West's second and third studio albums, Late Registration (2005) and Graduation (2007), both debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, with the latter becoming his most commercially successful to date. Three of his subsequent albums—808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and The Life of Pablo (2016)—were certified triple platinum, while Yeezus (2013) was certified double platinum. Although not as well-received critically as his previous works, Ye (2018), Jesus Is King (2019), and Donda (2021) continued West's streak of consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200. West has also released collaborative albums including Watch the Throne (2011) with Jay-Z, Kids See Ghosts (2018) with Kid Cudi, and Vultures 1 and Vultures 2 (2024) with Ty Dolla Sign. In fashion design, he has collaborated with Nike, Inc., Louis Vuitton, and Gap Inc. on clothing and footwear, and led the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas.
One of the world's best-selling music artists with 160 million records sold, West has won 24 Grammy Awards, the joint 11th-most of all time and the most awarded for any hip hop artist along with Jay-Z. His other accolades include a Billboard Artist Achievement Award, a joint-record three Brit Awards for Best International Male Solo Artist, and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. West holds the joint record with Bob Dylan for most albums (four) topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015. West's first six solo albums were included on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020, with the same publication naming him one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.
West's outspoken views have received significant media coverage. He has been a frequent source of controversy due to his conduct on social media, at award shows, and in public settings, as well as his comments on the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, race, and slavery. His Christian faith, high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian, and mental health have also been topics of media attention. In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that advocated for a consistent life ethic. In October 2022, he was widely condemned and lost many sponsors and partnerships, including his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga, after making a series of antisemitic statements, including denying the Holocaust.
Self Conscious
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'mon now let's go, uh
[Hook]
Let me hear say "Yeaaah"
"Yeaaah"
I know you're wondering
'Cause I listen to the ROC
And I listen and watch
And the first thing I copped was a glistening watch
Off that Blueprint money
Yeah I know I'm a dummy
But what I am supposed to tell a girl in the club, why that ass is getting feeled on
What, I bought a couple build-ons?
Seems like I got more brain off my fake chain than my real one
'Cause on the real son
If a girl think you broke, she just wanna fuck and smoke
If you paid then she's thinking 'bout her children
Feel him?
Prolly not though unless you got dough
You know what I mean
You would think the grass green when you finally get green
Let me hear say "Yeaaah"
"Yeaaah"
Man I promise, she's so self conscious
She has no idea what she's doing in college
That major that she majored in don't make no money
But she won't drop out, her parents will look at her funny
Now, tell me that ain't insecure
The concept of school seems so secure
Sophomore three years ain't picked a career
She like fuck it, I'll just stay down here and do hair
'Cause that's enough money to buy her a few pairs of new Airs
'Cause her baby daddy don't really care
She's so precious with the peer pressure
Couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis
She had hair so long that it looked like weave
Then she cut it all off now she look like Eve
And she be dealing with some issues that you can't believe
Single black female addicted to retail and
Let me hear say "Yeah"
"Yeah"
Man I promise, I'm so self conscious
That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches
Rollies and Pasha's done drove me crazy
I can't even pronounce nothing, pass that Versace!
Then I spent four hundred bucks on this
Just to be like, "Nigga you ain't up on this!"
And I refuse go to the grocery store
Without some ones that's clean and a shirt with a team
It seems we living the american dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings
We shine because they hate us, floss cause they degrade us
We trying to buy back our 40 acres
And for that paper, look how low we a'stoop
Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coupe
Let me hear say "Yeah"
"Yeah"
And uh
I decided to stop fuckin' with y'all
Uh
Wack ass niggas
And uh hating-ass dream killin'-ass niggas
And since I quit
Everyone that supported me
Thank you very much
And everyone that doubted me
Thank you very little
In Kanye West's song "Self Conscious," the rapper reflects on the insecurities and self-doubts that he and the people around him face. He begins by boasting about his success, which he attributes to his love for and connection with Roc-A-Fella Records. However, he confesses that his financial status is a crucial factor in how he's perceived by women. According to Kanye, the women in clubs are only interested in him if he's rich, and if he's not, then they merely want to have sex with him. Kanye argues that their desire for him stems only from the impression that his wealth makes. Next, he talks about a girl who is attending college, majoring in a subject that won't make much money. Despite knowing this, she doesn't drop out of college, fearing ridicule from her parents. Kanye believes that she is insecure and doesn't have confidence in herself. She struggles with financial challenges, and the only thing she can afford is a pair of new sneakers for herself. Additionally, she is a single mom to a child named Alexis, and she is addicted to shopping.
In the next section, Kanye raps about his issues of self-consciousness. He explains that he's always seen wearing one of his watches as a way to boost his confidence. Kanye explains how high-end fashion brands like Versace have gravely impacted his spending habits, and he has spent a lot of money on clothes, just to look upscale. He argues that society's need to show off their uniqueness and glamour stems from a craving for acceptance and validation. Finally, Kanye severs all connections with anyone who doesn't believe in him and expresses his gratitude to those who have supported him.
Line by Line Meaning
Now ya know ya gotta turn this super loud
You should turn up the volume on this song to fully appreciate it.
