Kanye West: Name One Genius That Ain’t Crazy

Kanye West brings quite the unique personality to the table and everyone knows it. One college professor is even using him as a case study.

We can all agree that finding another Kanye West is just never going to happen. I mean, I’ve listened to a lot of successful people talk about themselves, but it’s very, very rare to hear someone compare themselves — religiously — to names such as Walt Disney, Tom Ford, Steve Jobs.

Sure, that’s all self-proclamation, but how you feel about yourself definitely has a lasting effect on how others feel about you — and this is something Kanye has stated from the jump.

When I first found out that Washington University offered a college course focused entirely on Kanye West, I wasn’t surprised. I definitely didn’t know that existed, but I wasn’t surprised. To be frank, if it didn’t exist, then I would most likely work my whole life to become a professor JUST so I can offer that course.

In fact, there have been three instances where Kanye West has been the focus of a college course. In 2014, him and Jay-Z were a course offered at the University of Missouri. In 2015, Georgia State University offered a course on Kanye West.

The one at Washington University, which began in January, is taught by Jeffrey McCune and is titled “Politics of Kanye West: Black Genius and Sonic Aesthetics.” It is a chance for students “to connect issues of politics, race, gender, sexuality and culture,” according to a report by New York Post.

The reason I’m bringing this up is because Jeffrey McCune will be giving his third and final lecture on April 12th. The newest one will be titled Name One Genius That Ain’t Crazy: Kanye West and the Politics of Self-Diagnosis. According to McCune, the reason Kanye acts so ‘out of the box’ is because people are constantly trying to keep him ‘inside the box.’

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As for the ‘Name One Genius That Ain’t Crazy,’ for those who are fans of Kanye West, you know that he is referring to Verse 3 of “Feedback” off his latest album The Life of Pablo.

Here’s that verse:

I can’t let these people play me
Name one genius that ain’t crazy
Follow our father
You borrow our motto
I’m a Chicago south sider
I’m a Chicago south sider

Here’s what McCune had to say about the lecture, according to HypeBeast:

"“I want to give people permission to be enraged. Give people permission to be upset, to be angry, to be frustrated. Give people permission to have moments where they break. Give people permission to have moments where they experience depression. I want to give them permission to have those moments without being characterized as being some type of deviant figure in the community. I don’t want to take away that experience and call it crazy. It’s reasonable. And it must be addressed with love, compassion, care, generosity.”"

In the lecture, McCune wants to help people understand that there are two different types of ‘crazy,’ one being a mental illness/disability and one being a type of genius/innovation. Basically, there are people that are crazy and people that have crazy ideas or inventions.

McCune also stated that it is “not just about Kanye, it’s also about the larger notion of crazy and how we utilize it.”

If you are interested in checking out the lecture, it is being held on April 12 (6 pm) at Washington University in St. Louis at the Emerson Auditorium. It will be free to the public, so anyone can join.

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Would you attend a lecture by a college professor that’s focused on Kanye West? I sure would. Leave your thoughts below!