams and Pharrell motherfuckin’ Williams. And I’ma make sure we all eat.

[Still speaking] How many of y’all waiting for the red Yeezys? How many of y’all waiting for them red Yeezys? You know what they told me? You know what they told me? When I asked them when the Yeezys were coming out, you know what they told me? They said, “We ain’t sure!” [Singing] You know what they told my nigga who owned the store down here? You know what they told my homie who owned the store up there? [Speaking again] They said, if you want the Yeezys, you gotta take ten other shoes from Nike. That’s called extortion! 

[Singing] You know what they told him? You know what they told me? And ain’t nothing gonna happen. I swear now nothing gonna happen ’cause no weapon formed against me shall prosper as I tell y’all the truth. Why do I get in so much trouble for telling y’all the truth? If I get in so much trouble all the time for telling y’all the truth, then the rest of the time, then the rest of the time, then the rest of the time, what are they telling you? If I can get in so much trouble for telling you the truth, then the rest of the time, what are they telling you? Then the rest of the time, what are they telling you? What are they selling you?

[Still singing] If anybody here’s ever had a dream tonight, if anybody here’s ever had a dream tonight, and you feel like you can be all you could be tonight, and you wanna set your whole mind free tonight, put your hands in the sky if you love to dream tonight. Anybody here that feels like they could be all they could be tonight? [Speaking] Have any y’all been told what you can do or what you can’t do? Well I’m standing right here to let you know that dreams can come true. 

[Singing again] And I’m still dreaming, and I’ll keep kicking and screaming, and I’ll keep kicking and dreaming, and I’ll keep kicking and dreaming. Don’t mind me for just screaming, don’t mind me for just screaming. Don’t mind me I’m just screaming. And I’ll just keep dreaming. [Speaking] Let me explain something to you. They try to tell you that I’m crazy. I’m not crazy. I’m not out of control. I’m just not in their control. I’m not crazy. I’m not out of control. I’m just not in their control. 

[Returns to singing] And I give a fuck about TV. And I give a fuck about haters on the Internet.
’Cause anybody hating on the Internet,
I ain’t seen them open up a motherfucking mountain yet.

I ain’t seen them open up a motherfucking mountain yet. So I could give a fuck about a hater on the Internet. And I could give a fuck about any bad press. ’Cause what you don’t realize as the press, that any press is good press.

[Still singing, screaming] And I will use your energy, and will take it and use it against you. You ain’t never seen nobody like me. I live this shit, I live here, I live here. I live here, I swam through backlash. I live here. I don’t care at all. Not one single iota. I don’t care at all, I don’t care at all. All I care about is y’all. [Crowd cheers] All I care about is y’all. And I’m fighting for y’all. I swear to God I’m fighting for y’all. [Speaking] And I’m sorry, Pastor [Mason?], I know I’m not supposed to say I swear to God. [Singing] I swear to our Heavenly Father. 

[Speaking] Before I go, let me explain who I am. I am Walt Disney. I am Steve Jobs. I am Howard Hughes. I am Mandela. I am Malcolm X. I am JFK. I am Henry Ford. I am Michelangelo. I am Picasso. You know why? Because I’m all of you. [Singing] Because I’m all of you. And you give me the power to talk this shit again. You give me the power to talk this shit again. Only you give me the power, so I’ma fight for you. I’ma fight for you, I’ma fight for you.

Transcription via Rap Genius:

How many of you people came here with someone you love tonight. If you love somebody tonight, hold on real tight. Hold on, hold on. If you love somebody tonight, hold on real tight. If you love somebody tonight, hold on, hold on. Hold on tonight

Tonight I was thinking about being as safe as possible, I don't want to say nothing politically incorrect. [???] A very safe musician. I've been thinking about it. I've been thinking about going backstage and not saying nothing at all, is that cool? Uhh, before I go back there I got to ask you one question. Just one real quick. Just one. CAN I TALK MY SHIT AGAIN? CAN I TALK MY SHIT AGAIN? Can I talk my shit? Can I talk my shit? It's like I always find, I always find, I always find something wrong. Cause I've been putting up with they shit just way too long. I'm so gifted at finding what they don't like the most. So if they find that they don't like the most

You know, it's so interesting cause they're trying to make me, like you just read the, Don't me ask about the motherfucking mask, you know what it comes off of. [?]. It's the Yeezus shit. You know when you, if you read the headlines and read like, random blogs or whatever the fuck they might put up, you know, it's funny how they, they always try to bring up the negative or, bring up the things that sound the most out of context. You know it's like, have you ever felt out of place ever, like, out of context like someone just didn't understand, like they just didn't understand what you wanted to do, what you was trying to do, or what, or what you was dreaming of. Have you ever, have you ever been scared to say, to say your dreams out loud? Have you ever been just a little bit afraid to say your dreams out loud? Have you been afraid to dream in front of a crowd, to dream in front of a crowd, to dream in front of a crowd, to dream out loud?

I had a dream. I had a dream that I was Steve Jobs. I had a dream that I was Walt Disney. I had a dream that I was The Wright Brothers. I had a dream that I was Thomas Edison. I had a dream that I was Mandela. I had a dream that I was Martin Luther King. I had a dream, I had a dream, I had a dream. I had a dream, I had a dream. And I'm not afraid to dream out loud. You know you just get so scared that people are gonna think you're crazy, or that you're stupid, or that you're foolish, or this is the time that everybody thinks you're losing your mind, but I'm not losing my mind, I'm using my mind! I'm not losing my mind, I'm using my mind. So don't mind me, don't mind me, don't mind me. I'm not losing, I'm not losing my mind, I'm using my mind. So don't mind me, nevermind me, never, never, nevermind me. If what I'm saying, appeals to you, and makes you feel like you can be a better you, than thats good for me. And if what I'm saying offends you, and makes you feel like the worst you, than that's good for me too, true. That's good for me too, true. That's good for me too, true

Cause there's only two types of people, there's dreamers and there's haters. There's dreamers and there's haters. And all I've been doing recently is cutting the grass real low. So if you a dreamer, everybody will know. And if you a hater, make yourself be seen, CAUSE I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU, THATS WHAT I MEAN! Cut the grass real low, cut the grass real low, cut the grass real low. [?] I find [?], cause I feel like I just try sometimes. And I'm not afraid at all. I'm not afraid to fall. I'm not afraid to fall. I'm not afraid to fall. I'm not afraid at all. I'm not afraid at all. THEY CAN'T STAND ME! THEY CAN'T CONTROL ME! THEY CAN'T HOLD ME! THEY CAN'T HOLD ME! THEY CAN'T HOLD ME! THEY CAN'T HOLD ME!!! THEY CAN'T HOLD ME!

I ain't saying, when I say you I'm talking about public perception, I'm talking about backlash, I'm talking about all the tools they use to hold dreamers back, to make them look like motherfucking lunatics. How many people you know, that you talk to on a day to day basis, that made a motherfucking mountain open up in Tampa tonight? So all the other shit I'm talking about, is it crazy or is it possible? Put your hands up if you think anything is possible. Put your hands up if you think anything is possible, if you think anything is possible, if you think anything is possible. Cause God made us in his image. And God made us all artists as children, God made us all artists as children. And somehow that peer pressure takes the artist out of you. Somehow the world can leave you so [?] confused, and you forget who you are. But I'm remembering, I'm remembering, I'm remembering

Cause most people, you know they say, they say people in my position, what ever that position is, like a celebrity or you make money, you have some type of status or some shit, you don't wanna fuck it up right? You don't wanna ruin your name, you don't wanna say anything wrong. So what you do is you get on TV you just smile, you just wave, and you try to be as safe as possible, cause you don't wanna fuck up enough, BUT I WANNA FUCK EVERYTHING UP!!! I WANNA FUCK EVERYTHING UP! I WANNA FUCK UP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE 'CAUSE I'm STILL BEATING! As long as my heart is beating, as long as I'm dreaming. And I'mma stay kicking and dreaming, kicking and screaming, kicking and dreaming

I feel like it's my responsibility to turn up. I feel like it's my responsibility to turn up. And I stand here, the Gemini that I am, and there are so many examples throughout our history: Miles Davis, Biggie Smalls, Lauren Hill, Prince, 2Pac. The Gemini that I am, it is my responsibility to turn up and tell you the truth. And if I get in so much trouble for telling you the truth, and if I, if I get in so much trouble for telling you the truth, then the rest of the time, the rest of the time, what the fuck were they telling you? If I get in so much trouble for telling you the truth, then the rest of the time, what the FUCK were they telling you?!? What the fuck are they telling? So don't let nobody kill your dreams, don't let nobody tell you what you can do. Cause the more you accomplish, the more they wanna say you look like a fool. Following what you want to tonight, and you gotta an opportunity in the world

How many people are under 20 tonight? How many people are under 30 tonight? Under 40, under 50, under 60, GOD DAMMIT YOU ALIVE, YOU ALIVE, YOU ALIVE, YOU ALIVE, YOU ALIVE, YOU ARE LIVING, YOU ARE BREATHING, SO [??] YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IN THIS WORLD!!!

How many people came here with someone they love tonight? [Singing] If you love someone tonight, hold on real tight. If you love somebody tonight, hold on real tight, real tight. Hold on, hold on. Hold on. Hold on, hold on, on, on. Hold on. I love autotune. Thank God for autotune. Now I’m talkin’ about, I’m talkin’ about. 

[Speaking] Now if the whole world just had autotune, you know? If everything just had autotune, you know what I mean? Like if you was just like 14 years old and shit. Is anybody that’s 14 years old actually in the concert tonight, just anybody like that? 

So if you was like 14 years old, you back in high school and you wanna like, holla at a girl or whatever, you just couldn’t find, find the right words, don’t you wish you just had autotune? Like, you know, you could be like, “Uhh I really wanna feel on your breasts,” but it’d really say, [Singing with autotune] “Hey baby, how you doin’ tonight?” [Speaking again] It would take y’all’s thoughts and transfer it to what she really wanted to hear, you know what I mean? [Laughs] [Singing] Couldn’t we just have autotune? I just wish that everything had autotune. I wish everything was made easier...

[Speaking] I’m gonna give a little secret away to y’all right now, just in case you wasn’t quite heavily informed and shit. I’m really not playing fair at all because I’m actually an artist, meaning like, the proper visual artist. It’s like, I like tricked y’all to think that I was a rapper but I’m really Picasso. [Laughs] I fooled you! [Singing] I fooled you on the radio with my good ass raps! It was just as easy as that. 

[Speaking] So actually that means that if I’m an artist I can do whatever I want to do. So that means if I’m gonna take a stage and like, open up a motherfucking mountain I can do that. If I wanna design a shoe for Louis Vuitton, you know, I’m an artist, so, uh, I can do that. And if I wanted to design Yeezys for Ni-, uh, Adidas, I can do that. …

[Speaking] Before I go into this, I’ma decide that maybe I shouldn’t say nothing tonight, I’ma keep it politically correct and I’ma end this shit right now. What y’all think? What y’all think, I’m going to keep it as safe as possible because I’m so [mocking tone] scared! I’m just so scared that somebody might say something negative about me in some way, you know what I’m saying, ’cause I’m not prepared for that type of thing, you know? [Still sarcastic] I am actually really emotionally hurt when people talk shit on the internet. It really affects my life in some way [Laughs], you know, and somehow affects... uh, I’m just very afraid all of the sudden out of the blue and shit. And I’ve decided tonight, in Atlanta, the place that I was born that I’m not gonna say nothing, okay? Before I decide that, let me ask y’all a question, if it’s okay. And depending on y’all’s response, I will act accordingly. So let me ask y’all this one question.

[Singing] Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk that shit? Oh yeah.

[Speaking] How many people gotta go to work tomorrow? How many people they like their job, they got a good boss? I know some people like their job. How many people might hate their boss? How many people is a boss and you hate your motherfuckin’ employees? Well, tonight, I’ma say everything that you can’t motherfuckin’ say.

