Kanye West tells Jimmy Kimmel: 'I feel like an animal in a zoo'
West reappeared on the talk show to set the record straight with Kimmel, adding that he thought he was a "creative genius"
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Your support makes all the difference.Kanye West has reappeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Show to set the record straight after the programme ran a sketch spoofing an interview the rapper gave to Radio 1.
The spoof riled West, and he posted a series of angry tweets about the US presenter, including: “JIMMY KIMMEL IS OUT OF LINE TO TRY AND SPOOF IN ANY WAY THE FIRST PIECE OF HONEST MEDIA IN YEARS.”
In a sincere interview about fame and his intentions as an artist, West told Kimmel he felt like he was being “treated as an animal in a zoo” because of his celebrity status. He also spoke of being a “creative genius” and a “messenger”.
Speaking about the insulting tweets he sent about Kimmel, West said he felt he could post angry messages about the talk show host because the two were friends.
He said: “This is the one person I know, so I can go and let out everything that I feel about every single bogus Weekly cover. Every single bogus skit… Every person who feels it’s OK to treat celebrities like zoo animals.”
The rapper said he wanted to be respected for “not following rules of normal publicity” and “not doing publicity stunts”, but said he was angered by coverage he had received in the press.
He said: “When people hear my music, they have a good time. And I should be respected as such when I walk down the street. Don’t ask me a question about something you saw in the tabloids. Don’t try to antagonise me. Because you know what- it’s not safe for you in this zoo.”
West went on to claim he was a “creative genius” and “messenger”.
He said: “I’m not running for office, I’m just here to make good music. I want to make people good when they hear my music. For me, I’m a creative genius, and there’s no other way to word it.
“I know you’re not supposed to say that about yourself… but my intention is always positive, and I want to bring more things to the world, I want to help the world, I want to make people’s lives easier.’
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He added: “I wouldn’t even say that I was a rapper, I’d say that I was more of a messenger.”
Kimmel told West he had brought the misunderstanding on himself, at one point telling him “a lot of people think you’re a jerk”, before quickly countering the statement with praise for the rapper.
He said: “I also will say I think you brought it on yourself, this misunderstanding about you. I personally found it odd to be in the position that I was in – I don’t know if you know a lot of people think you’re a jerk- and I tell people in my personal conversation, no, this guy is not a jerk. This guy flew out to my friend’s wedding and was polite to everyone.”
Watch Kanye West's interview with Jimmy Kimmel
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