Kanye 'Ye' West Interview | Lex Fridman Podcast #332

A comedian Ye saw performing, whose high-level opening joke made Ye realize he wasn't as funny, highlighting the difference between subjective and objective skill.

Ye mentions being able to 'Andy Kaufman this' as a way to prolong discussion before revealing his main point about not focusing on race or history.

Mentioned as a woman Ye dated, used to illustrate his status and lack of need for sympathy.

One of the richest men in the world, who Ye claims caught wind of his powerful collective and offered him a deal for his clothing line, only to later drop it.

CEO of Parler, who Ye was meeting with on the day Balenciaga pulled his imagery and Drink Champs took down his interview; Ye saw it as a 'happiest day' for cutting fake alliances.

Mentioned as losing an election and becoming a 'punching bag', a metaphor for Ye's current position.

The person Ye states was running Stem Player, who he had issues with over payments and who he felt was trying to 'adidas' him.

Mentioned as someone who might be pressured by external forces to 'talk shit about Yay', highlighting control in the music industry.

Ye references Lee's philosophy of 'be like water' in his advice to young people about trusting their instincts.

Cited as a top leader and influential figure, whose open-source approach Ye seeks to emulate for his ideas.

Mentioned by Ye as someone who inspired his ambition early in his career and later as an artist he sought for help with music production.

Mentioned by Ye in relation to Alex Jones's perceived criminalization of free thought, and later regarding his presidential pardon powers and shared political alignment with Ye.

Ye refers to Leonardo DiCaprio as one of the few people who can 'argue' with him on his opinion on attractive women, based on their track record.

Accused by Ye of using 'black trauma economy' to win elections and silently controlling the world with fear tactics.

Referenced in context of Communism and the atrocities committed by Stalin and Mao.

Referenced in the context of being accused of inciting violence for speaking one's truth, which Ye relates to his own experiences.

Ye refers to Brad Pitt as one of the few people who can 'argue' with him on his opinion on attractive women, based on their track record.

Referenced with Marxism becoming popular again despite historical atrocities linked to communist ideologies.

Mentioned as an artist who complained to Ye when he was the face of a record label (GOOD Music), highlighting his lack of operational knowledge.

Mentioned as an example of Kim Kardashian's 'type' of man (black, similar look).

Cited by Ye for his famous quote 'I'm not black, I'm OJ,' illustrating how successful black individuals can be separated from their culture.

Saw him at Virgil Abloh's funeral, prompting Ye's desire to tell them not to let the 'gang' (creative collective) split up.

Attended Ye's Yeezy fashion show, highlighting its popularity.

Head of Fear of God, one of the designers working for Ye at his Yeezy show, part of a larger collective.

Ye's former manager, who pushed him to do more shows despite Ye being tired, leading to his exhaustion and hospitalization.

Ye uses Mel Gibson as an example of someone who apologized for controversial statements and was later allowed to make films, contrasting with his own situation of being denied a platform.

Referenced by Lex Fridman in a discussion about the accuracy and bias in documentaries.

Ye expresses anger towards him, refusing to apologize submissively, and calls him a 'sad old man' doing 'clickbait'.

Bernard Arnault's son, accused by Ye of having 'raped and pillaged' talent after the dropped deal, and who informed Ye the deal was off.

A producer Ye approached for help with the drums on 'Stronger', but his version sounded like a different record.

Considered by Lex as one of the top writers in human existence, having influenced 30% of the English language.

Used as an example of objective greatness in basketball, specifically his three-point shooting.

Ye's ex-wife and mother of his children, a consistent topic of discussion regarding family, relationships, and public narrative.

Mentioned as having Rahm Emanuel (conflated with Ari Emanuel) next to him, symbolic of Jewish influence.

Presented as an example of top talent in music, part of Ye's proposal to analyze contracts across industries.

Ye's best friend and engineer, whose death Ye suggests might have been prevented if the 'power structure' hadn't broken. He mentions speaking at his funeral.

Referenced in a metaphor where Ye tells Adidas he's 'running off with Gisele now' in hopes of a better deal with Louis Vuitton.

Cited by Ye as an example of attractive women promoted by media and later as a model in his Yeezy fashion show.

Referenced in context of Communism and atrocities that killed millions.

Lex Fridman strongly reacts when Ye’s statements are equated to Hitler, emphasizing the painful historical implications.

Mentioned in the context of Cubism, connecting to how design can abstract and be felt implicitly.

Ye uses Da Vinci's inability to 'suffer fools' and his distinction between a 'code' and a 'world' to explain his own polarizing actions and the potential for his vision to become either.

Mentioned as someone who recognized the value of Instagram and bought it, relating to Ye's interest in acquiring Parler.