[Returns to singing] I’ma talk that shit again. I’ma talk that shit. [Echoes] Shit, shit shit. ’Cause there’s two types of people in this world today. There’s dreamers and there’s haters. There’s dreamers and there’s haters. And the only difference between the dreamers and the haters: Haters forgot about their dreams. So they’d rather take down everybody else’s dreams. They’d rather take down everybody else’s dreams. There’s two types of people. See, there’s dreamers and there’s haters. See there’s dreamers and there’s haters. And the only difference between the dreamers and the haters is the haters forgot about their dreams. And don’t you just wish the whole world had autotune?

So let me explain this to y’all real calmly. I ain’t gonna turn up. I’ve been turnin’ up too much as of late. [Inaudible] [Laughs] Who got the answers? So let me use this autotune parallel or metaphor. I used to be in the shower singing. You know what I’m sayin’? I would think of something, I’d think it’d sound so good. And I would sing it, and that shit would sound terrible! You know what I’m saying? Before autotune.

[Still speaking] What happens is, ‘cause I wanna show love to like Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton for giving me a shot and giving Pharrell a shot, you know what I’m sayin’. To actually work with the fabrics at Louis Vuitton because, you know what, when you work there, that shit is like autotune. Like you can have an idea and that shit come back so good, it come back so fresh. And the world reacts to that shit.

Now people be telling me—I know y’all heard this before—why don’t you do it yourself? [Singing again] ’Cause when you do it yourself, it’d be like if I sang without autotune. It would be like if I thought I was Adele without autotune. But let’s reverse the tables. If they tried to sell what they sell without us, without the rappers rapping about their shit, without the richest community of black people in Atlanta buying their shit, it would be like them trying to sell without autotune. 

[Still singing] So it sound like to me we need each other, don’t we? We need each other, don’t we? And we gonna sit down and have a conversation, won’t we? Yeah we gonna sit down and have a conversation, won’t we? ’Cause we need each other, don’t we? Yeah, we need each other, don’t we? A woman needs a man to make a child. And a man needs a woman to make him smile. A woman needs a man to make a child. And a man needs a woman to make him smile, make him smile.

I’ma say something to y’all quick. It might not be one of the jams. It might not be shit-talk fucking y’all feel like hearing right now. Y’all might want to hear douchey “Bitch Bad,” [inaudible—“fish punk?”] … fuckin’ hip records. I’ma tell y’all something right now. Let me explain something right now. This is what happens. [Singing] See, they don’t like no nigga like me. They tryin’ just to get rid of a nigga like me. They pray for the day y’all don’t like a nigga like me. They pray for the day y’all don't like a nigga like me. 

[Talking] ’Cause first of all, let me break it down, [singing] my mom had a PhD. Yeah, my mom had a PhD. She had an English degree and a minor in acting, and she was the first black female chair at Chicago State University. Let me break it down. My dad also had his PhD. My dad also had a PhD. So when I was 12 years old he was always educating me. For this moment, and I feel the responsibility. I feel the responsibility to y’all, to turn up in this moment. I feel that responsibility to turn up in this moment. ’Cause I sneak past the system with that motherfucking pink polo.

It’s too late, it’s too late, I’m here now. It’s too late, it’s too late, you can’t turn me down. Too late, it’s too late, ha ha ha ha, I’m here now. And you’ll never turn us down. And you’ll never tear us down. If you feel like you can be anything put your hands up right now. If you feel like you can be anything put your hands up right now. ’Cause you will never turn us down. Turn us down. You will never turn us down. You will never turn us down.

[West reportedly delivered “an engaging eight-minute monologue,” according to the Kansas City Star, but no audio or video is online.]

I would like to ask y’all one question before I go on. I’m feeling like … I need to know what y’all want. The question is: [Singing] Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk that shit? Can I talk that shit?

[Speaking] I don’t know what it is recently, it seems I’ve been upsetting a few people. I don’t know what I’ve done. I feel like I’ve just been being the perfect, you know, silent … I don’t know why anybody would be mad. [Singing] Don’t know why anybody would be mad. You know I always say like, if I get in so much trouble for telling the truth, so much trouble, so much trouble, so much trouble for telling you the truth, then the rest of the time, the rest of the time, what are they telling you? Then the rest of the time, the rest of the time, what are they selling you? What are they selling you? If I get, if I get, if I’m the one that gets in so much trouble, so much trouble all the time for telling the truth, then what are they telling you?

[Speaking] I feel like, I’ve never heard anybody say these words: “I don’t like Kanye.” You ever had to deal with that? I was on my way to the concert and shit, and I even saw three people, uh, picketing. And it’s like, I never asked nobody to like me. Because anybody that’s a fan of me is really a fan of themselves. I ain’t here to try and down nobody. But at the same time I ain’t fittin’ to let nobody take me down.

[Singing] I ain’t here, I ain’t here to down nobody. I ain’t here, I ain’t here to try to clown nobody. But I would never let nobody take me down. I would never let nobody take me down. I don’t try to hurt nobody. I’m not—I don’t want to hurt no one. But if you try to hurt me I’ll take you down. If you try to hurt me I’ll take you down. I don’t want problems with nobody. I don’t want problems with nobody. But everything I read seems like everybody gotta a problem with me. Problem with me. Problem with me. Problem with me. Problem with me. Probably because they can see … someone who might change things that they’re used to. Someone who might change everything. And it’s not that I can change anything without you. But with you, we can change everything. Together we can change everything.

[Speaking] The problem is: me, as Kanye West, and my level of confidence and self-belief. The problem is, when more people have the same level of confidence as Kanye West, that’s when they can’t control anyone. And it’s not like, we’re out of control. We’re just not under their control.

[Singing] How many times can people try to shit on your dreams? How many times can people try to shit on your dreams? [Speaking] … you know I notice a lot of people have been looking at me like I’m crazy and shit. But don’t let nobody tell you that I’m crazy. Sometimes I just look up and say, “Am I the only one that’s not crazy?” Feel like I’m the only one that will risk everything for the truth. [Singing] Because they can never make me lie to you. And I know the truth will set us free. And I, I know they want me to behave, but I would rather just behave. See I know they want me to behave, but I would rather just be me, rather just be free.

[Speaking again] And I changed up, … I changed my style over this past week a little bit because, you know. I was frustrated, I was turnin’ up on niggas all the time, you know. And I know people want to come and see me turn up and everything, and …  It don’t mean that I don’t have frustrations, but some of these names that I named started calling me back, so its actually working. So I guess this like a calmer version of me. ’Cause I realised there’s two kinds of people: There’s dreamers, and there’s haters. And I know that, the only difference between the dreamers and the haters is that the haters forgot about their dreams.                         

[Singing, unclear] And no weapon formed against me shall prosper. No words formed against me shall prosper. No words against me shall prosper. No words, no words. In other words, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. No words, no words, no words. No words, no words. I see freedom in sight. 

[Speaking] Willie Lynch theory … was rules for the slave masters that if you beat the strongest slave in front of everyone else, then no one else would do anything. So anytime you read anything where they try to beat me the fuck up, that’s because they want everybody to shut the fuck up and don’t get out of line. [Singing] Don’t get out of line. Don’t get out of line. But I’ve been drinking that Ye juice, and I’m turning up at all times.

[Speaking] But tonight I’m kind of relaxed, you know, I ain’t gonna lie to y’all and I shit ... [Turns to walk away, then stops, beginning to sing]. And you if you believe you can be anything please raise your hands right now [raises his hand].  If you believe you can be anything please raise your hands right up. And if anybody told you different when you go home can you tell them to shut the fuck up right now. Tell them Yeezy told me to tell you to shut the fuck up right now. Tell them Yeezy told me to tell you to shut the fuck up right now.

[Singing] They say I’m possessed. … I keep it behind, I keep it behind me always. Mmm. And there’s nowhere to go now, and there’s no way to slow down. [Exits stage singing “Runaway”]

[Speaking] I wanna ask y’all a question. It’s my favorite question to ask. And I’m going to act accordingly depending on the response.

[Singing] Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk that shit? Can I talk that shit?

[Speaking] You know, I’ve been going to radio stations and shit … and it’s been funny with people, you know, they ain’t never did what I’m trying to do, and they trying to tell me how to do it. [Singing] They ain’t ever did what I’m trying to, and they tryin’ to tell me what the fuck they doin’. [Speaking] It’s so funny. Like this one DJ he said—he ain’t even come to the show and he said—I just trying to help you get back to where you supposed to be. What I supposed be, yeah huh? Someplace where somebody else planned for me to be? Or someplace that I plan to be? [Singing] Cause I plan to be me, and I plan to be me … They said—I saw this one interview: I just couldn’t understand what you was saying. That’s not my motherfucking problem. Slow this shit down, play it 10 years from now, and maybe you’ll understand. But I ain’t fittin’ to dumb shit down, I ain’t fittin’ to simplify, cause when I’m dealing with is very, very, very, extremely complex … It’s a tightrope that I’m walking right now.

You know, they try to control me with this concept of likeability. And you know, if we ever hung out or something, you would see we crack jokes—yeah, it’s cool, we’d have fun and shit, but you know the media, would make it seem that I’m this monster. And for what? For telling the truth? [Singing] If I get in so much trouble for telling the truth, then the rest of the time what are they telling you? Then the rest of the time what are they selling you?

[Speaking] I know sometimes I look frustrated and everything, but for me as a creative, my idea of success is to get my ideas out—to you. Like tonight, opening up this mountain, that was successful to me. That was a success. I had a dream of making the stage rise: It happened. That was successful. And there are other things that I wanted to do, that I have not been so successful at—and I just ... They got this control over celebrities in general, you know, off of the concept of likeability. You don’t want lose a contract, you don’t want to lose all this shit, so don’t speak up too loud. [Singing] Don’t speak up too loud, don’t speak up too loud. Don’t speak up too loud, don’t speak up too loud, don’t speak up too loud, don’t, don’t speak up too loud.

[Speaking] But I appreciate that the term turned up came into existence so they could describe my entire motherfucking existence. Because I been turnt since day one, yeah I’ve been turnt since day one. Before they could describe that shit. You know, they used to just call it crazy. They used to call it arrogance. Now you know, I’m just turnt.

Somebody was talking to me, they said they saw one of the interviews and they loved the part where I was saying other musicians that I liked because it made me look so humble. And I had to explain to them that if I look humble, that was just a look, because I ain’t humble, motherfucker. It might of looked like that for one second, but I ain’t humble [singing] at all. I’m 100 feet tall. I ain’t humble at all. I’m 100 feet tall. I ain’t humble at all. I’m one thousand feet tall. Why don’t you put your hands up with me one time and say, “I’m 1,000 feet tall. I’m 1,000 feet tall. I’m 1,000 feet tall.”

[Speaking] Now let me define some shit. You can still be polite. I’m polite. But I’m not humble at all. Because I know exactly who I am. [Singing] I’m not humble at all. And if anybody’s trying to stop me I don’t give a damn. Cause when I wanted to rap, they told me, “Don’t try it. Stay quiet. Nobody’s gonna buy it.” That was before The College Dropout. That was before Late Registration. That was before Graduation. That was before 808s & Heartbreak. That was before My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. That was before Watch the Thone. That was before Cruel Summer. And that was before Yeezus.

How many times people told you what you could and couldn’t do, tryin’ to step on your dreams and shit? Your coworker, somebody you gone to school with, a relative that ain’t never made shit out of themselves, tryin’ to step on your dreams and shit. [Singing] Tryin’ to step on your dreams and shit. If you believe you can be anything put your hands in the sky right now. Say, “I’m a thousand feet tall.” [Crowd repeats after each time.] Say, “I’m a thousand feet tall.” Say, “I’m a thousand feet tall.” So we won’t listen to them no more. We won’t listen to them no more. No we won’t listen to them no more. Because there’s two types of people in this world, ladies and gentlemen. There’s the dreamers. And there’s haters. The only thing that separates them is one thing: The haters forgot about their dreams. Haters forgot about their dreams. See there’s dreamers, and there’s haters. See there’s dreamers, and haters. And only thing that separate them is one thing: Haters forgot about their dreams. Haters, they’re people [that] killed their dream. Haters, haters scared to dream. And right now, right now, I’m just dreaming out loud. I guess I’m just dreaming out loud. I guess I’m just dreaming out loud. I guess I’m just dreaming out loud, out loud. Right now. I guess I’m just dreaming out loud, out loud, right now.

