Kanye West: I’m Michael Jordan, Timberlake is Grant Hill
photo. kanyeuniversecity.comIn an Associated Press article run earlier this week, Kanye West said he is the Michael Jordan of the music industry.
“I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade. I will be the loudest voice,” Kanye said. “It’s me settling into that position of just really accepting that it’s one thing to say you want to do it and it’s another thing to really end up being like Michael Jordan.”
At the same time, ‘Ye loosely compared Justin Timberlake to Grant Hill. (My words, not his.)
“There were people who had the potential to do it but they went on vacation, so when Justin [Timberlake] went on vacation, I made albums,” Kanye said. “And it just came out to be that.”
Is Kanye really the one holding that “MJ” crown?
November 14th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Ashlov says:
Douche. Bag.
Never seen anyone so god damn arrogant and into themselves as this moron.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Max says:
Oh man, there is going to be some serious hate in this thread.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
weezy f says:
not even close hes good but not the GOAT
November 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
alimoe says:
what an idiot
November 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
king joe says:
its gotta be jigga. kanye is more kobe. jigga got the benefits of an intense rivalry of pac and big, a la the way jordan got the benfits of bird v. magic.
and sidebar, y is ye throwing jabs at timberlake?
November 14th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Ashlov says:
He’s more like the Deshawn Stevenson of rap, always overrating himself and starting up stupid beef for no reason.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Big T says:
Kanye is a joke. Funny that, out of all the possible people in the industry, he chooses Timberlake to diss. And the Jordan reference… wow… lol
November 14th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
N-Truh-Kit says:
bein from the chi it’s hard to talk down on someone else from there who’s doin it big. but dude is overly full of himself. he’s got talent no doubt about it, but he’s takin it too far with the MJ comparison. he hasn’t had enough success to make that claim. and i don’t mean success by just the awards he’s won/been nominated for. he needs to be more consistent with his art, for every good track he lays down there are a few thats like “umm…ok Ye, i know you could have done better than this”. is there really anyone in the music game that can be considered the MJ of it? i know alotta people would say Lil Wayne right now. he’s put his time in and he’s getting his shine no doubt, but i’m not a big fan of his so i cant comment on his “mj status”
November 14th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
that's whats up says:
I’ve taken shits that were more interesting than Kanye
November 14th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
weezy f says:
alston and barnes got 2 games and nash got 1
November 14th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Michorizo says:
I’m the MJ of mexican stoners
November 14th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Say Wha? says:
Lil Wayne’s a flareup - nothing more than Penny Hardaway
November 14th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Big T says:
@N-Truh
There was someone who was the MJ of the game, but he took an early exit in 96. RIP
November 14th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
P_Dizzle says:
He’s more like “Baby Jordan” Harold Miner.
What an asshole. He doesn’t think his shit stinks. But his shit stinks worst.
He just runs his mouth so we all don’t forget about him, like Miner would compete in dunk contests so we wouldn’t forget about him.
He’s a nobody.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
dapro says:
N-Truh
I was thinking the same thing, I can’t knock Yeezy cause he’s from the Chi but damn he sounds like a fool
The thing is he isn’t talking about rap he’s talking music in general. That’s why he choose to single out Timberlake because Justin was considered the biggest music art a few years back.
The only MJ in the music is MJ himself. He influenced damn near every music artist in every genre.
Yeezy is too full of himself and he’s starting to make me tune he out, for every hot line track he drops, a bs track follows (just like wayne)
November 14th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
QueSt??? says:
wtf this dude is arrogant and conceited, gtfoh u suck kanye trying to b t pain singins and shit
November 14th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
MSkittle says:
Jay Z holds that title
November 14th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Hoveys Home says:
Kanye’s feelings were probably hurt because Timberlake didnt pick one of his beats, he’s more of a bitch than a bitch
November 14th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
rezjam says:
The great ones never have to declare themselves to be great. Everyone else does it for them.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
LOL @ Michorizo…Where you stay at bro we gotta have a smoke out one day see who last the longest. But it’s gotta be on my truf since everyone knows Cali got the best bud.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
rockstar says:
To settle this why doesn’t dime do the rapper/baller comparison with Kanye. i see Kanye as more of a gilbert type good but very arrogant,and I like them both.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Hoveys Home says:
And actually, wouldnt Timberlake be Jordan since he’s been sellin’ out big ass arenas since 98???
November 14th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
P_Dizzle says:
@rezjam…
you said it all right there. Amen.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
star_bury says:
Kanye is about a Shawn Kemp in my books. He had a few good years and now he’s going to be his own downfall….
November 14th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
star_bury says:
And 2Pac is about as MJ as any rapper will get.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
star_bury says:
Although Jay-Z did do the retirement thing!
November 14th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Notorious says:
“I am the Mike Jordan of recording, you might want fall back from reporting…” Jay-Z
Sorry Ye, not even on the Mt Rushmore of Rap, Biggie, Pac, Hova and Eminem.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
T-Diddy says:
Jay-Z was good but he shoulda stayed retired. Kanye is the best there is now. Tupac is the best the was ever
November 14th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
SayItAintSo says:
Kanye is the Carmelo Anthony of our generation.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Blacktop_BX says:
Tupac = Oscar Robertson
Biggie = Pete Maravich
Jay-Z = MJ
Nas = Julius Erving
Rakim = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Eminem = Rafer Alston (Wow effect..)
