VMAs: Kanye West slams award shows, announces 2020 presidential candidacy
By VARIETY
Kanye West 2020?
The rapper announced his 2020 presidential bid, took aim at awards shows, addressed the Taylor Swift incident and more at the MTV Video Music Awards as he accepted the Video Vanguard Award, making for undoubtedly one of the most memorable VMA speeches ever.
"I still don't understand award shows," he said on stage. "I don't understand how they get five people who work their entire life to come, stand on a carpet, and for the first time in their life, stand up on a chopping block and be considered a loser. I don't understand it, bro! I've been conflicted, bro! I just wanted people to like me more!"
"I will die for the art, for what I believe in," he went on "And the art ain't always going to be polite! Ya'll might be thinking, I wonder, 'Did he smoke something before he came out?' The answer is yes, I rolled up something. I knocked the edge off."
West got philosophical, talking about the next generation.
"We're going to teach our kids to believe in themselves," he said." I don't know what I'm going to lose after this. It don't matter, though. It ain't about me. It's about ideas. People with ideas. People who believe in truth. And yes, as you probably could have guessed by this moment, I am running for president in 2020."
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