Cause these niggas ain’t got the answers! I swear they ain’t got the answers. Everybody think they got the answers. But they ain’t opened a motherfuckin’ mountain with a hundred dancers. So how the fuck are you supposed to have the answers?

And I changed my approach, ladies and gentlemen. I changed my approach a little bit. Because you only get back what you put out into the universe, so. It’s only positive energy. ’Cause that’s all I want back, is positive energy. [Begins singing “Runaway”]

[Speaking] Before we get out of here though, put your peace signs in the air for Nelson Mandela. Put your peace signs in the air.

Before I get into anything I want to give a shout out to one of my idols in the building tonight. Make some noise for Scarface. [Sings a bit of “Runaway.”]

You know, they say that like I’ve been getting into a lot of trouble, I don’t know why. I don’t understand why. … And I decided tonight, I decided to become scared. No, it’s a new thing for me. I decided to become scared, out the blue. So I decided, maybe I shouldn’t express myself anymore. No. [The audience is outraged] [Sings] You don’t want me to be scared? You wouldn’t like me better if I was just scared? [Boos] [Speaking] Well, I have a question for you before I move on. Just one question.

[Singing] Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk that shit? Do you love that shit? Do you love that shit? I can tell. You must love that. You must love that. [Speaking] Because if I was to believe the newspapers, or press or some shit, it’d seem like there was nobody at this concert. It would seem like there’d be nobody. You know, the way they try to write it up, you know what I’m saying.

And it seem like what do I get in trouble for? Is it telling the truth? So if I get into so much [singing] trouble, trouble, trouble, for telling the truth, then the rest of the time what are they telling you? Then the rest of the time what are they telling you? Then the rest of the time … If I get into so much trouble, trouble, trouble, for telling you the truth, then the rest of the time what are they telling you? What are they telling you? [Speaking] And you know, I’m only sending out positive energy ’cause the universe gives you back what you put out, so it’s only positive energy. And it’s that balance between, you know, patience … patience and attack. [Singing] And waiting for the right time. [Speaking] Though the Grammys, I have to say, they’re very smart in the way that they positioned it, because they said, “We figured”—because I have to show love to my brother Kendrick Lamar for getting that nomination. That was very smart of them, [sings] very, very smart of them. [Speaking] Plus the fact that, he deserved that nomination. Plus, that’ll come, so …

For me, it’s not about me. Because we’re all in this together. And if any of us win, all of us win. You know what I’m saying? [Singing] So y’all could try to think that maybe I’m so egotistical. They’re trying to tell you that I’m so, so, so, so, so, so egotistical. Have ya’ll ever had somebody in class with you, or at your work or job, a friend of yours, or a family member that try to bring you down, tell you what you couldn’t do? You might wanna dream so high that can’t nobody really see where you’re trying to go with it. But the only thing that can keep you going is a faith, a blind faith, a delusion or a sense of self-esteem that might get confused with ego. And people look down on the concept of having an ego. But it’s that ego that brought me here tonight. And it’s that ego that let them know that I’m not at the top of the mountain, we only at the bottom of the mountain right now. You know, let me explain this to you like I’m sitting in the living room with you. After I made Watch the Throne—what I’m talking about is produced the whole album and designed the tour—I decided to go through to Disney, you know. Meaning like Walt Disney, like the company. And I said, look at this. Look what I made. 20,000 people every night came out to see this. Look at these ideas I got. And I would just [singing] keep meeting over and over and over again. And I would smile, I would smile, I would smile again. [Speaking] You know, I think I could be like … [singing ] I know how to smile and I know how to smile. I know how to smile. [Speaking] And maybe sometimes I do the wrong thing in the media or the press maybe read the wrong information and they say that’s not the best or the most safest celebrity. But, uh, I look at what we just did right here for my little demo tape [points to the stage setting] so uh, when I compare myself, when I compare myself to Steve Jobs, or I compare myself to Walt Disney, or Henry Ford, or David Stern, or Howard Hughes, or Michelangelo, who is anybody to tell me who I can compare myself to?

So wait a second, if we all one kind of people, you can compare yourself to anybody anytime you want! You can compare yourself to any man that ever walked this Earth! You can compare yourself. And if you think that you can really walk those shoes, just compare yourself. [Singing] And I’m prepared for all the hate they wanna throw at me. I’m prepared because I know it don’t come easy, easy. [Speaking] So this right here is just like a demo tape for what you’re all gonna see for the next 10 years, the next 20 years. When this motherfucking mountain opened up, that shit was nice, right? You ain’t see that shit yesterday, and you ain’t gonna see that shit tomorrow. But the media will be quick to down, [sings] to down, down, down, down … say you gotta stay down. “Nigga,” “nigga,” stay down. Hold up, hold up, hold up “nigga,” stay down. Stay, stay down…And my ego has made me just realize who I am. A hundred feet tall. I’m a thousand feet tall. I want you to put your hands in the air right now and say, I’m a thousand feet tall. Say it [encourages fans to sing with him], I’m a thousand feet tall. I’m a thousand feet tall.

[Speaking] Because there’s two types of people in the world, you know. There’s dreamers, and there’s haters. And the only difference between [sings] the dreamers and the haters is one thing, one thing. The haters forgot about their dreams. The haters forgot about their dreams. [Speaking] OK, keep playing my thing, but I feel like this whole thing has been very melodic and very likeable and very understandable, so let me switch into my completely not understandable, turnt-up mode.

What was the last movie you saw that had you turnt-up like this, what you just saw tonight? So it seemed like about me when any movie company they saw this they would give me a chance to make more, right? What clothing store you ever been to that had you turnt-up like what you just saw tonight? So it seemed like if I met with a clothing company they would let me make more, right? And how many times somebody told you, “Ye crazy, I don’t fuck with him”? Y’all ever heard that? Y’all ever heard somebody say, “Kanye crazy, we don’t fuck with him”? Now I want you to look at that person and say, HAVE YOU MADE A MOTHERFUCKING MOUNTAIN?! I want you to look at that person and say, what the fuck could you say to him? You know, like I’ve been going on radio stations. You know what I’m saying? It be niggas thinkin’ they checking me. Like they got some type of answers.

Let me explain something. I feel very blessed, I feel very blessed, you know as a, you know. I’ve had a lot of dreams come true and I’ve been able to make a lot of beautiful music for y’all, videos, concerts, style trends, whatever. But when you see me talking like right now, what I’m about talking is, I wanna make more for y’all. I ain’t going into stations talkin’ ’bout “I wanna buy a new car, I wanna buy a new house.” I could buy a house. I could buy a car. But I want to make more for y’all. You see this shit I’m wearing right here? This is Maison Martin Margiela. This is a different factory than was used for Phat Farm, and for Rocawear. It’s a different factory. It’s a different level of quality. But they look at me like I’m just a musician, so you can only be in charge of the Phat Farm level of quality, of a FUBU level of quality. You know what I’m saying? I know not today, but you know what I’m talking about. You’ve been to the Louis [Vuitton] store, you know what that shit feels like, you put that leather jacket on, you know what that [sings] feels like, and I know what that feels like, and I know what that feels like. And it’s not one black person that designed that. [Speaking] And I ain’t saying it’s a black or white thing, but I’m saying I’m Jackie motherfucking Robinson right now. So why can’t I compare myself to Steve Jobs? Why can’t I compare myself to Walt Disney? I am 36-years-old. And I am Kan-ye West! Where the fuck was Disney when he was 36? What Disney bitch look like?!

[Kanye gets heckled by a fan who demands he take off his mask.] Now, you can see my face on the Internet every motherfucking day in every fucking video. And I came here, I open up a motherfucking mountain and send a Catholic procession through and I rise to the top of it. And you trying to tell me how to give you my art. Well, I’ll tell you something. Well, tell you something. Do y’all want me to do this show the way I wanna do this show? [Cheers, chants of “Yeezus, Yeezus.”]

[Singing] So that inspired me tonight to explain to you, explain. I have to be inspired to explain. ’Cause usually I’m too tired, usually I’m too tired, too drained to keep trying to explain. Why should I have to explain? Why should I have to be so mundane? Why do I need to be blamed? Why do I have to be so, so, so the same? Why do I have to be blamed? Why do I have to follow everything everybody follows when they get the fame. Why, why, why? Why, why, why? It’s starting to hurt my brain. But no, in this case tonight you have inspired me to fucking explain. So tonight if only one time I will explain. ’Cause otherwise I would feel so tired and drained, and I know you don’t feel my pain. Or don’t give a fuck about my pain. And I realize, realize, I realize this, I realize this.

[Still singing] Everywhere I go, to the movies, if I go down the street. And if I go to the club, and if I go anywhere. Everywhere that I go. Every time, everybody knows. Everybody knows. Everywhere I go. If it’s one time in my life, when I can sing so high. Yeah it’s one time in my life, where I can just be me tonight. … When I put on this mask, if you ask why I put on this mask, [it’s] ’cause when I don’t have the mask I have to worry about, “Is my face the right way for the camera, ’cause I don’t want them to give the wrong shot to somebody who wants to take a shot at me, they see their friend and Instagram that shit ’cause their friends don’t believe they actually saw me at the movies. So if I wanna be not too aggressive and fully expressive and give y’all my message I suggest that you just let me wear the mask.

[Singing] If you want to ask, if you want to ask, “What does it feel like to be a Gemini, like all the other Geminis that are in the sky? Like all the other Geminis in the sky?” Who would you ask, like, the Notorious B.I.G? Gemini. Like, Miles Davis? Gemini. And like the one and only Tupac Shakur. Geminis in the sky. In the sky, in the sky. And last time I checked, they didn’t give a fuck either. Last time I checked, they didn’t give a fuck either. So what I need you to understand is I’m giving you so much more, so much more, so much more. I’m giving you all of me. I’m giving you so much more than what you could see, what you could see. Because I actually put myself at risk any time I say anything on TV. I actually put myself at risk. You know and uh [Kanye signals to have the heckler removed.] [Speaking] Do I look like a motherfucking comedian? Don’t fucking heckle me. I’m Kanye motherfucking West, I’m dead fucking serious! I am dead fucking serious.

Before I start anything, I got a question for y’all tonight. Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? [Speaking, waves hand between mask and microphone] Something’s fucked up. [Resumes singing in autotune] Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again?

I don’t know if anyone here tonight has ever seen me do an interview before. You know it’s so funny ’cause, uh, 10 years ago I was talking about how I wanted to rap and shit, couldn’t nobody understand why I wanted to rap. They just felt like, “Why would you wanna risk fucking up your career as a producer to follow one of your dreams?” I don’t think you understand—I was producing for everyone, for Nas, for Jay Z … I had the song “Jesus Walks.” And I would play it for people, and not one motherfucker in the industry would give me a record deal. Only one person said they wanted to sign me. And that was Dame Dash. 

No, I’m talking about 10 years ago. I already had platinum records I did for other people, and then when I played my song, I played them “Jesus Walks,” and not one person would give me a record deal. Not one. So now, you know, it’s like I got other things I wanna do for y’all. This isn’t a quest of mine to buy another car or get a bigger house. Basically, what I’m saying is, when you see something like this [points to mountain on stage], this is my new demo tape. 

And when I go to names like Steve Jobs or Walt Disney, of course I have no desire to be the next Steve Jobs or Walt Disney. I wanna be the first Kanye West. But I just mention those names to put some things into context, to let you know the possibilities that were out there. To look at what Steve Jobs made, to look at what Disney made. Because there’s so many people that will say, “Why doesn’t he just stick to music?” And I will say, “Why don’t you stick to not trying to not trying to suggest shit to Kanye West?” 

