31 August, Los Angeles:
Rapper Kanye West claimed at the MTV Video Music Awards he would stand in 2020 presidential election.
West, 38, received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the event and closed his acceptance speech by announcing he is running for president in 2020, reported Verge.
“Two thousand and fifteen. I will die for the art, for what I believe in. I’m confident, I believe in myself. We the millennials, bro. This is a new mentality. We’re not gonna control our kids with brands. We’re not gonna teach low self esteem and that to our kids. We going to teach our kids that they can be something.
“We are gonna teach our kids that they can stand up for themselves. We are going to teach our kids to believe in themselves. If my grandfather was here right now he would not let me back down. It’s about new ideas. People with ideas.
People who believe in truth. And yes, as you probably could have guessed by this moment, I have decided in 2020 to run for president,” read an excerpt from his long speech.
The segment started with a bang when West was handed his Moonman by an unexpected contemporary, reigning pop queen Taylor Swift.
Swift came up on stage and talked about her West fandom and his influence on her career, after a narrated montage containing clips from every part of West’s career.
She wrapped her speech by quoting West’s infamous 2009 VMA interruption, where he rushed the stage and grabbed the mic from Swift to defend Beyonce’s work, to proclaim that he has had “one of the greatest careers of all time.”
West spoke at length about being changed by fatherhood, defending artistry and slammed award shows.
“I still don’t understand award shows. I don’t understand how they get five people who worked their entire life one sold records, sold concert tickets, to come stand on a carpet and for the first time in their life be judged on a chopping block and have the opportunity to be considered a loser.
“I don’t understand it. I don’t understand when the biggest album and the biggest video… I’ve been conflicted, bro! I just wanted people to like me more.”
He did not perform any music, a major break from recent Video Vanguard recipients ? Beyonce and Justin Timberlake both performed lengthy, career-spanning medleys when they won in 2014 and 2013, respectively. PTI
