The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
Leonard Cohen wrote a poem criticising Kanye West before he died
The poem is titled 'Kanye West Is Not Picasso'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Late poet and singer Leonard Cohen wrote a bizarre poem about Kanye West, that has only just been published in a new posthumous collection of his poetry.
In 2015, a year before his death, Cohen composed the poem “Kanye West Is Not Picasso,” in which he wrote that he is the “real Kanye West.”
“I am the Kanye West of Kanye West/The Kanye West of the great bogus shift of bulls**t culture,” the poem reads.
Another line says: “I am the Kanye West Kanye West thinks he is.”
The full poem was shared to Twitter by Amanda Shires, where it’s received more than 3,000 likes.
“I really love that Cohen’s dissing him from beyond the grave,” one person wrote.
According to the foreword for The Flame, penned by Cohen's son Adam, it "contains my father's final efforts as a poet. It was what he was staying alive to do, his sole breathing purpose at the end."
Prior to writing the poem, which is dated March 15, Cohen spoke admirably about the rapper in a 2014 interview with the Wall Street Journal, in which he described his “energy, resonance of truth, of person, of real experience.”
The appearance of the poem on Twitter coincided with Mr West's visit to the White House on Thursday, where he met with Donald Trump to have a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from prison reform and mental health to the North Korean nuclear crisis.
You can purchase The Flame here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments