As an ordinary kid from Georgia with dreams to become a hip-hop artist, Kanye West probably never thought he would be meeting with the president of the United States. Just recently Kanye participated in a meeting with the president, which is an achievement many could only dream of accomplishing. However, the star received an abundance of criticism in reaction to the meeting, as many feel strongly opposed to our president, Donald Trump. For example, rapper and longtime friend of Kanye, T.I., cut ties with him after the meeting with Trump, disgraced by his actions. Many have been confused by this meeting and have spoken up about the seemingly political move from Kanye. A Kanye enthusiast,  senior Jack Higgins says, “Although the man is a musical genius, he tends to not be that well politically informed.” Higgins is not alone in his opinion either, as many are fans of his work and say he is brilliant in the music field, but is incredibly confusing with his other antics.

Shortly following the meeting, Kanye continued to push his political agenda, creating “Blexit” shirts, which were most likely modeled after the “Brexit” movement, or simply the British exit from the European Union. “Blexit” is Kanye’s mission to have a black exit from the Democratic party, in support of his own beliefs and opinions. The star has received an incredible amount of negative feedback in reaction to his multitude of political moves lately.

Despite the recent controversies and media attention surrounding Kanye right now, all influential figures must start building their empire from the bottom if they ever wish to have a platform to express their beliefs like Kanye is doing. When Kanye moved to Chicago earlier in his career, he was inspired by South Side’s hip-hop scene, leading him to begin producing his own work. He started as an unknown producer, making beats for huge artists such as Jay Z, Wu-Tang Clan and RZA. Producing for these huge artists and groups helped Kanye grow his brand as a producer, but it was not until later when he was signed to actually rap. After his first album was released it was all history, as his growth exploded and his rise to fame began.

Even with his rapid growth, Kanye probably never could have predicted some of the things he would be doing now. Just last week, Kanye gifted free “Yeezy’s,” his coveted custom shoe line, to orphan children in Uganda. Sophomore Alexander Lau thinks, “Kanye going to Africa was a good idea and probably helped the children there, but ultimately I think it was all to grow his business, making him very successful from a marketing standpoint.” It is hard to believe he was giving out designer shoes to orphaned children because he felt that was what they needed in their situation. However, Kanye would probably say otherwise, and claim he was simply giving the kids what they desired. In regards to his trip to Africa, Kanye says he travelled to Africa to complete his upcoming album, “Yandhi.” Kanye’s recent antics have been questionable to say the least, and most people believe it is a result of his bipolar condition. However, Kanye claims that he truly believes that his doctor misdiagnosed him with bipolar disorder and that all of his actions are under his complete control. Sophomore Rachel Ratcliffe believes, “He’s trying to make a difference. He gets his views out there and I think that’s the main thing for a celebrity to do.” It is debatable whether or not Kanye has bipolar disorder, which would explain most of his recent antics that are confusing the public.

Despite the rapid growth of Kanye’s early career, he did not become a household name until marrying Kim Kardashian which expanded his mainstream popularity. Freshman Sahana Rao says she “only heard of him after he married into the Kardashian line.” Now that Kanye has become accustomed to the spotlight, it seems fair to say that he does not care what others think about him and he will do whatever it takes to get his beliefs out to the public.