Throwback: Kanye West "Throught The Wire"

Can't even begin to tell you what this man and this video have personally done for my life. But I'll try. This was a beginning of sorts for me and Kanye in a plethora of ways. Even though I didn't know it at the time, this song was one of the reasons I ultimately begin rapping.

Growing up in New Orleans, Wayne was the biggest star in the city but around my ninth grade year is when he really began killing the game on a national level as a solo artist. As a result of that, everyone in New Orleans was on him. While Wayne's star was on the rise, there was another man from Chicago that caught my eye; his name was Kanye West. I remember coming home one day after school, going up to my room, and turning on BET (now that I was finally allowed to watch it. Actually, mom probably didn't like it but I did anyway) and this new video was called "Throught The Wire" was coming on. First thing I noticed was I loved the intro and the beat as well. Whoever produced the beat sampled Chaka Kahn's "Through The Fire" but sped it up and did something crazy with it. Then there were the lyrics: this story about a guy who got in a car accident, nearly died, had to get his mouth wired shut, and wrote a song about the entire process. I was moved, captivated, and immediately wanted to know more the man and his work. As the video ends, it shows him getting his chain, finalizing his Roc-a-Fella (my favorite label) coming out party and making beats for one of my favorite rappers ever (and my favorite rapper living), Jay-Z.

Looking back now, it almost seems I was destined to be a Kanye fan. But if I could name the most important thing Mr. West did for me, it would probably be this: He showed me that it was okay to be yourself. Not to say I wasn't content with who I was but hearing him say it reassured how I already felt about myself, thus making me that much more comfortable in my own skin in the process. Not many artist, especially people I've never met before, have impacted my life like that.

'Ye wasn't the first rapper to really inspire me (Pac, Jay) and he won't be the last (Cole) but I can assuredly say, he's one of the most important.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

-K