How many of y’all have been to a music concert before? Raise your hand. You know, just no knock to anybody, but for people that just focus on music: Their shit don’t look like [Points again at mountain behind him] this! And what’s so funny is when people say, “Well it started from, uh, music.” It actually started from my momma, who made me. From my momma, who put me in art class when I was five years old because I liked to draw. And actually every time I tried to play the piano, I fucking sucked. And every time I tried to dance, I sucked. And every time I tried to sing [singing] before autotune, I, I could not sing without autotune. I couldn’t sing without autotune. I could not sing without autotune. But I could sing for you tonight.

[Speaking] And people say, “Ye, why don’t you just do it yourself?” [Singing] But listen to this melody, melody, melody. I love autotune. [Speaking] It just gives me just a, just a little bit of help. [Singing] Just a little bit of help [Repeats 2X]. Just enough [Repeats 4X]. 

[Speaking] So bear with me tonight. I wanna explain some things. I was looking at some videos the other night from the ’80s and shit, pre-Michael Jackson. And it’s funny ’cause, you know, Michael Jackson brought his videos to the table and they told him they wouldn’t play ’em on MTV ’cause he was [adds air quotes] “urban.” It’s not a black or white thing, it’s just the fact that he was being held back because he was considered to be “urban.” So when I talk about clothes and shit, what’s the first thing you think of? You’re gonna mention some urban shit, correct? Why, ’cause I make music for [unclear] or something? 

And the names that I name you might not be familiar with. So bear with me when I do an interview and I name somebody that you might not be familiar with. Because I’m using that interview to talk directly to them. And let them know the power that we have collectively. ’Cause when I say “Yeezus,” what I mean is Yeez ... is ... Us [Spreads arms wide]. And anytime I’m fighting, I’m fighting, I’m fighting for us. Just think about it half a second, you know, ’cause I’m sure y’all heard this before when people say, “I don’t like Kanye West, or why did he say that, or why did he put himself in the limelight?” 

Any time I ever got into trouble for anything was for [singing] not myself, but for us, but for us. [Speaking] Because they try to trivialize my words, they try to make it seem like my importance as a musician is less important than what it is. I mean we can even take a look at some recent nominations that came out. 

Now I’m 36 years old and I have 21 Grammys. That’s the most Grammys of any 36-year-old. Out of all those 21 Grammys, I’ve never won a Grammy against a white artist. And let’s bring it back to Michael Jackson, ladies, when he couldn’t get his video played because he was considered to be urban. So when the Grammy nominations come out, and Yeezus is the top one or two album on every single list but only gets two nominations from the Grammys. What are they trying to say? Do they think that I wouldn’t notice? Do they think in some way that I don’t have the power to completely diminish all of their credibility at this moment? But no, no, only positive energy, only positive vibes. 

And when you see me talking about what people are doing when I say marginalized, when I say boxed in, when I say held back, when I say people are afraid of the truth, that’s one example right in front of you. And people come to me and they congratulate me on those two nominations. Fuck those nominations! It’s all but only patronizing. It’s only patronizing! Don’t patronize me. 

I just had to get a couple things off my chest. I woulda rather had no nominations. And I’m happy for my brothers that did get nominations. I’m happy for them. And in no way do I wanna diminish anyone’s moment. 

You know when they try to take one statement of mine and try to make me look like a lunatic or look like I’m crazy, what they’re trying to do is take the power out of the words, the other strong words that came through. What I want to express to them that I’m sure will end up on the Internet tonight is that it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. Success is imminent. We will win. We will overcome. Because your headlines can’t beat the drums. There’s nothing that you can write, there’s nothing that you can make up to stop 20,000 people from showing up tonight. ’Cause the way the headlines tell it, you woulda thought no one woulda showed up, huh? Haters.

You know there’s two types of people: There’s dreamers and there’s haters. The only difference is the haters forgot about their dreams. Or they let somebody kill their dreams so they’re trying to kill our dreams. But right now I need you to put your hand up if you feel like you can do anything [raises right hand], if you feel like you can live out any dream. So when I look stupid, when they make me look stupid, that should just make you braver. ’Cause I don’t give a fuck about looking stupid! All I care about is what I dream about and making that into a reality. 

So when you say your dreams out loud and somebody looks at you and says, “You look stupid.” Just say, “Look at Ye. He be looking stupid all the time, and he made a motherfucking mountain [points to it again].” Look back at it. Look back at it. [Sings] So I’m just dreaming out loud, I’m just dreaming out loud ... [Repeats 4X]. And I might fall on my face in front of the crowd. I might hit a wrong note. But you can’t be scared to fail. You can’t be scared to fail, you can’t stay in that jail—[speaks] that mental jail that the peer pressure puts you in.

[Still singing] You can’t be scared to fail, you can’t be scared to fail, can’t be scared to fail. And every idea will not sell, every idea will not sell. But I will not fail, yeah we will not fail in the long run. [Speaks] And you know you can learn from others’ mistakes. You know, somebody asked me: “’Ye, what’s the key to your success? How did you get this far in life so far?” And I said it’s because I asked other people for help. We’re not each other’s enemies. Ask each other for help.

So if you wanna do something, and you see somebody that can do that better than you, ask them how they do it so you can know what they do. That’s how I’m standing here tonight. Because people helped me design this mountain tonight [points to it again]. People helped me make these tracks tonight. People helped me with the lights. People help me set this up every single night. We can’t be selfish. ’Cause if we’re selfish, then we’re helpless. So don’t be scared to ask for someone to help us. I know y’all look at me on the interview like, “Why is he, why is he saying that he needs help?” Because we all need help. 

[Sings] We all need a little autotune sometimes, just a little help. Just a little help [Repeats 10X]. And that don’t make me no less cocky than I’ve always been, and I will always be. That don’t make me no less cocky, that’s just me being me. But I can recognize when I need a little help, a little help. [Speaks] Y’all help me to be a better me. [Sings] ’Cause I wouldn’t be able to talk so much shit. Y’all help me to be a better me. Y’all help me to talk so much shit. Y’all the reason why I always talk so much shit [Repeats 1X]. 

[Still singing] ’Cause I know somebody out there who’s inspired. I know somebody that’s tired, that’s tired of all the fake bullshit. ’Cause let me ask y’all a question: If I get in so much trouble for telling y’all the truth, then the rest of the time, tell me, tell me, what are they telling you? What are they telling you? [Repeats 5X, walks off singing “Runaway”] 

Before anything, I wanna thank hip-hop for providing me an outlet for inspiration and creation and also a living. I was 14 years old with a drum machine. Basketball practice, a drum machine, and art class, a couple porno mags, video games ...  So, uh, before we go any further I gotta ask y’all one question and depending on your response ... alright, cool.

[Singing] Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit? Can I talk that shit?

[Speaking again] You know I know sometimes in the media they try to say I got a big ego. They be calling me arrogant and shit. Well tonight I wanna explain to y’all just how arrogant I am. [Audience cheers] Let me explain just how arrogant I am. I’m so arrogant that I actually think that I can outsmart the media. As much as the media tries to throw as many negative comments as possible or tries to make me look like a lunatic or whatever, I actually think that I’m smart enough to outsmart the media. That’s how arrogant I am. ’Cause there’s been very few that were able to do that.

And, uh, I’ma start with some of my plans for y’all right now. One of the media’s main things that they like for you to think is that the reason why I fight so much is just so I can be doper or some shit. Or so I can be cooler or some shit. Or so I can buy a new car or some shit, I don’t know. But I don’t give a fuck about looking cool! I don’t give a fuck about being dope. I was dope since age motherfucking five. I don’t give a fuck about ... I know where the leather jacket store is, you know what I’m saying? I know where to get them.

But they try to make it seem like my whole purpose in anything that I do, anything that I say in any interview, is about me. But where I think that I have outsmarted this, what they don’t realize, and what I think you all realize, is that everything I do is actually about ... you. I don’t give a fuck about buying new cars. I do like houses and shit, but it’s not about the concept of me buying this house, and this house being so expensive that if I say the wrong thing that I lose this sponsorship and I’m not able to keep the house, therefore I will never say anything ...

We gotta think, the type of shit that I’ve been talking about in interviews, the shit that I wanna do, the shit that I wanna create ... the majority of people that create like that are in their 50s or their 60s. I’m only 36 years old. And I wasn’t here in this arena yesterday, but I’ma just assume there weren’t no 36-year-olds that opened a motherfucking mountain yesterday. I’m just gonna assume that. I’ma make that assumption. 

So also when I’ve been talking about influence, I’m not complaining, I’m explaining. See, people think I’m on TV complaining. No, I’m explaining. How many people in this audience either bought or wanted a pair of Yeezys at one point or another? So, as we move into holiday season and the Christmas spirit, it’s only positive vibes.

But let me not complai—let me explain, let me explain: I appreciate the opportunity that Nike gave me to be able to create. I appreciate that. But at a certain point when the world says, “We want more!” and I say, “I wanna make you more,” and they say, “No! You can’t make them more! What the fuck would you wanna make more for? Don’t you have what you need? Isn’t that car good enough?” I said, “Everybody can’t drive this car. But everybody could wear these shoes, though. I want to make ... more.” 

And some people are saying, it’s people that want agencies that say dumbass shit. Agencies in LA ... I’m not even gonna call them out ’cause my boy told me to stop calling them out. I ain’t gonna call them out tonight! I know y’all want me to. But I’m not gonna call them out. I want them to have a very, very Merry Christmas. And I don’t want their kids to think that they uncool and shit, ’cause they was dumb as fuck! But I’m not gonna call them out, but it’s people that want agencies that would say, “Hey, you know I saw that Sway interview. You know, Kanye is the most genius musician that I’ve ever encountered, a creative person. I just wanna ask you: Why doesn’t he just stick to the music?” 

You know it’s like ... [Begins singing] when you was two years old, when you was three years old. [Repeats 3X] For my momma, I’ll change it from when you was three years old to when you were three yours old, which is correct, cause she’s an English teacher. [Speaking] You wake up one morning, and you say: “I’m gonna ride my bike.” Then you wake up the next morning, you say: “Well, I wanna color.” Then the next morning you wanna say, “Oh, I wanna be a karate expert.” And the next morning you say, “Oh, I wanna skateboard.” Then the next morning you say, “Oh, I think I’m gonna be a soccer star.” And the next morning you say, “I wanna dance just like Michael Jackson.” The next morning you say, “I wanna rap just like ’Ye.” 

Then the next morning you say, [singing] the next morning ... And you know what they do to you when you grow up? They take away that next morning. They take away that next morning. They take away that next morning. So that means [speaking again] when you’re in high school and you’re in college they say, “OK, what’s your profession, what are you gonna be, what’s your major gonna be? You gotta pick that.” And when you pick that be careful what you pick, just know, as soon as you get really good at that, [singing] they’ll take away that next morning. 

[Speaking] So you can’t never say, if you get so good at riding a bike, you can’t never say that you wanna color, that you wanna sculpt, that you wanna create in any other way. [Singing] They take away that next morning. And if say you wanna color, they’ll make you look like a motherfucking monster, they’ll make you look like a motherfucking idiot, they’ll make you look like a lunatic. They’ll make you look like a lunatic, they’ll make you look like a lun-a-tic. 

[Speaking] So let’s put this in the headlines: I’m changing my approach. It’s all positive energy because what you put in the universe is what you get back. So I’m changing my approach. Let’s put that in the headlines. I told you before I started that I was so arrogant that I thought that I would be able to change my own narrative and outsmart the media eventually. [Sings: eventually, eventually, eventually, eventually, eventually]. 

Because now that I actually signed my deal with Adidas, I’ve got [singing] opportunity, I’ve got opportunity, I’ve got opportunity, I’ve got opportunity. But it’s not just about me, because with more, with more, with more opportunity, you can provide more happiness, more jobs, more security. More happiness, more jobs, more security—the more opportunity.

[Speaking] You know, I can’t wait ’til the day when I’ve made the whole Yeezy line and I’ve made my apparel line. Tonight actually I wanna give somebody praise and love that’s in the building tonight. One of the few, very, very few people that actually gave me the opportunity to create. One of the people is Jean Touitou from APC, he gave me the opportunity. One of the people is Mark Parker from Nike. Now, Jon Wexler and Hermann Deininger from Adidas. But someone that’s in the house tonight also is Gary Schoenfeld from PacSun so please make some noise for him. And I don’t know if you know—since we’re in Anaheim, I’ve definitely gotta send a special shout out to Disneyland.

