Way back in 2006, Kanye West had a vision for a Saturday Night Live-esque adult comedy puppet show—unfortunately, Alligator Boots never made it farther than the pilot stage for Comedy Central. Then last September, behind-the-scenes footage of the show suddenly appeared online... and was removed just as quickly. But as we were reading Grantland's massive Aziz Ansari piece today, we saw a link to that video and decided to check it out. And hey, would you look at that: a pre-sex tape Kim Kardashian shows up wearing Princess Leia's metal bikini.
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![[UPDATE] Happening Now: Kanye West Is At Occupy Wall Street](http://gothamist.com/assets_c/2011/10/101011kanye-thumb-640xauto-665380.jpg)
Results tagged “kanyewest”
Video: Remember That Time Kim Kardashian Was In Kanye West's Unaired Puppet Show?
All Your Bass Belong To Him: A Layman's Guide To Skrillex
The world's most successful DJ called him a "pioneer," he's collaborated with members of The Doors, and he has inspired countless awful haircuts. But what the hell is Skrillex? And why does his music make our refrigerator bounce when our neighbors blast it? The DJs at our normal watering hole have bottles thrown at them when they deviate from Thin Lizzy, so we asked two dubstep/electronic/glitch/dance aficionados for help on a layman's guide to the Skrillex revolution before his 5-night stand in New York City.
Kanye West: Fixing The World One Epic Twitter Rant At A Time
When Kanye West isn't busy capturing the zeitgeist, he's been known to indulge in some tweeting in his off hours. But he one-upped himself during an epic two-and-a-half hour Twitter rampage last night, making more than 80 tweets with the exuberance of an overstimulated tween. Among other things, we learned all about his DONDA design company, his ambivalence about award shows, his desire to fix the school system, and his involvement in a Jetsons movie: "I was just discussing becoming the creative director for the Jetson movie and someone on the call yelled out.. you should do a Jetsons tour!"
Five Grammy Nominations Worth Caring About
For those of you who consider the Grammys an actual, legitimate measure of musical talent (Simpsons fans, please sit down), you may like to check out the just-announced full list of this year's nominees. For everyone else, here's a small sampling of what to care just a little bit about.
Jay-Z's Rocawear No Longer Shilling Occupy Wall Street Shirts
Jay-Z just couldn't stop with merely flogging the Occupy Wall Street zeitgeist by wearing a t-shirt: remember, he's not a businessman, he's a mmmm—Budweiser Select! Haters gonna hate, and man people really hated the fact that he was selling those "Occupy All Streets" t-shirts for $22 without contributing a cent to the movement. But AnimalNY noticed that the shirts have mysteriously disappeared from Rocawear's website.
Jay-Z Is Big Pimpin' For Occupy Wall Street
In today's installment of "1%ers rep Occupy Wall Street," Kanye West and Jay-Z hit Madison Square Garden last night for their Watch the Throne tour, and oh, my! Look at that shirt! Russell Simmons took to Twitter for a typically restrained, thoughtful analysis: "Jay-Z just took #OccupyWallStreet to a whole new level. wowowowowowoow."
Video: Kanye West "Spiritually," Silently Supports Occupy Wall Street
Yesterday, Zuccotti Park was graced with the presence of diamond-Jesus-wearing rapper Kanye West, who traveled to the park with Russell Simmons to support the Occupy Wall Street movement the only way he knows how: by doing and saying absolutely nothing. "Kanye has been a big supporter spiritually of this movement, and he's just here to stand with the people," Simmons says, hilariously suggesting that Kanye West still has a soul.
Old Man Bloomberg Won't Kick Kids Off Zuccotti Lawn
In a major reversal from his derisive comments on Friday, Mayor Bloomberg has said that the Occupy Wall Street protesters may stay indefinitely in Zuccotti Park, so long as they do not break any laws. "The bottom line is, people want to express themselves. And as long as they obey the laws, we’ll allow them to,” Bloomberg told the Wall Street Journal. “If they break the laws, then, we’re going to do what we’re supposed to do: enforce the laws.” Occupy Wall Street spokesman Patrick Bruner told us that while he was happy with the mayor's comments, "It's always been our postion that we don't need any permission to exercise our rights."
[UPDATE] Happening Now: Kanye West Is At Occupy Wall Street
If there's one man who can bring credibility to the Occupy Wall Street protests, surely it is the author of "Golddigger" and "Flashing Lights". According to Russell Simmons, Kanye West is "on his way to #occupywallstreet."
