Multiple award winning singer and rap artist, Kanye West, who titled his first album The College Dropout after dropping out of school at 20 years of age is now a graduate and added to that, he has been given an honorary doctorate degree which now makes him Doctor West.
The degree was conferred on him at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago which recognised for “transformative, genre-defying work” at a ceremony there.
The man who never seems to lack a healthy (or unhealthy) dose of confidence but he admitted to feeling nervy at the ceremony. “I don’t feel that feeling a lot, the nerves of humility and modesty when being honoured,” he said. “A humanisation a reality of being recognised. And all I thought as I sit here kind of shaking a little bit is ‘I need to get rid of that feeling.'”
In his acceptance speech he said: “I am a pop artist. So my medium is public opinion and the world is my canvas”. He urged people not to feel the need to apologise for the opinions they have. ‘I’m sorry’ is something that you can use a lot, it gives you the opportunity to give your opinion, apologise for it, and give your opinion again,” he laughed.
He claimed the honour would make it easier for people to “defend him” too.
“It’s these Floyd Mayweather belts that are needed to prove what I’ve been saying my entire life.
“Where there’s the co-sign of Paul McCartney grabbing me and saying ‘It’s OK, he doesn’t bite white people’ or The New York Times cover, or the Time most influential cover”, he said.
“And now a doctorate at The Art institute of Chicago”, he continued. “When I was giving a lecture at Oxford, I brought up this school because when I went on that mission to create in other spaces, apparel, film, performance. It would have been easier if I could have said that I had a degree at the Art Institute of Chicago,” he said.
He was conferred with the honour after a member of staff of the college read that he always wished he had gone there.
Kim Kardashian took to her Instagram page to express how proud she is of her Dr. Kanye West and also added that she knew his mum would be so proud of him.