Let me hear say "Yeaaah" "Yeaaah"
This chorus is meant to be shouted out and repeated.
I know you're wondering How is Kanye spittin so hot?
You might be curious about how I'm able to rap so well.
'Cause I listen to the ROC And I listen and watch And the first thing I copped was a glistening watch
I owe my success in part to my association with the Roc-A-Fella music label and my love of flashy watches.
Off that Blueprint money Yeah I know I'm a dummy
I foolishly spent some of the money I made from Jay-Z's album, The Blueprint.
But what I am supposed to tell a girl in the club, why that ass is getting feeled on What, I bought a couple build-ons?
When a woman at the club asks me what I do for a living, I can't just say 'I bought some watches.'
Seems like I got more brain off my fake chain than my real one 'Cause on the real son
My fake jewelry has attracted more positive attention than my real jewelry.
If a girl think you broke, she just wanna fuck and smoke If you paid then she's thinking 'bout her children Feel him?
Women are more interested in you if they think you have money, as they want a wealthy partner to care for their children.
Prolly not though unless you got dough You know what I mean
You probably can't relate to this unless you have money.
You would think the grass green when you finally get green
When you become rich, it seems like everything else in life becomes easier and more enjoyable.
Man I promise, she's so self conscious She has no idea what she's doing in college That major that she majored in don't make no money But she won't drop out, her parents will look at her funny
There are many people who are insecure about themselves and their choices, like a college student who is pursuing a major that won't lead to a lucrative career but feels pressure to continue from her family.
Now, tell me that ain't insecure The concept of school seems so secure Sophomore three years ain't picked a career She like fuck it, I'll just stay down here and do hair
Choosing a career path is difficult and some students feel uncertain about their future, so they might drop out of college and settle for a job like hairdressing because it feels more stable.
'Cause that's enough money to buy her a few pairs of new Airs 'Cause her baby daddy don't really care She's so precious with the peer pressure Couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis She had hair so long that it looked like weave Then she cut it all off now she look like Eve And she be dealing with some issues that you can't believe Single black female addicted to retail and
This woman has a baby with an absent father and succumbs to peer pressure to look a certain way, but she still shops excessively even though she can't afford it and cut off her long hair.
Man I promise, I'm so self conscious That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches Rollies and Pasha's done drove me crazy I can't even pronounce nothing, pass that Versace!
As a successful artist, I am insecure about my status and use material objects like watches to boost my confidence.
Then I spent four hundred bucks on this Just to be like, "Nigga you ain't up on this!" And I refuse go to the grocery store Without some ones that's clean and a shirt with a team
I buy expensive clothing to look better than others and will only go to the grocery store looking presentable.
It seems we living the american dream But the people highest up got the lowest self esteem The prettiest people do the ugliest things For the road to riches and diamond rings We shine because they hate us, floss cause they degrade us We trying to buy back our 40 acres And for that paper, look how low we a'stoop Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coupe
People in America are chasing material success but still dealing with low self-esteem, racism, and negative stereotypes, leading them to resort to shallow and unpleasant behavior in the pursuit of wealth and status.
And uh I decided to stop fuckin' with y'all Uh Wack ass niggas And uh hating-ass dream killin'-ass niggas And since I quit Everyone that supported me Thank you very much And everyone that doubted me Thank you very little
I've made the decision to stop associating with people who bring negativity into my life and to thank my supporters and doubters alike for shaping my character.
Let me hear say "Yeah" "Yeah"
This chorus is meant to be shouted out and repeated.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kanye West
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@saqib7965
Being creative and not being scared on taking risks making hit records that also have that classic feel to them and on top of that..having a real message is what makes kanye west a genius. Not many artist in music history have 10 classic albums 7 of his own and 3 as a producer for the rappers albums below..
Jay z - the blueprint
Common - Be
Pusha T - Daytona
kanye has 84 platinum songs out of 184 songs
75 Grammy nominations.. the 4th most ever kanye won 24 Grammy's in total.
Classics 🎖
Mainstream success 🎖
Critically acclaimed 🎖
All huge achievements it's super rare and kanye has influenced pretty much everyone we listen to. You can hate the man but you can't deny his one of a kind legendary career.
@YahwehYireh
Watching his documentary really is a eye opener, seeing him believe so much in himself when others doubted him is truly inspiring.
@EasyWayMel
YURRRRR SHIT crazy shit makes me feel like fighting for something. Kanye West is a fucking genius.
@courtneyhartwell3461
Just finished it myself. What a great documentary. I cannot wait for the next two episodes.
@Lilnyhsg
Exactly
@rdupiton9592
He gave us everything he had in him and it’s like we shunned him almost, look what he turned to and he gets ALL the attention. Who’s really to blame?
@rafaelorozco7427
@Courtney Hartwell it’s not over there 2 more episodes coming up
@RylanForever
Can we appreciate how when he goes into the bathroom the acoustics change to give him an echo
@FKiMusic
best part
@oldahhha2127
You said it
@bejentle7774
The little details matters. Kanye the genuis