And I want y’all to understand this thing I just did hear tonight that y’all just saw, it’s my little demo tape. Now when I talk about Steve Jobs and when I talk about Disney, of course I don’t want to be the next Steve Jobs or the next Disney. I want to be the first Kanye West. As y’all will be the first you, the first you. But the reason why I mention those names is because when I meet with people currently in power, they don’t understand the context and the possibilities of what I could bring to the table.

So when I stand there, they’re looking at me thinking about, like, how I could perform, or how I could grab a mic. And like “Maybe he could sing if we give him this.” OK, yeah that’s cool, I like singing, especially with autotune. It’s cool, it’s fun. [Sings] I put on, I put on. I put on for my city, I put on for my city, I put on. [Speaking] I put on, you know what I mean? That’s what I do. I’m entertaining. But to expand their minds to the possibilities, I have to mention names like [sings again] Steve Jobs, names like Walt Disney. [Speaking] To express the possibilities for me, as a young black boy out of Chicago with a dream. [Singing] Names like Howard Hughes, names like Michelangelo. Aim high, aim high, aim high. [Continues repeating].

And let me tell you how arrogant I am. I think I could outsmart the media and rearrange my narrative to something positive. And it’s game time.

[Singing] Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk that shit? Can I talk that shit?

[Speaking] I’ma pre-warn you, though, it ain’t quite as turnt as it was at the beginning of the tour. I was a bit more angry, and the closer we get to Christ’s birthday, the more good vibes there are …

But I have figured out that you’re only as good as you think are. You’re only as good as you think are. [Singing] You’re only as good as you think are. [Speaking] You’re only as good as you think are. … I’ve been getting into arguments with motherfuckers tryin’ to make me think less of myself. Have you ever had a dream or a goal or something that you said out loud and somebody right next you told you, “Man, that’s stupid. How you gon’ think you can do some shit? Who the fuck you think you is?”

And you know at a certain point I had to make a decision. Two choices: Red or green pill. (Or is it blue? I don’t know. Who cares?) Worry about people liking you, or worry about liking yourself? Something tells me that if I had been a little bit more worried about people liking me, I wouldn’t be standing right here today. Who the fuck gon’ come to Chicago wearing a goddamn poncho like this, except for a confident motherfucker? Who gon’ be on stage with Jay Z wearing a goddamn kilt, except for somebody who don’t give a fuck!

So it be so funny. You know like I do an interview or something and like now I’m on the inside of a TV and shit. And I think it’s this thing called [does air quotes] media training and shit, it’s like how to get the perfect answers so you don’t ruffle no feathers and shit. I refuse to take that. ’Cause everything you see was made by someone. It was somebody’s thoughts, who said, “We could build this arena.” They gonna be playing basketball here a couple days from now and shit. That’s why I run up on stage at award shows and shit. There’s gonna be a basketball game the next day. It’s a motherfucking façade. A perception that they give, and build you up just to bring you down.

But I try to explain to them at all times: I was raised in Chicago. You think I give a fuck about a news headline? But what I do care about is y’all. When I say that, think about this: I feel so blessed, I feel so blessed. And I feel that I do have the talent. I feel that I am multitalented. I know that I’m multitalented. So all this noise that y’all been hearing for the past two weeks, two months or whatever, has been me saying I’m trying to tell y’all I can do more. I can bring more joy. I can bring more happiness.

When I mention names like Steve Jobs or Walt Disney, of course I don’t want to be the next Steve Jobs or the next Walt Disney. I want to be the next Kanye West. But I’m not sure—I haven’t done the history on it—but I don’t know if when Disney was 36 he brought a motherfucking mountain to Chicago, though. So they like to put me in some type of box and make you feel as soon as you see someone on TV that they’ve reached the mountaintop. But I’m letting you all know right here that this [points to mountain] is just my little demo tape. And when I say the names like Steve Jobs, Howard Hughes, David Stern, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, when I say Walt Disney. When I say these names, I’m talking about the possibilities. I’m talking about the possibilities for the amount of joy that I could bring to the world. 

So I just got back from Germany this morning. I was at Adidas. And it was one of my top 10 favorite days of my life. The birth of my child, my first Grammy, when the first Yeezys dropped, when the College Dropout dropped, first time I talked to Kim on the phone for like six hours. I felt like I could just create so much more. And this is what I’ve been fighting for. This is what I was in Paris sitting there for eight years getting called all types of names for wearing tight jeans and shit. Y’all act like I wasn’t the first time y’all seen Givenchy. You know, this is what I’m talking about. When I went to Nike and they wanted me to just put my lyrics on the inside of a LeBron shoe and I said “Nah, I wanna make my own shoe.” I tricked them into making the Yeezys. It wasn’t like they was like “Oh here, Kanye, make your own shoe. It’s gonna be the freshest shoe since the Jordans ’08.” Nah, hell nah. I tricked them into making the Yeezys. And when that shit dropped they was like, “Goddamn.” And I said, can I get a second chance? Put me in the game, coach, let me shoot. I’m hitting half-courters every time, eyes closed.

So I wanna thank Nike for the opportunity to be able to create the Yeezy 1s and and the Yeezy 2s, but I wanna explain to you. ’Cause these motherfuckers will make you think that I’m crazy or something. But I’m not crazy. I know I have something more inside of me to give. And I know I was being held back from giving it to y’all. And I’m not trying to give this to y’all so I can buy another car or some shit. Or to buy a house. I wanna make more mountains [points to his background]. I wanna make more shoes. I wanna make TV shows. I wanna make movies. I wanna make films. I wanna make experiences. I wanna make [unclear]. And I know I can do it.

And I’m just talking to you like I’m in a living room. Usually I’m supposed to say something that’s inspirational or some shit like that but, uh, I’m not doing all that right now. I’m explaining to y’all, because this is my hometown, Chicago, and I ain’t gonna have these motherfuckers in the media try to act like I’m so goddamn crazy! My baby mama is Kim Kardashian! I am from Chicago, and my baby mama is Kim Kardashian. Ain’t no media headline that can outdo that. Listen to some motherfucking reality. I’m from Chicago, and I had the dream to rap, and now my big brother is Jay Z. And the entire time they try to look at me like I was so crazy. I’m just talking to y’all like I’m in my living room right now. … If I wild out on the paparazzi, it’s cause they say said something disrespectful, it’s simple as that, we both men. If Obama mention my baby mama, I’ma mention his, that’s how it is.

And I just wanna thank y’all for 10 years of enjoying the music, you know what I’m saying? I was thinking about 10 years and enjoying these shows, how many people came to Watch the Throne. Ten years of enjoying the videos, the concepts. But it’s just the beginning.

There’s a Willie Lynch theory that was written that said the rules to keep your slaves in check. The first slave that try to run, what you do is you take him and you beat him in front of the rest of the slaves, and won’t nobody move. They’ll never try to move. So if that’s correct, every time they try to put up a negative headline or try to make it seem like I’m saying something so fucking out of this world, they trying to beat the first guy who ran. So no one else will try. So no one else will feel like they can make a motherfucking mountain. So no one else will fall in love with their dream girl. So no one else can have a dream to rap, and rap right onstage with their idol. They don’t want y’all to dream.

And I think there’s two type of people in the world. There’s dreamers and there’s haters. But we all the same. It’s just that haters forgot about their dreams, and they’re always constantly trying to take your shit back, tryin’ to tell you what you can’t do. Sometimes when you dream out loud [singing] when you dream out loud, when you dream out loud, when you dream out loud, dream out loud, dream out loud. [Speaking] Sometimes when you dream out loud, it won’t always be accepted by the crowd [singing] by the crowd, by the crowd, by the crowd, by the crowd. [Speaking] But I ain’t gonna put my head down, [singing] cause I’m far too, I’m far too proud. I’m far too proud. I actually think I have the right to dream out loud. Even if I get, even if I get dissed by the entire crowd. I’ve got the right, I got the right, I got the right to say my dreams out loud. So I’ma tell you now. I’ma make something bigger than Disney. I’ma make something bigger than Apple. [Speaking] And I’m sure it’s some pessimistic woulda-thought-they-had-a-nice-life motherfucking writer’s gonna write something ignorant about this saying, “The rapper actually compares …” You can compare yourself to whoever you want to compare yourself to. We all the same. We all bleed the same blood. We all live, we all die. Only thing is, most of us too scared to motherfucking try. But I’ma try. And I’ma try. And I’ma try.

And what makes me such a fucking bad guy? Why do I have to be such a bad guy? Because I try? Because I fuckin’ try? That’s what makes me such a bad guy? What the fuck do I do for a living? Bring smiles to people’s faces. Bring joy. Bring joy. So why am I the bad guy? Because I try? Because I tell the truth? If I get into so much trouble for telling the truth, then the rest of the time what are they telling you? [Singing] If I get into so much trouble for telling the truth, then the rest of the time what are they telling you?

[Speaking] It’s a new world, ladies and gentleman. It’s a brand new world. And people think I’m arrogant, you know. I’ma tell you how arrogant I think I am. I think I can outsmart the media. I think that I can change the narrative. I ain’t finna go down in history, I’m finna go up in history. [Singing] I think I can outsmart the media. I think I can outsmart the media. [Speaking] That’s how arrogant I am. I just feel like if I keep on making dope shit, like the Yeezy 3s, like the next album, like signing a new dope-ass artist, and like reppin’ Chicago till the day that I die, I think I can outsmart the media. [Singing] I think that I can outsmart the media. I think that I can outsmart the media. I think that I can outsmart the media. I think that I can outsmart the media. I think that I can outsmart the media. Immediately. Immediately. I will outsmart the media. I will outsmart the media. Immediately. Immediately.

[Singing] We should’ve never ever let Michael Jordan play for the Wizards. We should’ve never ever let Michael Jordan play for the Wizards. We should’ve never ever let MJ play for the Wizards. Why did that happen? Why did that happen? We should’ve never ever let MJ play for the Wizards.We could’ve stopped — we could’ve stopped — MJ playing for the Wizards. Why did that happen? Why did that happen? Six championships. The best years of my life. Playing through the flu. Every single night. I believed I could fly, and I wanted to be just like Mike. I believe I could fly, and I wanna be just like Mike. We should’ve never ever let MJ play for the Wizards. Why did that happen?

[Speaking] Does anybody here know why that happened? [Singing] When a player, when a player wants to become an owner. When a player, when a player that’s done more for the league than the league could’ve done for him. When a player that made the NBA wants to become the owner of the team that he brought so much glory to, a team he brought so much story to, a team that has his statue in the front of the motherfucking building. But do you know what the owners of that team told MJ? You’re just a player, homeboy, you can’t get no pay. You can’t own shit. They told Michael Jordan that he couldn’t own shit! We should’ve never ever let MJ play for the Wizards. We should’ve never ever let MJ play for the Wizards.

[Speaking] When I talked to [Louis] Farrakhan the other night he told me, “Don’t apologize,” so I ain’t gonna apologize about nothing. But what I’m gonna tell y’all, is, uh, I’m not like Jay Z. That’s my big brother. I look up to him. And I’m not like Oprah. That’s my big sister. And I’m not like Michael Jordan. With all due respect, I’ma turn up on these motherfuckers.

[Singing] We should’ve never ever let MJ play for the Wizards. Now y’all know why MJ went to play for the Wizards. Because this very team wouldn’t let him be an owner. [Speaking] I’m talking about one of the most important people in our civilization. One of the most influential people in our civilization—they tried to marginalize him. And in order for him to make his point he had to put on a motherfucking Wizards jersey! To let y’all know, “Oh yes I am gonna be an owner, just like Magic Johnson!”

