On April 26, Kanye West vocalized support for President Donald Trump on Twitter. For someone who does not understand Kanye West and his art, it might be hard to comprehend why such a famous celebrity would vocalize support for a president who is largely considered by the public to be highly racist, sexist and xenophobic. Some have even claimed that Kanye is mentally deranged and that what he is saying is essentially threatening. However, to truly understand the message Kanye is trying to convey through his support of Trump and through his daily barrage of tweets, you need to understand who he is.
Kanye is the epitome of a freethinker. Need any evidence? Kanye is responsible for producing top-tier albums for Jay-Z, Nas, Alicia Keys and countless other celebrated artists. He has released a total of eight studio albums, which have consistently broken records and been downloaded hundreds of millions of times. He has become a major player in the fashion industry and world of design. He has given lectures at Oxford and Harvard. There is literally a course at Washington University on Kanye’s impact on modern culture.
This isn’t your local high school dropout townie who has come out of the shadows and voiced support for Trump. This is one of the greatest artists of our generation, who at heart is a contrarian and has gotten to where he is, ironically enough, by going directly against public opinion.
Freethinkers, contrarians and those who go against public opinion drive society forward. If that wasn’t the case, we would still be in the Stone Age. The creation of civilization, the idea of human rights and scientific progress were all driven by freethinkers.
It’s true that having a highly contested opinion does not necessarily mean it’s a good opinion, with flatearthers who serve as a shining example. But on the other hand, conventional opinion is not necessarily good in and of itself either, with human history as a glaring example.
Freethinkers are the shapers of society and the influencers of culture. Freethinkers are needed now more than ever, especially in a world full of corruption, exploitation and a massive class divided between the rich and poor.
By endorsing someone as controversial as Trump, Kanye is trying to show that it’s okay to go against popular opinion, especially that of which is pushed by a media controlled by special interests. Kanye even says that he does not necessarily support Trump’s policies and isn’t even a conservative. The fact that Kanye showed admiration for Trump’s “energy” was enough to trigger the entire Internet and media outlets across the world, which is exactly what he wanted. He followed up his tweet by expressing that he respects the fact that people disagree with him, and that if someone is being true to themselves , then that’s all that matters in the end. Chance the Rapper, a highly liberal and progressive individual, recognized the blind hate of Kanye and even tweeted “Black people don’t have to be Democrats.”
The irony is that disagreeing with Kanye is exactly what Kanye wants you to do. He is presenting an undefeatable argument. Agreeing with him is good and disagreeing with him is good as long as you are in full control of your opinions and views.
By preaching a message of independence, self-love and freedom Kanye has been labeled by many as “crazy” , which shows how conditioned society is to think that there is only one right way to think and act. The world isn’t black and white, and nothing is explicitly right or wrong. Existence itself is rooted in your subjective experience and your individuality. Staying true to your authentic self, therefore, is the most important thing you can do.
The greatest leaders, innovators and artists throughout history were freethinkers who went against popular opinion and escaped the firm grasp of authority and conventionality. If Kanye, through his Trump “support,” was able to show at least one person that valuing and loving yourself is the most important thing you can do in life, then so be it. “I love when people have their own ideas. You don’t have to be allowed anymore. Just be. Love who you want to love. That’s free thought. I’m not even political. I’m not a democrat or a republican” -Kanye West.