November 14th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
T-Diddy says:
any 4 year old with a learning disability is better then Lil Wayne
November 14th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Zach says:
@19- Ali sure would tell you he was the greatest and I don’t think there is a question about that.
I love Kanye’s music, but he’s a dick.
My list goes:
Biggie
Pac
Em
Jay-z
Talib
Kanye
and then a bunch of people ya’ll have proly never heard of
November 14th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
jay26th says:
Kanye is arrogant as hell, but i kind of respect it.
He is more of an artist than a rapper. His music stays fresh, and usually has an actual message that everyday people connect with. I dont think i’m the only one who can’t relate to 50cent…
Pac would be MJ tho. I would call Kanye Kobe. Very talented, hated on, and capable of dropping 81 on you.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
Kanye is not the voice of this generation in general. He is not this generation’s hip hop voice either. He’s talking about the same generation that would have had Timberlake as their MJ if he werent around. Ye actually might be on more drugs than Weezy
November 14th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
PWeezy says:
Wow wow weeeezzzy
Kanye West got SWAG but come on real talk he’s a punk ass kid who made money and ain’t sharing it with the community…Mista West don’t care about black ppl but himself…for somebody that’s sooo HOLLYWOOD i thought when his mom died it would grip him back to reality ah well…he’s got lacky’s and some aight tracky’s but he still trying to get that KOBE NUMBER 1 OVA JORDAN
November 14th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
DJ ReMike says:
hey kanye’s instrumentals are the best in teh game right now, lyrically id put him #5 out of rappers with a recent album out (ex: not eminem)
hes not MJ
he’s the best from the chi by far though sorry lupe
tho, ive gotta say 808s and heartbreak…ugh. i though only 3 tracks were decent, not good: heartless, coldest winter, and polaroid f/ kid cudi
i dont thnk u can compare MJ to any musician, because
1) basketball is not creative in the same way as music
2) you cant absolutely dominate in music, other people are still gonna put great music out, plus there’s a million genres
hit up http://www.reverbnation.com/djremike for the hottest rap remixes and mashups
November 14th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
GEE...always smell it and look at it first! says:
Yeezy is full of himself, then again who ain’t in the music biz of r&b and rap. Still, it’s somethin extra about his like that kid who challenges you to a who can jump higher contest cause he got beat in everthang else.
Real weirdo that one.
Still Jay already said he was the MJ of recordin.
That would make Wayne more of the Kobe
and Yeezy would be like P Double
November 14th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
srb says:
Paul Pierce is the voice of this generation
November 14th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
P_Dizzle says:
Read this:
Told Carmelo Anthony admits listening to Barry Manilow, Cleveland’s LeBron James showed reporters his iPod, which included Manilow’s “Copacabana,” “I Am Your Child” and “Mandy.”
“I got all music,” James said. “(But) I’ll just decide to listen to Jay-Z now.”
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/nov/13/nuggets-report-manilow-fans/
November 14th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
JHov says:
“When I come back like Jordan wearing the 45..it ain’t to play games with you..it’s to aim at you!”
~Hova
November 14th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
PWEEZY says:
compare him to this R&B artist
KANYE=J.LO
November 14th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Ross says:
Kanye’s just an attention whore.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
karizmatic says:
Hell Nah, Kanye doesn’t deserve anything in the same breath with Jordan.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
doc says:
To me Kanye is a faggot that know how to rap.He is the Sheryl Swoopes of rap.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
dagwaller says:
Who is Kanye West, and why does he think that he’s greatest at something? Is he a dancer or something?
November 14th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
GEE...always smell it and look at it first! says:
After more thought Imma say Kanye is Agent Zero. They both very good and have no real thought pattern and love attention.
Yea I nailed it.
Next convo?
November 14th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
SWAT says:
sorry but dude kills his performances and dude’s lyrical content (at least some of the tracks) are actually talking about more than bitches and hoes. You may not like dude but he’s saying real talk. Now i personally think Nas or JAY is Mj, but Ye is kobe. cmon after his mom died he poured himself into his work
November 14th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
JCARR says:
Kanye = MJ hahahaha, no way. HOVA = MJ and then Weezy is next in line to MJ right now.
Nas is better than Kanye, maybe not now, but overall Nas is better lyrically.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
dukesman2000 says:
Riddle me this:
Who is full of shit of full of himself at the same time?
K A N Y E W E S T
November 14th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
that's whats up says:
seriously, I have taken shits that have been more interesting than kanye west
November 14th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
What does CGF think about this comparison?
