Wow I think you finally got him, Rob! A picture of Kanye with blonde hair. How will he ever recover from you finding this on TMZ or Pitchfork and then reposting it? He's finished, you win.

You know damn well that this one feature (one of countless features and tracks over the past decade) is not the reason for his critical acclaim, and has nothing to do with his or anyone else's proclamations of genius. This isn't even an argument and you know it.

I'm starting to think your Kanye-hatred is either willful ignorance (you like his imitators but hate him, and it doesn't sound like you've ever listened to his records) or that you're just trolling. I've seen you make well structured, eloquent points about plenty of things before, which is why I call bullshit on your anti-Kanye nonsense. You've either never spent time with his music or you just want to be a dick.

Homework for Rob Instagator's Hate-orade drinking ass:

Listen to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy on headphones, come back, and tell me exactly where you found evidence of the absence of "genius."

Note: I'm not arguing that he definitely is, factually and objectively, a genius... but you seem determined to defend the notion that he isn't one. Well, prove the negative then!

who imitates Kanye?

I will go and RE-listen to Kanye's albums. I am always up for some self-torture.... ;)

creativity is NOT genius. Genius is rare, and OBVIOUS to anyone.

This is by far the funniest thing you've ever said. A fantastic joke.

for real though. who? Chance? T $cott? Pusha T? hahahahahha

He's right. MANY people imitate Kanye. In fact, here is a nice compilation of perfect examples.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7w1X_NecTI

Yup, yup, not really "imitates" but he's definitely been influenced by Kanye, both in Clipse and in his Kanye-produced GOOD music solo work.

You just named three of the most obvious examples of what I'm talking about and then laughed like you didn't know you were answering your own question very accurately.

There also Drake, J. Cole (first 2 albums are straight Kanye rips... for both of these guys actually), Cudi, Future, Big Sean, Tree, Desiigner, The Weeknd, Chief Keef, Lupe... I could honestly go on, and nobody who's paid any attention at all to hip-hop in the past decade would disagree one bit.

Not to mention his influence as a producer, which precedes his influence as a rapper or pop artist. Don't act like you don't know all of this damn well.

Kanye is the most important musician of the 21st century. Okay bye.

Looking at old pages and what is this? Kevin Gates is huge. And why would old school heads care about him when his sound is explicitly modern? I thought you were supposed to be smart with rap!

^
He was poking fun at a post Rob previously made..

Yeah I got to Rob saying that about Illmatic.

What a rollercoaster you guys have been on.

Heh.

So, while everyone is arguing, I just finalized my top 10 hip hop albums of the year..

1. Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
2. A Tribe Called Quest - We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
3. Isaiah Rashad - The Sun's Tirade
4. Common - Black America Again
5. Kodak Black - Lil B.I.G. Pac
6. Schoolboy Q - Blank Face LP
7. Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered.
8. Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
9. Young Thug - JEFFERY
10. Gucci Mane - Everybody Looking / Rae Sremmurd - SremmLife 2

1. 21 savage & metro boomin - savage mode
2. danny brown - the atrocity exhibition
3. kanye - tlop
4. young thug - jeffery
5. lil uzi vert - lil uzi vert vs. the world
6. e-40 - the d-boy diary: book 1 & 2
7. noname - telefone
8. isiash rashad - the sun's tirade
9. kevin gates - islah
10. a tribe called quest - we got it from here.. thank you 4 your service

I don't know. Loved the Vince Staples EP. First half of the Clams Casino album is perfect, the rest less so. The J Cole album was snoozeville and the Childish Gambino album was lame (tho not really rap). Drake album was awful but the newer "Sneakin" feat 21 Savage is great so w/e. Good mixtapes by Lil Durk, Juicy J, Lil Herb, Kodak, Jimmy Wopo, NBA Youngboy, Lil Boosie, Sicko Mobb, Yung Simmie, Lil Yachty etc.

Fuck yeaaaaahhhhh son. Best 180° in louder history. This is why I love you.

fuck I almost shit my pants laughing. that was funnier than the photo of Kanye with anal bleach on his hair

Young Thug, Future, Young Greatness, Rich Homie Quan, OT Genasis, Travis $cott, Kevin Gates, Ty Dolla $ign, Rae Sremmurd, 2 Chainz, Lil Yachty,

That's the shit I blast "for the neighbors"

Jesus Christ man, I know I already talked smack all over your weird shit but good, but you can't be serious.

Honestly, Kanye's influence is not even restricted by genre! Have you even heard the new Bob Iver album? One of the year's most praised record, but its biggest sonic statement — especially in comparison to his previous albums — is the happy, overt embrace of the Kanye-championed sound. And Justin Vernon is, like, THE indie figurehead of the modern era now that Arcade Fire is U2.

Seriously, I've never actually liked Bob Iver much... it's always been good enough melodically, but it's just been fucking sad panty music for 22 year-olds to wallow in after being dumped for the first time.... but 22 (a million) immediately grabbed by balls. Vernon has clearly taken a lesson from his work on Yeezus, MBDTF and Watch the Throne... hell, the first thought that enters ones mind at the start of "22 (Over S∞∞n)" is "KANYE."

And that's intentional. So blatant is the tribute that it could be nothing but. When you hear a sonic shout to Kanye before anything else on the world's favorite indie rock record of the year, how can you argue against Kanye's influence? Whether it's due to antagonistic trolling impulses or genuine obliviousness, it makes you look deaf and blind.

Also the most listened to "Bon Iver" song on Apple Music is ... "Monster" by Kanye West. Shut the fuck up about style 'fore I embarrass you!

I think your problem is that you associate the guy's music with his public image waaaay too much. So much that you can't hear that your precious Future and Travi$ Scott wouldn't have careers if it wasn't for Kanye. His production is pristine even when it's deliberately messy. Everything he does (musically) turns heads more than what he says on the radio or Who he married (Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, arguably the Kim Kardashian of her time).

What you said about "genius" being "obvious to everyone" is patently absurd — Van Gogh would take issue with that, as would all the other "geniuses" who had to not only DIE, but wait a few generations before their impact was acknowledged, but still I think you're arguing my case for me, as there's a pretty solid consensus among music experts and critics that the guy's at least capable of creating works of genius (he won the Village Voice Paz & Jop Critics Poll four times in six years for fuck's sake).

Anyway, I love you Rob, but I think you're troll in this thread. Denying the influence of Illmatic and Kanye? You're either a troll or you're totally oblivious.

Four of those artist have direct links to Kanye, silly boy.