Ye-Ha

From an early age, humans are always on the lookout for something to aspire, a role model to navigate all our decisions, something to look forward too. Many children grow up wanting to be what they see on TV or even just out and about. Generally, you’ll hear things like, “I want to be like superman, or that really cool famous star,” from the mouth of a young child. You can’t really blame the child for thinking like that, as those people they fantasize about are a living and breathing representation of what the possibilities of the future could be.

So here I will talk about someone who has also inspired me in the way they navigate, causing me to widen the realm of possibilities. There innovation and passion has created a great impress. Don’t expect me to talk about Edison, and the lightbulb, or Sir Newton with his laws of physic. The list could go on, and though they have made great contributions to humanity, I halt from singing their praises further, as they are all white males, and this piece is all about black innovators. Now, I’m sure your head is turning, who could it be? Like anything, the deeper you look, the more you focus and magnify, the more you see. I could have written about Oprah, I think we can all agree she’s left her mark, and still continuing to do so. Most people can agree she leads in her field. Or I could talk about someone I watched in my childhood leading the charge in racial relations reform with his own unique spice, like Tupac, indeed there have been many changes, and a lot of things will never be the same. But no, I will not be talking about any of those. Who I will be talking about is someone anyone who lives above a rock will know about. Can you guess? No, don’t bother, I’ll just tell you. The innovator I would like to shed some light on, is none other than Mr. steal your microphone as you are giving an acceptance speech, the one and only, Kanye West.

Ever since I heard through the wire, I was sold. Very few artistic can convey their message to such effect and ever since then I’ve become a lifetime subscriber. Kanye or Mr. Ye did not slow down in production, year after year, I was captivated by the stories he told. Diamonds are forever, being one of my favorites. The way he put on the table the damage of blood diamonds from Sierra Leonne, the child labor, the murder and all the negatives that come just so someone in a wealthy country can parade around a ridiculously expensive piece of shiny rock. A mineral tainted by innocent blood. The world is truly without things that make you wonder. I feel like Kanye has always been on top of rectifying and exemplifying the hypocrisy and the injustice that happens in the world, especially towards the black cohort, in a very tasteful and theatrical way.

Aside from his prowess as a musician, winning 21 Grammys, designing seems to be another talent that has been bestowed upon him. When the first Yeezy’s came out, I had to have one. The coolest shoes I had ever seen at the time, and I felt I spike of excitement when on a faithful day the package arrived at my doorsteps. The brand gained such popularity, arguably becoming one of the most sold shoe models. The success was such that Adidas signed an even bigger deal with him, becoming the parent company of ‘Yeezy.” With the success that ensued, so did his net worth increase, catapulting him to Billionaire status. I myself have always had a passion for footwear, as a teenager, basically all my wages from my job at McDonalds went straight into some sick kicks. My love for shoes grew so much to the point, where I even started designing my own shoes, and who knows, maybe something great can come out of it, and one of the biggest inspirations I have is that the Yeezy’s exist.

On top of all this man has going on, he also publicly outed himself and his mental health struggles. That was a testament of character and strength to me. He has been ridiculed, and at some point, some of it undeniably self-implicated. But hey, the man is suffering from his brain being a little hyperactive, which is his gift and his curse. None the less, with his platform being used, I think he has shed a light into mental health and helping us accept that in fact, mental illness should be looked at as say a broken foot, less stigmatized.

A quick look at his political endeavours, we find that this man even had aspirations of the white house. President West, rapping his public service announcements to his nation. Picture that. Thou his sporadic outburst are subservient to the goal, that level of confidence is out the norm. And I think just him expressing his presidential hopes shows that he wants to make the world, or his world better, for all those he feels are disenfranchised. The belief in self is incredibly evident, and the spirit of service great, even thou I think he should focus on finding equilibrium within himself first. Yet I think a trend is already forming. When will we see the second black president of America, who knows, only time will tell, but with more people like him appointing themselves, I think seeds are being planted in the heads of young black children, and there is no telling how tall the trees will grow?

So, Mr. West has done a lot with his life so far, from music which he excelled in, to Footwear design where his at the fore front. Then inviting us to question mental health and the perceived limitations, which if you ask me, he’s smashed to smithereens. This mans has served innovation in three dimensions, and if indeed he has the call of leadership with him, then I believe someone like him will not stop till the mission is complete. No one is perfect, but as a black innovator, Kanye has paid his dues. Perhaps, a little rude to steal someone’s mic as they speak (Hey! He did say he’ll let her finish later.), but if you have something to say, then say it, innovation needs those that will stand up, be heard, and go against the grain. So, at this point, I think all we can do, is watch and observe, and let Mr. West finish, as it seems, his still got something to say.