November 14th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
Check this
http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx/?news=339588>1=28102
November 14th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
eddy says:
i like kanye but…
jordan- jay z
lebron- kanye
November 14th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
27 says:
are you people retarded? kanye didnt say JT is like grant hill… LEARN TO READ!!
the writer of this blog: AUSTIN BURTON is the one that wrote “At the same time, ‘Ye loosely compared Justin Timberlake to Grant Hill. (My words, not his.)”
that translates to AUSTIN giving his own OPINION about what kanye is trying to say…53 comments thus far and yet no one gets it? what gives?
back to school people. GO. BACK. TO. SCHOOL.
November 14th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Ace says:
please tell me that i read this wrong. did kanye just call himself the jordan of rap? he should be slapped for that comment. and how did timberlake go on vacation? timberlake was a member of one of the most successful bands and both of his solo albums have sold at least 3 million copies. kayne needs to shut the fuck up
November 14th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
doug says:
j is the mike jordan of rap. In his own words of the Blue Print Album,”I ball for real yall brothas is Sam Bowie and with the 3rd pick I made the earth sick MJ,him J fadeaway perfect.If you haven’t heard I’m Michael, Magic and Bird all rapped in one cuz none got more flows than young plus got more flow to come and if I aint realer than BIG I’m the closest”none sicker than J.
November 14th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Sacc says:
I can respect Kanye as one of the best now but MJ was a stretch although he does have his Scottie Pippen in Common because without Kanye hes nowhere near as good as he is with
November 14th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Mr. Derpp says:
Man Tupac was the MJ of the rap game.
Kanye is the equivalent of a Gilbert Arenas: he’s got talent, but he thinks he’s much better than he is.
And BTW Its not like Grant Hill made it to the NBA then said, “well, i made it! Guess I’ll stop practicing and just take vacations from now on!”
HE GOT INJURED YOU MORON!!!!
November 14th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
dat dood says:
why does kanye go after timberlake??
shouldn’t he be comparing himself to other rappers? not pop singers…
kanye your music is cool, so is JT’s… but i feel like JT would be a much cooler dood to kick it with. Kanye is way to into himself, plus justin pulls way more dime breezys and seems like a cool ass dood.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Brown says:
Biggie is Jordan. He made EVERYONE around him better. He was the most versatile rapper in history. He could flip any style and touch any subject.
If you were going into a rap battle, who’s the first guy you would pick? Biggie could slay anyone, past or present. Having Biggie on a track meant your song was AUTOMATICALLY getting airplay and your CD was moving units simply because of his presence. Every single artist on Bad Boy owed their success to Biggie. They fell off as soon as he passed away.
Who did 2Pac make better? The Outlawz?
Who did Jay make better? Beanie Sigel? Memphis Bleek?
As far as today’s rappers go, Kanye isn’t even in the top 25. Neither is Lil’ Wayne for that matter.
Listen to Elzhi’s The Preface and tell me that’s not the illest shit you’ve heard all year.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:40 am
Kevin says:
Hes the MJ of “douchebaggery” that much is certain. Theirs a fine line between being confident and being a irritatingly overarrogant little bitch. And Kanye has repeatedly buttf–ked that line over and over. Kanye… shut your f–king mouth until you really got something to say. We all know you are overcompensating for something!
November 15th, 2008 at 12:55 am
andy@chicks in kicks says:
That’s really generous of Kanye to give us this lil gem just b4 the Christmas season.
Just to let everyone know we’ve a competition over at our site where you can win a pair of Adidas Original Hi-top ‘Forums’ from the Craftsmanship pack or $150 cash
Some peeps are hatin’ on this shoe and that’s fine, as if you win just take the cash n’ cop something more your style for Christmas… just click on my sig n win.
November 15th, 2008 at 1:38 am
gift of gab says:
kanye=koufos
November 15th, 2008 at 5:21 am
solomon says:
hova = mj
big / tupac = mj / larry
…
…
…
kanye = latrell sprewell
November 15th, 2008 at 5:23 am
solomon says:
my bad - shoulda been magic / larry above
whatever, the emptiest space echoes most…
November 15th, 2008 at 5:29 am
Soopa says:
I love K. West man. He is not one of my favorit rappers, but he is my favorit artist.
As far as the MJ comparisons, not even me as a pretty big fan is buying into it. I like the Kobe comparison tho (even if i dont like Kobe). “Arrogangt and hated on, but capable of dropping 81 on you”
Awesome quote!
November 15th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Sam says:
Umm… aren’t you people forgetting someone?
P Daddy Diddy Puffy Puff?
He is, far and away, the most eloquent, most creative, most intelligent, most talented rapper in the history of the rap. Ever.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
dcom says:
good point sam. P Daddy Diddy Puffy Puff???? is the universe’s’s greatest rapper. period
soulja boi=#2
November 17th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
cdog says:
the only two artist in the game to be equal to MJ are dead BIG AND PAC! Ye a good producer but rappin please.He a poor man dr dre.Wish he would just be humble and do his thing no need to speak on ya self, let history do that!
January 13th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Jonas says:
the guy is a joke. he doesnt even come close to the top 10 lyricists ever.
jay-z quotes fit quite well here;
“with the third pick, i made the earth sick, MJ, him Jay, fade away, perfect”
“had a spark when you started but now, you just garbage”