The editor-in-chief of Vogue, mentioned in the context of dinner parties and later as someone who advised Ye on lawyers for a fashion deal.

Kim Kardashian's sister, whose first fashion show appearance was at Yeezy, and who Ye mentions was not a billionaire at the time.

Referred to mistakenly as 'Kim Schrob' during the interview. Head of SKIMS, one of the designers working for Ye at his Yeezy show, part of a larger collective.

Mentioned by Ye as someone with 'high DNA', reflecting his view on lineage and genetic quality.

Mentioned as sitting next to Trump, also symbolic of alleged Jewish influence similar to Rahm Emanuel with Obama.

Mentioned by Ye as a lawyer who called him judgmental, leading to his discourse on the necessity of judgment.

Mentioned as an example of Kim Kardashian's 'type' of man (black, similar look).

Kim Kardashian's mother, present at Ye's Yeezy show, and the subject of Ye's frustration for not 'handing over' Kim in marriage.

Head of Balenciaga, worked for Ye in his creative collective and later for GAP, and is someone Ye believes will work for him again.

Mentioned by Ye as someone whose popularity was exploited by corporations for influence, not genuine aid. He later debates the cause of his death.

The host of the podcast, an engineer and scientist who engages in a deep conversation with Ye.

Ye notes the absence of movies about him, contrasting with the abundance of films about Jewish pain or black slavery, to highlight a selective historical narrative.

Ye recounts receiving a text from him bragging about being in bed with Kim Kardashian, which was a catalyst for his trip to Japan.

Mentioned as someone who might be pressured by external forces to 'talk shit about Yay', highlighting control in the music industry.

Kim Kardashian's sister, present at Ye's Yeezy show.

Mentioned alongside Picasso and African Cubism, as influences on design's abstract nature.

Also known as 'Ye', the legendary artist, producer, and designer, and the subject of the interview. He discusses his journey, beliefs, and experiences in various industries.

Mentioned by Ye in a self-deprecating joke about his spelling abilities.

Compared by Ye to a Jewish person 'controlling the country' when sitting next to Obama, later conflated with Ari Emanuel.

Presented as an example of top talent in sports, part of Ye's proposal to analyze contracts across industries.

Ye references his past statement, 'George Bush doesn't care about black people,' drawing a parallel to his current stance on Jewish people influencing media.

Mentioned as someone who might be pressured by external forces to 'talk shit about Yay', highlighting control in the music industry.

Ye made 'Stronger' to compete with him, as his fiancée liked Timberlake too much. Also, a pastor at Virgil's funeral resembled him.

Considered by Lex as a top figure in tech history, a designer and engineer who led 30% of the products used in existence. Ye refers to his father as the 'original Steve Jobs'.

Cited by Ye as an example of subjective attractiveness, contrasting with objective skills like Steph Curry's shooting or Elon Musk's wealth.

Ye compares his current phase in life to Tesla's later career, focused on getting ideas across rather than being loved.

The Nazi propaganda minister, whose statements Lex Fridman connects to Ye's use of phrases like 'Jewish media', highlighting the painful historical echoes.

Ye quotes King's dream of being judged by character, not skin color, in the context of racial and religious discussions.

Referenced in a hypothetical scenario where someone could have taken Elon Musk away from Peter Thiel before PayPal was established, disrupting a powerful partnership.

Ye teases Lex Fridman about liking Bill Maher, creating a humorous comparison of affection.

Mentioned by Ye for her documentary on BLM and as someone who the media allegedly tried to prevent from explaining herself on Daily Wire, paralleling his own experiences of censorship.

Used as a metaphor for life's challenges, with Ye seeing himself as Mario trying to rescue Kim (the princess) from King Koopa.

Ye praises their video for 'Money for Nothing,' expressing surprise that Lex Fridman could also recognize the reference.

Ye credits America with inventing rock and roll, emphasizing its cultural influence.

A podcast that took down an interview with Ye, which he cites as an example of censorship against him.

A documentary mentioned by Lex Fridman in the context of questioning the accuracy of information transmission through a single viewpoint.

A media company that Ye claims was told by 'them' that Candace Owens couldn't host him to explain himself, highlighting censorship.

Ye's song, which he made to compete with Justin Timberlake and Timberland. He recounts the process of getting the drums just right.

A character from the Super Mario Bros. video game, used as a metaphor for forces (media, politics, promises) that pull Ye away from his family (the 'princess').

A Dire Straits song with a 'great video' mentioned by Ye.

Justin Timberlake's song, produced by Timberland, used as a benchmark for sound quality in clubs by Ye when producing 'Stronger'.

Where Ye and his father have a water purification center.