[Singing] We should’ve never let MJ ever play for the Wizards. Never never never never let him go. Because till I die, MJ represents the Bulls, represents the Bulls. So tonight I’m about to put my 23 on. So tonight I gotta put my 23 on, my 23 on. I gotta put my—and drop about 80. So before they let y’all think I’m going crazy and losing my mind. Just know ’cause they see that I’m using my mind. Just know it’s cause I’m using my mind.

[Speaking] So y’all can never be fucked up with no musician, no artist. I am Kanye. Mother. Fucking. West. I guess I am the scariest motherfucker on earth. You know why? ’Cause I can make 15,000 people raise their hand and I can ask them a question, I can say, [singing] do you believe in yourself? Do you believe in yourself? That’s scary to these motherfuckers. That’s what’s scary. Cause there’s two type of people. There’s dreamers and there’s haters. See there’s two type of people. There’s dreamers and there’s haters. Only difference is, the haters forgot about their dreams. The haters forgot about their dreams. So they haters.

One more time, one more time, put your hands in the sky. What I make, what I make, I’m making that coffee in the morning that you need to get to work. I’m making that, I’m making that espresso. I’m making that sonic self-esteem. So everybody in this motherfucker can follow their dreams. Follow your dreams. Follow your dreams. And there’ll be people that will hold you back and try to tell you you can never be anything. I mean motherfuckers told Jordan he couldn’t have a piece of the team. So even in your life there will be people who try to tell you that you can’t be anything. They try to tell you that you can’t be anything. But they don’t know you just came from the Yeezus show and you know you can be anything! You know you can be anything! You know you can be anything! You know, you know, you know, you know.

[Speaking] ’Cause this is the city that raised champions. Quincy Jones. Michael Jordan. I don’t care if he was born in Brooklyn, Michael Jordan is Chi-town! Kanye West. Obama. I love mentioning my name in the same breath as cold motherfuckers. It seem to piss people off so much, don’t it? Like when I mention my name in the same breath as, uh, Steve Jobs and Walt Disney. Like, how can I mention myself, I can’t mention myself [singing] in the same breath as anyone. And you can. [Points to another audience member] And you can. And we can compare, we can compare ourselves to anyone! And you can. Cause who’s to tell you who you can be? Who gon’ tell you who you can be? Only you. Only you can see.

[Speaking] See, we raised up in a place that seem like it’s all about not believing in ourselves and not believing in anyone else. Difference is, see, I believe in myself and I love myself and I love all y’all and I love everybody else. What the fuck do it matter how confident I am? How is that a negative thing? How is humility looked at as more of a positive than confidence? That is control! They want to control you! And hold you! And mold you! And make you do what they told you! And make you do what they told you! [Singing] I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but that’s old school. [Speaking] How is humility looked at as more of a positive than confidence? How is humility looked at as a greater positive than confidence? That’s control! That’s control!

[Singing] They want you all to be gray. Don’t be no color, just be, just be gray. Just be gray, like vanilla, just like whatever, you know. Don’t be bright red. Don’t jinx it, don’t get your me on. Don’t put your 23 on. Tonight, I’m gonna put my 23 on and drop 80 on everybody who say that I’m crazy. Well let’s go crazy then. Well let’s turn up on them. Well let’s go crazy then. Let’s go crazy then. I’ma put my bright red 23 on and drop 80 on everyone that ever turned me up. And said I was crazy. Said I was crazy. Said, said I was crazy. Said, said I was crazy. Said, said I was crazy.

Before I continue I just gotta ask y’all one question. I gotta ask y’all one question, and then I’ll act according to the response.

[Singing] Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk that shit? [Speaking] Yes or no? [Crowd cheers]

[Singing with autotune] Because I had a dream, I had a dream that I woke up and I was the safest nigga alive. I had a dream that I woke up and I was the safest nigga alive. I had a dream, I had a dream, I had a dream, I had a dream. I had a dream that I woke up and I act like I never spoke up, and every time I had the truth I just choked up, like I was fittin’ to get broke up. I had a dream, I had a dream that I woke up. I had a dream, I had a dream, I had a dream, I had a dream. Maybe it was a nightmare. I had a dream that it was like a perfect, perfect world where anybody that ever made it and was on TV and never told y’all the truth but just said everything that they wanted them to. I had a dream, I had a dream, I had a dream. 

[Still singing] I had a dream that I had just decided that I was gonna play it safe and I would never ever tell the truth. ’Cause if I get in so much trouble for telling the truth, then the rest of the time, what are they telling you? If I get, if I get, if I get, if I get in so much trouble for telling the truth, then the rest of the time, what are they telling you? What are they telling you? What are they telling you? What are they telling you? What are they telling you?

[Inaudible] ’Cause I won’t always be this wild. I’m telling you right now, I won’t always be this wild. So please soak this moment in right now. I won’t always be so wild. So please embrace this moment right now. 

[Speaking] Has anybody out here ever seen me do an interview, like, in the past two, three months? [Cheers from crowd] Oh my God, those be so fun. They be so fun, you know why, ’cause it’s like motherfuckers be havin’ media training and shit, they go on TV and they practice what they’re gonna say. I don’t practice shit! I mean like, you know like, if I do a good interview, that’s good, you know, that’s good. If I do a bad interview, that’s even better!

[Singing] That’s even better for me ‘cause I don’t give a fuck about TV, ’cause I don’t believe in TV. [Speaking] Because let all the motherfucking news headlines tell it, wouldn’t none of y’all be here tonight. And this motherfucker’s sold out. So somebody lying to somebody! [Singing] But the numbers don’t lie, do they? So who’s telling the lie now, who’s telling the lie now? And I will not lie now. I will not lie down. I will not lie down. So who’s telling the lies now? I had a dream, I had a dream, dream, dream, dream ... 

[Speaking] If you believe you can do anything, can you put your hands up right now? If you believe that you can be or do anything you want. [Singing] Have you ever had someone who said or had an idea or something that I wanted to do? And then the person standing next to you said, “What the fuck is wrong with you?” They say, “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Is it wrong to try to do what I want to? Is it so wrong to try? Is it so wrong to try? Is it so wrong, is it so wrong, is it so wrong to try? Is it so, so wrong to try? 

[Still singing] And I ain’t here to complain about nothing, nothing, nothing. ’Cause I got everything, everything. I ain’t here to complain, I ain’t here to complain. But I just want y’all to do one thing.

[Speaking] If you got something you trying to do, I’ma give you a little bit—I ain’t gonna give you no advice ’cause I hate when people give me motherfucking advice. People can tell me what they did and put it on a plate, and I decide if I want to eat it or not. But don’t try to sell shit in my mouth. Let me see your plate, and I decide what I want. It’s a buffet, let me put shit on my plate. So I ain’t got no advice for y’all. I ain’t got no motherfucking advice for y’all. But I can tell you what I’d do.

[Singing] I never thought that I was the best at anything—[speaks] I know y’all don’t believe that—I never thought I was the best, the very best at anything. So I would look around me and I would see who was the best and I would ask for everything, I would ask for everything, I would ask. So if you see somebody that you think is the best at anything, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid to ask for everything, ask for everything, ask for everything. 

[Speaking] Wait a second, that’s not what I was tryin’ to say. So forget that shit! What I’m saying is I don’t believe that we each other’s enemies, I don’t believe we need to be so in competition with each other. I don’t think we need to be so focused on trying to hold each other back. Of course I love myself. You know, I love me. I am one of my favorite people, if not my favorite. And I’m gonna hope the same thing goes for y’all. See I said hope, that wasn’t like a piece of advice, that’s my personal wish. And I also, I also love y’all. And y’all are my favorite people. [Applause.]

I understand that without y’all, [singing again] without y’all there is no me. You know when I think about Yeezus, what I was really thinking is that “Yeez Is Us.” [Speaking] So when I’m fighting, when I’m frustrated, when I’m talking my shit, don’t try to make me an example, don’t try to make me be like what the media makes me, like I’m some monster or like I’m some motherfucking lunatic or like I’m so crazy. Look at me like an American man with a family just trying to raise his kids, commanding that type of respect. Look at me as an example of somebody that’s still gonna talk to you direct. Look at me as somebody who won’t be disabled by the concept of success. 

How many times you see somebody get successful and then just stop, just stop [singing] dreaming. Just stop telling the truth, just start lying to you, just start faking it till they... Make you wonder sometimes, right? It make you wonder sometimes, make you wonder sometimes, make you wonder sometimes. 

[Speaking] And you know it’s so funny because for me, I go in the studio and all I wanna do is make something that you enjoy, something that you can sing along to, something that can inspire you, something that makes you throw your hands up. Something that when you’re on your way to work, when you’re on your way to school, make you feel like you can do anything. That’s all I want. So why am I such a bad guy? Well if I did the math on that, and I’m trying to make you feel like you can do anything, but I’m the bad guy—I guess it’s because they want you to feel like you can’t do anything, like you can’t be nothing. “Turn that Kanye West shit down! Look at him, look at him, he’s like a clown.”

[Singing] But when I look around, when I look around, and I say things like—[speaking] I say names like Steve Jobs. I say names like Walt Disney. And I mention myself in the same breath as them. And it isn’t because I want to be the next Steve or the next Disney. I want to be the first Kanye West. But we all the same. And you can compare yourself to whoever you want to. I’m gonna get in trouble for saying I’m just like Steve Jobs—I’m   just like Steve Jobs! Now what? And I’m just like Disney! Now what? Why do I get in so much trouble for believing in myself? It just make me feel like they don’t want y’all to believe in y’all self.

[Singing] They wanna try to villainize me. And demonize me. Hey media, write something positive. Please surprise me, surprise me. ’Cause all the negative shit don’t have me surprised. And in the words of Maya Angelou, ’cause my mother read me the book, “Still I Rise.” Still I rise, still I rise. [Speaking] Matter of fact, write a fucked-up headline tomorrow. I feed off that shit. I eat your negative headlines alive. I feed off that shit. 

[Singing] I feed off that shit, feed off that shit. I feed off that shit. I feed off that shit. How many people out here got people around them sometimes that be trying to just be negative as a motherfucker about anything that you want to do? Just wanna hate on every type of idea you ever had? 

You know, you know it’s funny to me I feel like there’s two types of people in the world: it’s like dreamers, and there’s haters. Only difference is one thing. [Singing] Haters forgot about their dreams. Haters forgot about their dreams, forgot about their dreams, dreams, dreaming to me is everything. 

I know I be sounding a little bit frustrated when people be asking me dumbass questions suggesting all type of dumb shit to me. But ultimately, what I’m trying to say to y’all is I just wanna, I just wanna make a contribution, you know. I felt like in these past 10 years from The College Dropout to Late Registration to Graduation to 808s and Heartbreak to The Blueprint (One), to Blueprint 3, Cruel Summer, Watch the Throne, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, John Legend, Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz. I just wanna make a contribution, you know?

[Singing] I just wanna, wanna make a contribution, you know? I just wanna make more, wanna create more. You have no idea what you have in store. And I wanna thank y’all tonight for supporting me. Thank you, ’cause I know sometimes it ain’t easy. [Speaking] How many times somebody had to defend me and shit, you know what I’m saying? [Singing again] I know sometimes it ain’t easy, but I promise you, I promise you, with your support this is only the beginning. 

[Speaking] You see, I don’t know what you saw yesterday, but I’m assuming you didn’t see nobody bring a motherfucking mountain and open it up in the middle of a fucking arena. I’m gonna just assume that. And I assume it ain’t gonna happen tomorrow, neither. I’m just gonna make that assumption, you know what I’m saying.

So let me explain something to y’all. I’m gonna talk like I’m in my living right now. You see that? [Points to the mountain and his giant screen.] This is my demo tape. This ain’t shit, but you know when I had Jesus walk through the demo tape and wouldn’t nobody sign me. This ain’t shit but like my little demo tape right now. So when I say Walt Disney, this is what I’m talking about. And I believe anything is possible. And over the next ten years, there’s only one or two things that could happen, you know. I’ma either be right or I’ma be wrong. But if we look at the past ten years...

