Before I start rambling on about life, how impressed I am with this accomplished fine artist and Yadi Yadi Yada! I need to clearly state that only now, at this point in my life I understand what they meant by “where you come from, doesn’t dictate where you’re going”, although one has to take note of this also “remember where you come from, it helps you manoeuvre accordingly to your desired destination” – ungakhohlwa la uphuma khona.
I am neither an academic nor an intellectual by any means but I am a student of life. I need people to grasp the fact that being a ‘student of life’ further elaborates the saying “you never stop learning”. Traditional schooling was not a fun time me for at all, from the teachers to the subjects, the duration of periods and everything in the middle, as a matter of fact, it was boring, uninspiring and horrible. This was because of how we were taught and it was drilled in us that we had to pass the designated subjects whether or not we understood the lessons in question.
This messed with my confidence in other avenues in life because; I undermined my abilities when confronted by peers from better or multi-racial schools, because I just didn’t speak eloquently. I clearly could excel in the streets because you had to use your wits and this inner intuition for lack of a better word. Streets required no books or manuals, you had to trust in yourself first and everything and everybody else second.
This brings me to the global news of recent events that took place in the Chicago Arts Institute, they, for whatever reason and many will speculate because that’s what people do from the outside. CAI honoured Grammy award winning music producer, fashion debonair, filmmaker and entrepreneur Dr Kanye West for his “transformative and genre defining work across music, film and fashion design” said the Professor looking elder who handed Dr Yeezy his doctorate.
We all know or at least should be aware that Kanye West is a “College Drop-Out” from his self explanatory sophomore album. Now society would like you to believe that without a good education or maybe a degree or the equivalent, you are just not going make it in life. This is not the story of this multiple award winning producer slash, slash, slash.
Dr West is the most opinionated celebrity of the 21st century; he just doesn’t know how to hold his tongue and makes no intention to. He embodies the spirit of a freedom fighter, actually he reminds me a little of the late great Dr Nelson Mandela back in his hay days, when he was a rebel, when all he wanted to do was arm his people and kill. This is justified for Dr West because of the disciplines he’s involved in. He certainly told Nike and all the gate-keepers of high-end fashion what he thought about them limiting him to just a rap artist. He wasn’t going to allow others, acclaimed or otherwise to tell him who or what he can be.
I would like to encourage young people from across the globe, especially young South Africans to take a leaf out of Dr Yeezy’s book. Much to the teachings of our beloved Mofaya founder, advocate and activist Sbusiso DJ Sbu Leope, to never allow even your university professor or the CEO of the company you work for to dictate to you how far you can go in life. But off course life doesn’t come without a few speed bumps along the way, lemons are lemons, take this opportunity to add some sugar and make lemonade.
Last week Kanye West was this annoying narcissistic artist, who wants everything to go his way or the high way. This week he is Dr Kanye West, the possibilities are infinite. Let’s take a quote from our beloved religious leader Archbishop Desmond Tutu “ All you need to do is believe” in yourself mostly. Go Kanye it was “Graduation Day”, the prophecy in the names of his albums speaks volume. I’ll let that simmer.