David Letterman kicked off the second season of his show, "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction" with a special appearance from Kanye West. With a glowing Kim Kardashian in the audience, Letterman and West touched on mental health, family life and, of course, Donald Trump.
As with any Kanye West conversation, the interview had its fair share of insightful bits. For anyone interested in checking it out, here's timestamps and takeaways of the most memorable moments.
7:40 His relationship with his father
With the spotlight Kanye shines on his mother's life, it is easy to forget the role his father played in his upbringing, which, according to Kanye is a large one. West touches on his father's lasting preachings and how he inherited his compulsive attitude.
13:30 Being a producer and an artist
West touches on the stigma he faced early in his career, transitioning from being a producer to an artist and producer. Kanye tells a great story about not playing Jay-Z beats, so he can keep them for himself. One of those beats being 'Jesus Walks'.
15:12 Drake is now on Voldemort status
Kanye brings up his love for the classic Drake line, "I told my story and made his story." But he refuses to say Drake by name, because "I am not allowed to mention him or any of his family members." This is one of the parts of the interview where I wish Letterman was more in tune with the culture, because, at one point, Kanye literally gives him a look that invites a follow-up question on the topic, but it's clear Letterman doesn't have enough information on the topic to ask.
16:30 House and Closet Tour along with Kanye styling Letterman
23:30 The Ye cover and being bipolar
A year later, most Ye news has been covered already, but Kanye gets a chance to talk about his mental battle. It's an interesting listen, as West manages to tie in astrology and his bipolar condition. Despite denying his diagnosis in the past, West bravely opens up for Letterman and gives some of the most compelling content of the entire hour. One of my favorite clips from this slot is West pointing out the flaws in doctors separating those having a mental episode from their loved ones by comparing it to a woman needing emotional support in labor.
39:40 Defending Mens' Voices in the #MeToo Movement
Kanye brings up how scared men were during the #MeToo movement, to which Letterman responds to how scared the actual women victims felt. West talks about the need for conversation from both sides and gives his take on the court of public opinion.
41:20 Trump and the 13th Amendment
I have dissected enough Kanye West interviews to see where his stance is on Donald Trump. I disagree with his viewpoint, but I do think a lot of his intentions have been generalized to the point where a demonization can occur. This segment illustrates Kanye's true position and is worth the watch for anyone still unclear of his motives. An interesting element to observe is how the audience's backing of West becomes noticeably lesser from his mentioning of giving a voice to his fight for Trump supporters to the harmful elements of the 13th Amendment.
46:20 Sunday Service
Hearing Kanye talk about the musical elements of Sunday Service will be the highlight of any music lover's viewing of this interview. The genius of West pops out as he somehow ties the frequency and lyrical elements that accompany 808's to the working of the Devil. It's clear that Sunday Service is a project dear to Kanye and is one that is just getting started, as Kanye declares the ultimate goal of using the service to achieve "world peace".
The interview is streaming now on Netflix.