And I know I’ve had [the Nike issue]. Has anybody in here ever wanted a pair of Yeezys? Has anybody here wanted a pair of Yeezys and not been able to get a pair of Yeezys? [Cheers from audience.] Let me just make this clear to y’all and to the motherfucking Internet, that that was not on me. I ain’t no bougie motherfucker trying to like hold my shit back from people. I want to create, I want to make as much as possible. I don’t make my CD and say, “You can’t listen to it, you can’t listen to it.” I want as many people to listen to it as possible. 

But okay, I bet y’all got people who wonder why I’m turnin’ up. Okay, this is why I’m turning up: ’Cause I make the Yeezys, right, and I know they cold and I know people want them, right, and then I go to Nike and they be like, “Nah, we can’t release but this many.” And I be like, “But there’s people who want that. There’s more people who want that connection.” They be like “Nah, we can’t do that because we can’t have like another brand Jordan and shit.” ’Cause people thought the Yeezys was, like, the new Jordans. And I said, “Wait a second, though, but people said they wanted those. What you mean?” And then they just wouldn’t call me back.

I ain’t trying to complain to y’all, I’m just trying to explain what the fuck happened. You know what I’m saying? Know what I’m talkin’ ’bout? I wasn’t trying to make no Yeezy so I could buy myself a new car, and shit, a new house. I wanted just to create more shit for y’all. Like when I was passionate about “Jesus Walks” and wouldn’t nobody give me no motherfucking record deal. That’s what I’m telling y’all, the little shit y’all seen of Yeezys, this mountain over there, and this shit I’ve been talking the past few months is just the beginning. 

And don’t be worried about me. When they write some bullshit tomorrow, anytime you read some bullshit, anytime they’re attacking me, don’t be worried about me. Don’t be worried, don’t be—I know that y’all care about me and I know that y’all love me and I love y’all, too. But don’t be worried. ’Cause this is just the beginning of a change. This is the shit I have to go through. 

[Singing] ’Cause nobody has ever tried to do this before, nobody has ever tried to do this before, nobody has ever tried to do this before … [Speaking] What interview you ever heard of anybody that ever said “I’m the next Walt Disney,” you know what I’m saying? Nobody ever tried to do this before. So they wanna fuck with me. They wanna demonize me? They wanna make me look like a lunatic. They wanna make me like I ain’t doin’ shit and if I do everything I’ma ruin shit?  

[Singing] Okay, but, okay, but, okay, but, okay, but… [Speaking] And I feel like I’m closer to y’all right now. ’Cause think about it: When I start doing movies or when I have my own clothing stores or I’m doing different things, I might not be right here and they’re gonna talk to y’all. So I wanted to just extend my hand to y’all and explain, explain kind of what all went into this and why I do this. Why I just wanna create. You know I dropped out of art school to do music, but it’s been an art project the whole time. 

That’s the little trick I play on people. I’m not really a rapper, I’m actually, like, an artist. I like rap a lot. I enjoy it. It’s fun. It’s more like a Michelangelo thing for me, though. It’s just painting in all different type of ways. Whether it’s doing an interview or painting a picture that’s kind of abstract and different than anything, something that has some inspiration in it that makes you feel like you can fight the next day. Or maybe it’s just trying to create. 

[Singing] Or maybe it’s just keeping the faith, keeping the faith, keeping the faith. ’Cause where we about to go, it ain’t safe. Where we about to go, it ain’t safe. Where we about to go, it ain’t simple. I’m gonna keep the faith. I’m gonna keep the faith. [West walks off the stage repeating, “I’m gonna keep the faith.”]

I have a question.

[Singing] Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk my shit again? Can I talk that shit? I love it.

You don’t know how much I love it.
You see, I love to be like, “Fuck it.”
You don’t know how much I love it.
You see, I love to be like, “Fuck it.”
[Repeats, audience starts clapping along.]

[Speaking] By a show of hands, has anyone here ever had to defend me to someone? Has anybody ever talked shit to y’all about me?

[Resumes singing]
You don’t know how much I love it.
You see, I love to be like, “Fuck it.”
[Repeats]

[Speaking] I think there’s  a misconception that some people have. You may think that, in some way, I’m angry. I’m not angry at all. I’m extremely, extremely happy. Extremely happy. See, my approach might be slightly different because the way I talk in interviews, people usually talk like that when they around their family. But see with me I believe that all of you all is my family so I can say anything. [Resumes singing: You don’t know how much I love it. You don’t know how much I love to say, “Fuck it.”]

See the thing is, I’m talking to you all, like, 10 years from now. 10 years from now just remember what I said. [Singing] Watch how it goes down. Because, with the media at least— you know what I’m saying?—you’ve got some older writers that understand what real music is, and they be like, “Fuck it, that’s Ye, let him do what he wants.” Then you got some people who are disgruntled and shit, sad about life, and they take everything I’ve ever said that might not be the right thing, that they all thought you wouldn’t be into, and try to [inaudible] that. I think in the past three months, the shit I’ve been saying, you’re all going to look at it in 10 years and be like, ‘That was very inspirational, actually.’

Just to take those risks, you know what I’m saying? I had to scale back and I took those motherfucking risks. But for me the only risk in life is not taking risks. This is your life. [Singing] This is your life. This is your life. [Speaking] And all that’s going to happen is we are going to be extremely successful. Right now they’re talking shit and I know that’s extremely stressful, but what I need you to know right now …

Let me explain the media thing because I want to get this point across. What I’m saying is like, 10 years from now there’s going to be people writing reports that were at this concert right now and they’re going to know and feel the passion, the creativity, the realness that went into this.

You know, I’m actually cool with the paparazzi at this point. I have no rage for that shit. If it wasn’t the paparazzi, if it wasn’t for you, you know what I’m saying, they like…

[Heckler yells, “Take your mask off”] Don’t scream at me when I’m talking to you or you can get right the fuck out of here. I’ll kick you out and the show will be over and you can be yelling “Take your mask off” in the car. Only when I get sued and I’m trying to give a deposition then the motherfuckers try and talk shit to me while I’m talking. I’m speaking. Don’t turn this way. Don’t talk while Ye talking. I’m talking; you listen. Shut the fuck up.

Now you made me lose my motherfucking train of thought; throw my zen off. We was about to have a miraculous, miracle, Deepak Chopra-level moment and your dumb ass gone fucked it up. But let me get back to my flowtation. [Singing] Let me get back the flow. Let me get back the flow. Let me get back to trying. Let me get back, let me get back, let me get back to trying.

Because the only time you fail is when you fail to try. So I’m here to tell you all that by the time people get fresh, by the time they get dope, they get cool, they don’t want to expose their failures, their weaknesses to you all. What I’ve been doing over the past few months, I wanted to let you all know things that I’ve actually been failing at. Things that I’ve been trying to do so you all can understand that even in my position I fail to stop trying. I gotta keep pushing. I just opened up a motherfucking mountain. This ain’t nothing but a demo tape to me, though. So when I compare myself to whoever, it don’t matter. If I say something that is completely stupid as fuck, it don’t matter. If I say something that’s completely inspired and you like it, take that with you, apply that to your life. If I say something that’s dumb as fuck, don’t apply it to your life. That’s not for you. You know what I’m saying: You leave that piece of clothing in the store. Only take what applies to you because I’m not you, I’m only me. But maybe sometimes I can say something that can inspire you in a way, that can make you feel like you can open a motherfucking mountain or something. Because it’s something that I feel. [Singing] I feel so free. I feel free. I feel free. I feel free. I feel like there’s no one in control of me. [Repeats several times]

I was looking at that Barbara Walters shit, and somebody that I like a lot—I’ve never met him but I like him a lot—is Tiger Woods, and they show him saying, “You know, I just feel like I’m a role model.” You see, that’s fucked up right there. I don’t feel like I’m a role model, I’m an artist. I’m expressing. If anything, if I can inspire other people to express themself, that’s great, and if they don’t, that’s great, too. I could give a fuck. I don’t feel no responsibility to nothing except to create what is on my mind and bringing it to life. And it’s so funny that people are so fucking uptight that you can fuck with people just by saying the truth. [Inaudible]

It takes longer to think of the lie, and then to lie about the lie that you just told. I’m just too lazy to lie. I stood there, like, “George Bush don’t care about black people. Alright, peace.” I’m just too lazy. I’m extremely too lazy to lie because I’ve been working so hard on this shit. This shit took some work! [Singing] Y’know what I’m saying, what I’m saying, what I’m saying …

Now wait a second, for all the strangers that are like, ‘I wish Kanye would shut the fuck up’ let me ask you all a question: Do you all like it when I talk shit or would you rather me holding some product in my hand trying to sell that shit to y’all? Because a corporation told me to sell this shit. Oh, you want me to be safe and shit? Or you’d all prefer I’d be scared and shit? Let me tell you what’s going to happen: Nothing but success. [Singing] Nothing but success because I’m mad stressed. I’m super, motherfucking blessed. I feel so blessed. Nothing’s gonna happen except success. I just want to be successful.

[Speaking] See there’s two type of people in the world: There’s dreamers and there’s haters. [Singing] The only difference is one thing: Haters forgot about their dreams. Or better yet: Haters gave up on their dreams. If you think you can do anything, get your hands up in the air. If you think you can do anything …

So right now, as I’m reflective, about 2013, I want to take this moment to—I really started thinking about everything I said, and I just want to take this brief moment to take time in front of you all. I started thinking about everything I said, and I just want to apologize, to apologize for absolutely nothing!

[Singing] I want to to apologize for absolutely nothing, because at least I tried to do something. At least I tried to do something. At least I’m me. At least I tried to do something. At least I’m me, motherfucker. At least I’m me …

So when they try to tell you I’m crazy and shit—the way the media tell it, there would be nobody here right now, and this shit sold out two nights in a row. So you know what that means for the future? [Singing] I’m just gonna be crazier! I’m sor … I almost said, “I’m sorry.” You thought I was gonna say, “I’m sorry.” [Laughs] Fuck that. I’m just gonna be crazier. I’m just going to get scarier. I’m just gon’ get crazier. I’m just gon’ get crazier.

Let me give my definition of crazy: “Webster’s tells us” that the definition of crazy is to do the same thing expecting a different result. That’s the definition. Now my definition of crazy is to think of something that nobody would ever do and say it out loud or attempt to do it. And while people are looking at it and it’s not working people will say, “Oh, that’s crazy.” But if you do something that no one would ever do and it works, then that’s genius.

[Singing] So I’m going to be crazier, crazier, because crazy is the first step to genius. Crazy is the first step to genius. [Speaking] And for me, genius is ground zero. I’m bored otherwise. I’m yawning otherwise. If you’ve seen it before, I don’t want to be involved with it. I don’t give a fuck how much money it makes. I’m into designing the concept. I’m into designing the future. I’m into motivation. I’m into inspiration. This is not interpretation. I’m into motivation. I’m into inspiration. [Singing] I’m into inspiration. I’m into inspiration. I’m into inspiration.

And I’m just going to get crazier and crazier …

You know, I think it’s a misconception: People think I’m angry and shit, and I’m not. Why does the truth always sound so angry? I ain’t angry at nothin’. I just feel like I wanna take this opportunity in 2013 to turn up a bit. Ten years from now and shit you know, I’ll be runnin’ my own Walt Disney and shit, you know. So I have to take this opportunity, when I was still, you know, crazy, to turn up a bit.

[Singing] Turn up, turn up. So now I’m thinking about 2014. 2014. 2014. 2014. I’m not thinkin’ about 2013 anymore. And I’m always 10 years ahead, not thinkin’ about 2013 anymore. I’m thinkin’ about 2024, I’m thinkin’ about 2024, I’m thinkin’ about 2024. I’m thinkin’ about 2024 hours a day. I’m thinkin’ about 2024 hours a day. I’m thinkin’ about 2024 hours a day.

[Speaking] When I be on TV, a lot of people are very protective of themselves, ’cause they say, “Don’t this way unless you’re around family. For me, I feel like all y’all are my family, so I can say whatever I want. I can say whatever I like. The world has adopted me, I am your crazy ass cousin that turns up at reunions and brings up that one time. But you need someone like that in your family all the time. You know one of your cousins that just got out of prison. I’ve dealt with some frustrations over the past years and I exposed it to y’all, let you know what that was, but now I’m tellin’ it quite clear.

