Appearing as the cover feature for GQ’s May issue, Kanye West remembered the late Kobe Bryant, reflected on his struggles with alcoholism, confirmed he’ll be voting in the 2020 presidential election and much, much more.
The interview was conducted shortly after Bryant and his daughter Gianna tragically died in a helicopter crash. Kanye held a midnight Sunday Service in honor of the NBA legend after his passing.
“He was the basketball version of me, and I was the rap version of him, and that’s facts!” ‘Ye said of Bryant. “We got the commercials that prove it. No one else can say this. We came up at the same time, together.”
Elsewhere in the feature, Kanye also teased the possibility of new music. Last year, he released his gospel/rap Jesus Is King album and his Sunday Service Choir album Jesus Is Born. After releasing Jesus Is King, Kanye quickly began teasing the album’s second edition, which appeared to be in collaboration with legendary producer Dr. Dre.
“I was thinking of not rapping again, because I rapped for the devil so long that I didn’t even know how to rap for God,” he explained. “Then one of my pastors told me, ‘My son just said that he would want a rap album about Jesus from Kanye West.’ He didn’t say, ‘Kanye West, you should do this,’ or ‘you need to do this.’ He just told me something that a child said. And that one thing made the difference.”
Beyond music, Kanye also reflected on his past struggles with addiction and labeled himself a “functioning alcoholic.”
“One day I was in my office working on the couture collection, and there was some Grey Goose in the fridge and I was just going to get a daytime drink, and I looked and thought, ‘Devil, you’re not going to beat me today,’” he revealed.
“I haven’t had a drink since I realized I needed to take it day by day, but I never owned up, or was even told, ‘Hey, you’re a functioning alcoholic.’ People have called me a crazy person, people have called me everything—but not a functioning alcoholic. And I would be drinking orange juice and Grey Goose in the morning,” ‘Ye continued.
Kanye also defended his support for Donald Trump and confirmed that, unlike recent years, he will be attending the voting booths this fall for the 2020 presidential election.
“No, I’m definitely voting this time,” he said. “And we know who I’m voting on. I’m not going to be told by the people around me and the people that have their agenda that my career is going to be over. Because guess what: I’m still here!”
Most recently, Kanye and his Sunday Service Choir appeared virtually for an Easter Sunday (April 11) performance via Miami’s VOUS Church. The pre-recorded event was accompanied by a gospel sermon by the church’s Pastor Rich as well as music from the VOUS Worship choir.