The 11 Most Memorable Kanye Moments of 2013
Love or hate Kanye West, the guy deserves some credit for knowing how to keep himself in the news. 2013 was no different.
Below, we list some of the year’s most unforgettable moments that include everything from rants to a birth and an incredible, long-anticipated humbling intervention staged at New York’s Power 105.1:
1. Feb. 23 — Disses Justin Timberlake
Even though Kanye West loves his fashion, he was not a fan of Justin Timberlake’s couture-theme comeback single. During a concert at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, Kanye unleashed his fury on the former ‘N Sync singer, saying, “And I got love for Hov but I ain’t f–king with that ‘Suit & Tie.'” By the end of the night, Mr. West screamed into the mike and threw it onto the ground. When J.T. played “Saturday Night Live” the following month, he shrugged off ‘Ye’s diss, singing, “My hit’s so sick, got rappers acting dramatic.”
2. May 17 — Finds New Video Outlets for “New Slaves”
It’s quite possible that Kanye asked himself What would Jesus do? when determining how he would premiere the video for “New Slaves,” the first single from “Yeezus.” Instead of securing a rollout with a major video platform like Vevo, MTV, or BET, Yeezus took his music directly to his followers. And what was his unorthodox strategy? On a Friday night, he projected the video onto the sides of buildings in 66 locations, including the Chanel Boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Northwestern University in Chicago, and Bondi Junction in Sydney, among others.
3. June 15 — Lands New Job: Baby Daddy
Kanye and Kim Kardashian welcomed their precious baby girl, North, in Los Angeles. Kanye announced Kim’s pregnancy on Dec. 30, 2012, during a concert in Atlantic City, boasting, “Stop the music and make some noise for my baby mama.”
4. Aug. 23 — Gives Sweetest Interview Ever
Anyone who thought Kanye and Kim’s relationship was fake was corrected during the rapper’s hour-long conservation with Kim’s mother, Kris Jenner. A calm, sweet, gentle, and surprisingly rational Kanye opened up about his love for his child’s mother, saying, “She’s my joy, and she brought my new joy into the world. And there’s no paparazzi, no blog comment, nothing that’s going to take that joy from me.”
5. Sept. 9 — Finally Reacts to Ray J’s “I Hit it First”
Ray J, the co-star of the Kim Kardashian’s 2007 sex tape, is likely the person who irritated Kanye the most this year. In April, the R&B singer, who is also the younger brother of pop star Brandy, released the song “I Hit it First.” Though Ray J denied the song was about Kim, the single artwork included a pixelated image of the reality star and the video featured a lookalike. In September, five months later, Kanye fired back. During a performance on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” Kanye dissed Ray J by changing lyrics in his song “Bound 2.” The Yeezus rapper said, “Brandy’s little sister lame and he know it now.”
6. Sept. 27 — Defends the Leather Jogging Pants
Weeks later, Kanye found himself in a feud with late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who made fun of an interview the rapper gave to the BBC. To emphasize the ridiculousness of Kanye’s rant about his idea for leather jogging pants, Kimmel had children re-enact an excerpt of the interview. In a series of obscene tweets, Kanye said that Kimmel was out of line. Kimmel said Kanye called him and demanded an apology. During an Oct. 10 appearance on Kimmel, the two squashed their beef.
JIMMY KIMMEL IS OUT OF LINE TO TRY AND SPOOF IN ANY WAY THE FIRST PIECE OF HONEST MEDIA IN YEARS
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) September 27, 2013
7. Oct. 19 — Reveals the Ultimate Face-Off
Though Kanye has been wearing various masks during his stage shows for years, he took the fashion trend more seriously during his Yeezus tour. His four face coverings are from Parisian fashion house Martin Margiela. The styles range from bejeweled to reflective to rectangular beads. While some, including this writer, consider the pieces creepy, ‘Ye describes them as “freshness.”
8. Oct. 21 — Puts a Ring on It!
Kanye made Kim’s 33rd birthday extra special this year by getting down on one knee to pop the big question. For the grand proposal, Kanye rented the AT&T Park in San Francisco. The Chicago Symphony performed and the Jumbotron read, “PLEEEASE MARRY MEEE!”
9. Nov. 19 — Makes Gratuitous Motorcycle Video With Kim
Kanye’s video for “Bound 2” brought new meaning to the phrase “riding dirty.” In the video released on Nov. 19, Kanye takes his woman for a motorcycle ride through a green-screen countryside. But the excursion quickly turns into an escapade with his newly blond honey going topless and the couple getting randy on the bike.
10. Nov. 26 — Gets Reprimanded During Radio Interview
I would personally like to thank whoever convinced Kanye to commit to doing this no-holds-barred interview with Power 105.1’s “The Breakfast Club” just a few days before Thanksgiving. Morning show co-host Charlamagne the God ripped Kanye to shreds, calling him out on all of his nonsense — terrible “Bound 2” video, out of control ego, and handlers who clearly don’t know how to tell him, “No.”
11. Nov. 26 — Screams at MTV’s Sway
Though Kanye managed to maintain his composure during his interrogation on “The Breakfast Club,” he had very little patience when he sat down with Sway for an interview on “Sways Universe.” When his old friend asked him why he didn’t use his own resources to fuel his fashion pursuits, Kanye lost it, screaming, “You ain’t got the answers, Sway,” prompting the normally calm veteran radio personality to lose his cool. The following week, Sway responded by selling tees with the tag “I Got The Answers.”