Charlie Rose interviews Kanye West 2005

In 2005, Kanye West talked with Charlie Rose just before the Grammy Awards.

Summary

Kanye West on His 2005 Breakthrough and Challenges

West's first album, The College Dropout, had received 10 Grammy nominations. West spoke about people who didn't believe he could succeed as a rapper, like a gym teacher from high school and music executives who thought his style wasn't right for rap. He felt the Grammy nominations—for awards like Album of the Year, Song of the Year ("Jesus Walks"), Best New Artist, Rap Album of the Year, and producing Alicia Keys' album The Diary of Alicia Keys—proved them wrong and made it okay for people to like his music. West said his success wasn't just luck; he believed God had a plan for him. He also mentioned starting his Kanye West Foundation to help keep kids in school.

How a Serious Car Crash Shaped His Music

A very important part of West's story was a near-fatal car accident in October 2002. He fell asleep while driving home from the studio late at night and crashed, breaking his jaw in three places. West described the intense pain and how making music helped him recover. He called The College Dropout album his way of healing, like an "angel" that helped him feel better when he couldn't even eat properly. He said working on songs like "Through the Wire," which he recorded while his jaw was wired shut, lifted his spirits. Because the album came from this hard time, he felt it was very personal and spiritual. He said criticism of the album felt like someone attacking the thing that helped save him.

Music Ideas, Role Models, and Beliefs

West talked more about the spiritual ideas in his album, saying songs like "Family Business" and "Spaceships" offered hope to people going through tough times. He said his father taught him to think critically about social problems and the messages in music. He also credited rappers like Common and Talib Kweli with showing him how to rap about meaningful things in a cool way. West explained that his song "Jesus Walks" was a kind of "trick" to get radio stations to play a song about God, even though they usually avoided it. He said he was raised Christian and believed in Jesus, but he didn't agree that people of other faiths, or babies who died before baptism, would automatically go to hell. He felt his own relationship with God was personal, especially after surviving the accident.

Thoughts on School, Success, and Goals

West shared his thoughts on education. He said high school was necessary, but college was a "choice" and not right for everyone, especially if they didn't know what they wanted to do or were just going because their parents wanted them to. He believed finding happiness and being able to support your family were more important signs of success than just having a degree. West warned people not to just drop out like he did, pointing out that he was already succeeding in music as a producer before he left Chicago State University, where his mother taught English. He said his strong belief in himself came partly from his grandfather. He looked up to people like Russell Simmons and Jay-Z as examples of success in business and music.

Plans for the Future and Giving Back

Looking forward, West said he didn't believe there were any limits to what he could achieve, comparing learning new things to how he learned to make music. He felt that his success, like that of comedian Dave Chappelle who he felt was similar, came with a duty to help others. Instead of just wanting to relax, West now wanted to use his position to do good. He planned to work through his Kanye West Foundation, mentor young people, and be a positive role model, especially for kids without fathers. After his accident, he said he wasn't afraid of dying anymore and saw life as an important chance to do his "job" of helping people before going to heaven.

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Event Date: February 7, 2005