[Singing] Tellin’ quite clear, tellin’ quite clear. And all I see is bright years ahead. And I’m thinkin’ light years ahead. All I see is bright years ahead. And I’m thinkin’ light years ahead.

[Speaking] Have any of y’all had somebody tell you what you couldn’t do or something like that? You know, you bring up an idea and shit. As we take this Yeezus tour home, approachin’ JC’s birthday and shit, you know, there’s two type of people in this world: There’s dreamers and there’s haters.

[Singing] And the only difference is one thing: haters gave up on their dreams. Haters give up on their dreams.

[Speaking] Let’s say you was three years old, and your dream was to hate, then I gotta respect that. Because you know, it was your life goal to become a hater. And you are successful.

[Singing] They’ll try to pull you down. They’ll try to pull you down. But look at where they are right now.

[Speaking] You could have been anywhere in the world tonight, [singing] but you’re here with me. And I appreciate that. [Speaking] And I know when you all see this mountain you thought to yourselves “I made a good decision, to buy this ticket. I am very happy about this purchase.”

[Singing] You’re here, you’re here, you’re here with me. And I swear I am something to see—at least right now I am. ’Cause I’m so turnt. ’Cause I’m so wild, so everything I’m saying that’s not allowed. Soak it in right. Soak it in. Appreciate this moment, this moment right now. ’Cause five years from now, I probably won’t be quite as wild. Right now I’m turned up. Right now I’m turnt …

[Speaking] Anybody seen any of these interviews I’ve been doing over the past two months? Anybody had to defend me because of the interviews I been doing over the last few months? Now the thing is, what’s so crazy is like, why you gotta defend it, though? Why do people have so much negative to say about somebody who got something to say? Why people got so much negative stuff to say about somebody who got something to say? Anybody that ever talk shit, I probably ain’t say not one thing that was dissing them in the interview. If anything, I explain to y’all, I been tryin’ to create a certain type of wave for the past 10 years, I reached a glass ceiling, and I was being held back on some motherfucking bullshit, some manipulation, some marginalization. So why is that so offensive to people? You know what I think, I think people that talk the most shit about it, they probably goin’ through the same type of shit in their lives, and they don’t wanna face it, they wanna act like it’s not happening. And you know when I talk about it it makes people think about shit that they’re dealin’ with in their life. How motherfucks be tryin’ to hold them back, how people be tryin’ to hate on them.

[Singing]
A lot of people so scared of change.
But I embrace that pain.

[Speaking] And the media writes shit sometimes, and [singing] they try to make you think that I went insane. [Speaking] But I’m not crazy. ’Cause everything makes perfect sense. Everything makes perfect sense. [Singing] Everything makes perfect sense. [Speaking] Look at this: Put yourself in my shoes for one second, un momento. I made this mountain. So if I go to somebody and say “I wanna make a t-shirt,” and they say “I don’t think you have the capability of making a t-shirt, ’cause you are a musician.” And I say, “Bitch, I made a mountain. I can make a motherfucking t-shirt. That’s beneath me. A t-shirt. I just like t-shirts. Feel blessed that I wanna take any moment of my motherfucking creative day to make a t-shirt. And you should help me make that motherfucking t-shirt. ’Cause it’s gonna be the best t-shirt that you ever put on your motherfucking two arms and through your arm holes and head.” But what they like to say is, you know, the cliché shit:

[Singing] You made a decision
to become a musician,
So stay in your position.
Stay in your position.
You made a decision
to become a musician,
so stay in your position.
Stay in your position.
Stay in your position.
[speaking]I think what we’re doing right now is:

[singing]
Breaking my position.
That’ll be my mission.

[Speaking] They nominated me with two Grammys. Two. For Yeezus. The most highly-reviewed album of the motherfucking year.

[Singing]
They say, “Stay in your position.”
They say, “Shut up,” never listen.

[Speaking] You don’t own shit. Motherfucker, you rent the Staples Center for one night, and give some goddamn awards away.

[Singing] Fuck you. Fuck you. And you need to listen. Fuck you for Christmas. Fuck you for Christmas. Fuck you for Christmas. And all the wise men came to the manger and handed the Grammy people a “Fuck you” for Christmas.

I’m gonna wrap this “fuck you” real tight,
and I’m gonna deliver this “fuck you” to the Grammys on Christmas night.
I’m gonna wrap this gift up real, real tight,
and deliver this “fuck you” on Christmas night.

With the love—good vibes only. Fuck you with the love!

[Speaking] Michael Jackson would always say “with the love,” so I decided to adopt that tonight. [Singing] “Fuck you, with the love!” [Speaking] Doesn’t that make it positive, like when you write some bullshit and you put “lol” in the text? [Singing] “Fuck you, with the love!” Cause I, I wanna say, “Fuck you!” because I, in all honesty, I love you. I love you. But I want you to love me, too. That’s all I’m sayin’. I want you to love me, too. And I want you to respect and love what we do. I want you to respect and love what we do. I want you to respect and love what we do.

[Speaking] So Grammys you tellin’ me that [inaudible] ain’t Song of the Year. You tellin’ me that Yeezus shouldn’t be nominated for Album of the Year? ’Cause love and hate are very similar emotions. The only difference is that hate is the opposite of love. So love and hate are very similar emotions. [Singing] So fuck you with the love. ’Cause I love you. I just want you to love us, too.

[Speaking] I was talkin’ about the three year old haters earlier, that grow up to be haters and shit. When I do comparisons of us as musicians to teachers, to soldiers, what I’m sayin’ is when the fuck was it okay to take a musician and just like try diss ’em all day on the motherfucking Internet? Like, what do you mean? Like, we go in and we make music, we provide a service to the world. It was always our dream, to make some cold shit that y’all dance to, that y’all listen to on y’all way to work, that y’all play in the house, play at a party and shit. So why the fuck every time you go on the internet, it’s somebody bringing up some bullshit? You know what I’m sayin’, it’s like we make this shit because we love this shit, and because we love y’all. So how is it OK, for motherfuckers to talk some shit about musicians? I don’t give a fuck about who—talk shit about Beyoncé, talk shit about Rihanna, talk shit about Drake, talk shit about me  No, I’m talking about how it’s a motherfucking problem—there’s too much of it. The mentality is fucked up. What if there was no music? They’d talk shit about the motherfucking wall, the silence? We are in a service position. We provide a service to the world. Beyoncé just brought y’all Christmas early. So when I’m talkin’about the Grammys, when I’m talkin’ about motherfuckers hiding behind blogs and shit—what I’m sayin’ is, when I say “fuck you,” and that’s to them, it’s because I love you.

[Singing] It’s because I do this for the love. I do this for the love.

[Speaking] And I know that y’all know that I love myself. Very much. [Singing] But I love you, too. I love me as much as I love you. I love you as much as I love me. I love you as much as I love me. [Speaking] And y’all know I love myself a lot. So you gotta imagine how much I love y’all.

[Speaking] I just want a little bit more accuracy applied to what’s goin’ on, in this type of shit that they put up. You know, let’s add a little bit more accuracy. Fuck all the politics. This is music, this ain’t politicians. This is music, this is people playin’ they shit loud in their cars and shit. And this might be the last time y’all hear me talk shit for a long time, I mean maybe like another 6 months, at least. You’re just gonna have to rent documentaries and shit, if you wanna hear some realness.

[Singing] So fuck them with the love. Fuck them with the love. Fuck them with love. I wanna do the chorus before we get outta here. [Starts singing “Runaway”:] ’Cause I always find, I always find somethin’ wrong. You been putting up with my shit just way too long. I’m so gifted at finding what I don’t like the most. So I think it’s time for us to have a toast.

[Speaking] So for the headlines, I don’t know if I want y’all to write “fuck you for Christmas.” I don’t want that to be the headline. Let me change that headline.

[Walks off singing “Runaway”] Let’s have a toast for the douchebags, let’s have a toast for the assholes, let’s have a toast for the scumbags.

[Speech two, later the same night]

All the way from the “New Slaves” projections in the beginning, to everything I talked about on Yeezus, to everything I been saying in interviews, I’ve actually been really reflective about the opportunities and the blessings that I had in my life. And actually, I’m gonna tell y’all right now that all of the ideas, the things they call “rants” and stream of consciousness and stuff like that I express, I told y’all, save those tapes and everything. Because I’ve decided to completely focus everything in 2014 on all the new ideas and all the creative outlets. I’m not finna ever bring up Nike again. And the only way I’ll bring them up is in a positive light, ’cause I actually appreciate the opportunity to have been able to make my own shoe with them, and if I didn’t have that opportunity, I wouldn’t have had my deal, and I wouldn’t be able to do this right now.

I’ll never bring up the Grammys again in a negative light. ’Cause I actually appreciate the 21 Grammys I did win, regardless of what category it was in. ’Cause I’m not finna be the dude that has all the opportunities in the world and just focuses on the negative and complains about it and gets into some type of zone and is havin’ to turn up all the time and shit. So I’m lettin’ y’all know that this is the last in a Yeezus show, the last time you ever hear me say negative about anyone.

Because you only get the energy that you put out into the world. So if anyone that particularly likes that, because we all feel that type of frustration. We all break the rules and everything, be really expressive. But now I really just feel like I wanna be expressive through my work with my music, I wanna be expressive with this opportunity I have with Adidas, and just go home to my family.

So actually, the thing I wanna say is, “Merry Christmas to the Grammys, and thank you for everything. Thank y’all for buyin’ these tickets and sellin’ out this concert, two nights in a row.” The Yeezus tour allowed me to live my dreams and be extremely crazy and creative, do entire shows without showin’ my face at all, with a mask on, and do crazy shit. I wanna thank the entire crew that helped us pull this off because I know … my dad told me this, he said, “Don’t say ‘creative genius,’ ” because it sounds rude. But the thing is, I create with other geniuses. John McGuire, who did the lighting for this. The choreographer, Yemi. The writer and creative director, Elon. Es Devlin, one of the stage designers. Vanessa Beecroft—all the girls, when they come out they have the masks on, that’s her work right there. We combine all that together. So I just wanted … to show y’all how appreciative I’ve been to just be able to make music for the past 10 years. I can’t believe this is gonna be the 10-year anniversary of The College Dropout, and that y’all stuck with me through all the wild shit that I do.

And Sway might not have all the answers, but none of us have all the answers. (He just particularly didn’t have those answers.) [Fan shouts “Turn up!”] I ain’t gon’ turn up. This is what I’m tryin’ to explain to y’all. So, if y’all like that particular thing, that expression that I gave y’all, that artistic painting of frustration and love and passion and off-the-cuff… all that shit. Just play back interviews from over the past few months, because moving forward, we’re moving forward to a whole ’nother level.

I feel like there’s so much potential in all of us, and the fact that God has given me the ability to hold this mic right now, and speak on behalf of my crew, on behalf of all y’all that love the music, love the designs, love everything that we’re tryin’ to do. I’m gonna take that responsibility to focus my mind on bringing dope, innovative, imaginative, fun, amazing, creative ideas to the world. And I also promise y’all—’cause this is really my Achilles’ heel—more patience. ’Cause everything I’m talkin’ about is definitely gonna come to fruition. I just want it all to happen now. And it’s all in God’s plan. (Maybe some of y’all are atheists, and I’m not tryin’ to force my beliefs on y’all—just talkin’ about what I believe.) It’s all in God’s plan. It’s all in God’s time, when things will happen. And goin’ into Christmas and goin’ into New Year’s, I just want y’all all to have a fucking good time. I want you to have good spirits, great vibes, great food. Hang around family, and enjoy that y’all got the chance to see this crazy-ass Yeezus tour two nights before Christmas …! I done said enough.

Thanks to Darian Alexander, Emma Goss, Dee Lockett, Anna Newby, Lance Richardson, Audrey Wilson, and Lara Zarum for their help transcribing.

Read more in Slate about Kanye West.