Although Kanye West is widely considered one of the most influential artists of his generation, he’s never exactly been known for being humble. In his upcoming interview with David Letterman on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, however, the “I Am A God” rapper said that he views the lyrics of his longtime friend and collaborator JAY-Z as coming from the same self-centered vein as his own. The episode drops later this week, but several outlets have already reported quotes from the interview.
“I think we’re both pretty self-centered in our music,” he said. “We’re rappers. You’re self-centered. That’s what we do, we tell our story and then people relate to that story.”
He traces his approach to rapping back to their early work together, when Kanye had to compete against one of hip-hop’s most elite MCs.
“When I listen back to it I’m like, ‘Oh man, I wasn’t really as good as I thought I was’, but I had the confidence, this delusional confidence, to think I could rap as good as Jay-Z—even to the point of not playing him beats and saving them for myself,” he said. “People think I’m crazy now, they thought I was crazy then. ‘You ain’t finna play "Jesus Walks” for JAY-Z?’ I was like, ‘No, I’m gonna stash this one.’"
Although Kanye and Jay’s creative partnership dates back decades, their relationship has been rocky since at least 2016. During his own appearance on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction last year, Jay said that he still thought of Kanye as a brother, but said they have issues to work out.
“That’s my brother. We’re beyond friends,” he said. “Really, like literally, my little brother is Kanye. And like your little brother, things happen sometimes.”
Jay also mentioned Kanye on Meek Mill’s “What’s Free” last November, but later denied that the lyrics were meant as a diss.
As Genius previously reported, Kanye also discussed topics including his beef with Drake, the influence of his mother, and mental health. His full My Next Guest Needs No Introduction interview will be available on Netflix starting May 31.