Lex Fridman mentions growing up there and having family perish in the Holocaust, providing context for his strong reaction to Ye's comparisons.

Where Ye was headed to meet with George Farmer on the day of his public controversies with Balenciaga and Drink Champs.

Referred to as an industry where people haven't understood how to engineer product, contrasting with Ye's approach.

Where Ye was headed to meet with George Farmer on the day of his public controversies with Balenciaga and Drink Champs.

Ye refers to humans as "God's iPhone," his greatest creation.

Mentioned as something Ye found at age 5, which he says greatly affected his motivation and ambition.

One of Ye's tech hardware platforms where he had issues with delayed payments and an engineer trying to 'adidas' him.

Mentioned in the context of poor communities, where 'everybody's got Draco on them,' highlighting the prevalence of gun violence.

Criticized by Ye for 'selling sugar water', contributing to health issues.

Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand; its head was part of Ye's creative collective.

Mentioned as the company Mark Zuckerberg owned before seeing the value in Instagram and buying it.

Mentioned by Ye in a hypothetical scenario about being forced to wear a BLM shirt and take off a red hat, referencing his own experiences with Adidas.

Ye mentions his hoodie is Carhartt-esque, even without the tag, implying a recognizable and influential design.

Cited by Ye, alongside Disney, as being used by the CIA to create emotional pain in films (like Bambi's mom dying) to drive consumerism.

Mentioned in the context of censorship and Elon Musk's purchase, with Ye expressing interest in its engineering aspects for his own platforms.

Virgil Abloh was head of Louis Vuitton, and Bernard Arnault offered Ye a deal to back his clothing line through the Louis Vuitton group.

Ye brought Demna to GAP to engineer affordable products but their agendas were not aligned, leading to political reasons for Ye's involvement rather than product innovation.

Ye describes Snapchat as 'bullying' Instagram, highlighting competitive dynamics in social media.

Where Ye overheard a veteran discuss politics and the media splitting the country, inspiring his 'blue water' concept.

Referenced in a hypothetical scenario where someone could have taken Elon Musk away from Peter Thiel before they 'paid Paul' (i.e., before PayPal was established).

Ye suggests partnering with them to make more money by providing better food, critiquing their current role in keeping people sick despite their profit motive.

Ye's record label, which he started but claims he wasn't truly running, highlighting issues in the music industry.

A fashion house whose head, Demna, worked for Ye. Balenciaga later pulled Ye's imagery from their site and did not align with his vision to produce affordable products.

A fashion brand; its head designer, Jerry Lorenzo, worked for Ye at his Yeezy show.

Ye prefers Instagram to Twitter, viewing it as a platform that was 'bullied' by Snapchat but ultimately became influential, and notes its 'soft porn' aspect.

Ye's fashion brand, particularly its collaboration with Adidas, described as a highly popular and influential fashion show.

Mentioned by Ye as a company that he felt was not fair to him, linking it to the lack of opportunities for black people.

Criticized by Ye for making food that 'kills people'.

Cited by Ye, alongside Pixar, as being used by the CIA to create emotional pain in films (like Bambi's mom dying) to drive consumerism.

Ye's former partner for Yeezy, where he claims he was 'adidas'd' by an engineer on the Stem Player project. He also mentions warning Adidas about a potential deal with Bernard Arnault.

Mentioned by Ye as having 'amazing features' and leaning towards being a platform strictly for fun, but suggests a balance for long-term happiness and growth.

One of Ye's tech companies, which he acquired and plans to use for open-sourcing ideas and building a better social platform.

Mentioned as a platform where one might see 'torture porn' (people beating each other up), expanding the definition of porn beyond sexual.

Accused by Ye of engineering pain through media, specifically referencing Pixar and Disney films making Bambi's mom die to foster consumerism.

Criticized by Ye for starting its narrative with slavery instead of African kings, reinforcing a painful historical framing.

Presented by Ye as the 'youngest startup in history,' the 'TV' and 'radio' to the world, and originator of rock and roll, highlighting its global influence.

Mentioned as an organization that feeds into a 'trauma economy' that Ye criticizes.

Referred to by Ye as 'our Holocaust Museum' due to the high rate of abortions among black women, which he categorizes as genocide.

Ye misspells 'Defcon' and refers to going 'Defcon 3', meaning he is prepared for confrontation, especially in contract negotiations.

Referenced by Ye when discussing his desire to engineer products for people 'at the bottom of the pyramid'.

Lex Fridman asks if Ye follows their philosophy, as they believe that African Americans are the lost tribe of Israel.

Cited by Ye for its mention of the 'pursuit of happiness', contrasting its ideals with the current state of buildings based on industry and economy.