Video: Beyonce And Jay-Z Throw A Party At SoHo Pop-Up
Yesterday, Jay-Z and Kanye West opened a pop-up store on Mulberry Street to celebrate/promote the release of their joint album Watch The Throne. There were CDs to buy, music videos to endlessly re-watch, Maybach's to admire, and a no photo/no video policy that seems to have been ignored by some. Jay-Z (and Swizz Beatz) showed up around 8 p.m., and then around 9 p.m., Beyonce appeared, and a private party busted out inside. Watch her bodyguard-assisted arrival below:
Kanye And Jay-Z Open A Pop-Up In SoHo
Kanye West and Jay-Z are in full on promo mode for their new album Watch The Throne, and they've opened a pop-up store on Mulberry Street for the weekend in celebration. It will be housed in OpenHouse Gallery, which MTV says is now "regally wrapped in gold."
Jay-Z, Kanye West Dedicate Song To Pace Student Killed By Cop
One of the songs from the Jay-Z and Kanye West collaboration, Watch the Throne, is dedicated to the Pace student killed by Pleasantville police last October. The Journal News reports that on the song "Murder to Excellence, "'This is to the memory of Danroy Henry,' Jay-Z raps after declaring 'Bloody murder, murder, murder.'" (Lyrics.)
Video: Kanye West Drops In On Nicki Minaj At Britney Spears Show On Long Island
Hey guys, did you somehow forget about Kanye for a second? Do you know he has an album coming out with Jay-Z? No? Oh, okay, don't worry, he dropped in on Nicki Minaj—who is opening for Britney Spears's tour—at Nassau Coliseum last night to remind you that he still exists.
Kanye's Coming To Fashion Week This Fall
Kanye West is usually in New York for Fashion Week, but this September he'll be under all of the lights, debuting his own line. Sure, he may have donned a t-shirt and jeans to MoMA's fancy annual Garden Party this year, but he also has diamond teeth, so...
Two Things: Kanye Played The Williamsburg Savings Bank, Made Out With Mary-Kate
Last night Kanye West played that "secret" free show, which ended up being at the gorgeous Williamsburg Savings Bank in Brooklyn (the event was hosted by Heineken). Check out some video below, along with the new long-awaited video for his song "Monster" (seriously worth watching, in all its cannibalistic, beheaded, torture porn glory). But first, let's talk about the Kanye + MK gossip, which is that Kanye West, while in New York City celebrating his 34th birthday, hooked up with Mary-Kate Olson. Oh, Kanye.
Kanye West Pays Tribute To Gil Scott-Heron At Memorial Service
Kanye West performed at an intimate memorial service for pioneer musician Gil Scott-Heron at Riverside Church earlier today. "Gia Scott-Heron and family, Kanye West and GSH's band offered wonderful words and music in tribute today at Riverside Church. A blessing," tweeted Malaika Adero.
Kanye West Will Return To Manhattan With Free Show In June
It's been confirmed that Kanye West will be playing a free concert in Manhattan on June 9th, courtesy of Heineken. The beer company says they are "giving fans in 8 select markets the chance to see a local G.O.O.D. Music performance as well as the grand prize of catching Kanye West in NYC on June 9th." There's an unofficial Facebook page tracking details for the "true once in a lifetime experience," which allegedly will also include free, all-you-can-drink Heineken! Aside form that, details are scarce, just a date, a borough, and lots of speculation.
Video: Kanye West Under All Of The Lights At MoMA's Garden Party
Last night the line outside the door of the Museum of Modern Art on 53rd Street stretched around 5th Avenue all the way to 54th Street, where a group of high-heeled, impatient Europeans tried to bribe a guard into letting them into the MoMA's annual Garden Party, one of their fanciest, shmanciest nights of the year. The well-dressed men and better-dressed women didn't put up with the delays in order to pack into the beautiful Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden just for the open bar: they were there to see Kanye West.
Want Kanye For Your Bar Mitzvah? Pay $1 Million!
Earlier this year, Kanye West was the big featured performer at the sweet sixteen birthday party for artist George Condo's daughter at the Standard Hotel. According to the Post, he even performed his 30-minute set for free. Well, Kanye may play your sweet sixteen for free, but the man has limits people! West allegedly demanded $1 million to play at the bar mitzvah of the son of former NBC head Jeff Zucker. Maybe Kayne was holding a grudge because of Joey?
