Kanye West's 10 Most "Kanye" On-Camera Moments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ErEZvuWoVs

If you're looking for the part where Kanye starts yelling, it's at 4:32. And that's the part that most people remember from this lengthy interview. "YOU CANNOT GIVE ME ANY ADVICE!" he blusters. "No one older than me has a better idea than me, because I'm the only 36-year-old me! I'm the most relevant voice on the planet at age 36--and the most hated. So don't try to tell me anything! Help me...help other people."

Stuff like this falls under the categorization of "Kanye is a narcissist," particularly when there's no way he can possibly back up his claim of being the most relevant voice on the planet. This raises an important question: is Kanye a narcissist? A look at the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' list of symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder leads only to more ambiguity, because many of the listed symptoms depend on the subject's achievements and self-worth being exaggerated. Whether or not Kanye is a narcissist in this regard, therefore, is a subjective judgment based upon individuals' opinions of him and his contributions to society.

But would a narcissist use his platform to "help other people?" What many observers have labeled Kanye's self-obsession could just as easily be described as an unorthodox style of leadership--one in which Kanye inspires from the top rather than pushing from the bottom. He knows the power of his celebrity and the value of his music and fashion, and his intention is to use that power to build self-esteem in those who are bold enough to follow in his footsteps. Kanye is painfully aware of both racism and the discrimination creative types face when they seek to involve themselves in more than just art, having experienced both himself, and he will not be silenced.

If you watch the rest of this interview, by the way, you'll find Kanye likable. He has the capacity to discuss topics other than his own worth to the world, and doing so makes him seem more human.