Yo, Met, We're Really Happy For You, But MoMA Has One Of The Best Garden Parties Of All Time
On May 10th, the Museum of Modern Art will host their annual Garden Party, a fancy pants high-brow event sponsored by Cartier, includes a dinner and cocktail hour, and is held in honor of several art collectors and philanthropists. The kids go for the music though, which takes place at the afterparty and where past performers have included the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and MIA. Today there have been mumblings that Kanye West would be the sonic centerpiece this year, and it's just been confirmed. Nice curation, MoMA!
What An Airport Screening Looks Like For Kanye West
This afternoon Kanye Tweeted this photo, declaring: "Set off the metal detectors with the Swag." [Ed. note: #humblebrag!] Guess Mr. West doesn't like the full-body image scanning and went straight for unloading his bling into a bin. It's unclear at press time whether or not his massive King Tut necklace needed its own ticket (we like to imagine he doesn't leave home without it). The takeaway here though is that diamond teeth won't set off any alarms, and that's knowledge we can all use.
Kanye West Issues Warning About High Cost of Abortion
With a big pro choice/Planned Parenthood rally scheduled for downtown Saturday, and a possibly racist anti-abortion billboard sparking outrage, abortion was a hot topic on everyone's lips yesterday. So of course Kanye West had to share his thoughts. In a message to his 2.5 million followers, the rap star tweeted, "an abortion can cost a ballin' nigga up to 50gs maybe a 100. Gold diggin' bitches be getting pregnant on purpose. #STRAPUP my niggas!" Sage advice from the man who wrote the definitive song about gold diggers, plus a relief to those "niggas" who aren't "ballin" and thus have nothing to lose. Meanwhile, in SoHo, that anti-abortion billboard was met with revulsion.
Kanye Sued By Manhattan Photographer For Scuffle
A Manhattan photographer is claiming that he was "assaulted, battered, beat and threatened" by Kanye West and his security crew...almost three years ago. The incident allegedly happened when West performed at Guastavino's on the East Side, for a party to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Casio's G-Shock watch; photographer Michael Vazquez was invited to the event, and says that over the course of the night he was accosted and intimidated by West, "his agents, servants and/or employees," and ended up with a dislocated shoulder and cuts to his face.
Kanye, KaiKai, Kiki & Kitty: Thanksgiving Day Parade 2010
There was no rain on today's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as tens of thousands of people lined the city's streets to catch glimpses of beloved and whimsical balloons, marching bands, floats, and performers. The sights and sounds thrilled spectators and we were happy to see that Takashi Murakami was indeed marching with his balloons KaiKai and Kiki. His outfit is way cooler than Kanye West's get up (people booed Kanye, of course; video below).
Matt Lauer, Watch Out: Kanye Is Headed Your Way!
Fresh off the triumph of his 10.0-rated new album and Tuesday night Bowery performance, Kanye West is aboard a Thanksgiving Day Parade float. He'll be performing once it it's closer to the Macy's flagship store in Herald Square, which makes us wonder: Will it be awkward since West's latest mortal enemy Matt Lauer is co-hosting the parade from 34th Street?
Photos & Video: It's Kanye's Bowery Now
Was Kanye West's intimate performance at Bowery Ballroom last night a 10.0? The internet seems to think so! The show was just announced yesterday, hours before tickets went on sale (and then instantly sold out). With a 550-capacity venue, and a name like Kanye West, it would be interesting to know how many of those coveted tickets went to fans, over, say, the well-connected. The NY Times notes that the majority of those who got inside were "assorted journalists and industry regulars... celebrities, models and bodyguards."
What Are People Offering For Kanye Tickets?
A reader tells us he put one ticket to tonight's Kanye West concert at Bowery Ballroom on Craigslist, and has received a number of interesting offers in response. Here are some:
Kanye's Coming To The Bowery TONIGHT
Teyana Taylor, who you may have heard on Kanye West's new 10.0-rated album, took to Twitter last night declaring: "Just got to rehersals for my performance with mr Ye West tomorrow at the Bowery Ballroom 2morr. Dark Fantasy Baby!!!" And indeed, Kanye will be taking the stage there tonight—according to Brooklyn Vegan, the intimate show will be the first full album performance of his new (aforementioned "perfect") album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
Kanye West Doesn't Care About Press People
Kanye West's headlines went into syndication this week, as news outlets revisited Taylor-Swift-gate and Bush-Doesn't-Care-About-Black-People-gate (yes, those things happened long ago). One of the reporters West found himself across from was Matt Lauer on the Today show, where he didn't like the way things were being run. According to the NY Times, he taped the interview with Lauer, then preemptively criticized the program on Twitter.
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