Kanye’s “Power” Inspired By Malcolm X ?
June 1, 2010 @ 11:59 AM EDT
News
Man, great minds think alike. After hearing the chorus of Kanye’s new single this past weekend, I immediately thought of the hospital scene from Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. But for some reason, I couldn’t find the clip on YouTube. Coincidentally, it jolted Sean’s memory too and he drew the comparison first. Now, that’s powerful.
Sidebar: 1515 Speaks To YN & Info On “Power”
“Thats too much power for one man to have”
That’s crazy. Lol. U know tha white man was gonna hate when he saw that shit…But in all actuality, that’s exactly what music does…Kanye is a fuckin’ genius if he thought of that from this song. If he didn’t then I guess it’s just a crazy ass coincidence.
*movie, my bad. Not song.
That scene made the movie and showed the world how great an actor Denzel is and how brilliant, educated, fearless and powerful Malcolm had become. But i dont think Kanye possesses that type of power, the last person i witness with that kind of power was Tupac. If Kanye was to talk more like Tupac and not just making award speeches but really being in the trenches, THEN maybe he’ll receive that power but because you name a song power does’nt mean you have power. Money yes, REAL POWER no. Respect has to be earned.
Nickey, you see your just the type of person kanye is alsways refering in his songs, that dude makes a classic new electro pop album and all of the sudden everybody hates it, cause it isn hiphop enough, cause he is not a real singer etc. But in the end the beats were banging and the lyrics deep, what more do you want?!
Now he brings back a real tight rap song, with a really good beat and some conscious lyrics and still people hate. is there anything this dude can do not to be hated? i mean i understand he has a huge ego, but if you look how this man delivers since the beginning of his career, he has EARNED his egoism.
now to that mtv award bullshit, which seems to be more tragic than the holocaust for some people…it was a stupid nonsense award show, where some rich boys and girls drink champain and celebrate their selfs. We talkin about MTV here not the Grammy awards. GET OVER IT!
at spooky what the hell are you talking bout? im saying he does’nt have that same power as Malcolm or Tupac, basically the message that X and Pac spoke were similar truths, i like Kanye homey but his messages are not strong as the dearly departed mention.
@NICKEY BLACK @spooky
i think nickey has a point, spooky… and i don’t think he was hating. i just think he was saying if kanye wants that type of power he’s gonna have to pick up a mantle to the likeness of a malcolm x. not in the sense of becoming a human rights activist… but more so learn to not concern himself with such trivial things.
power is gonna be a huge song though. it’s dope.
@Nickey
I think Kanye and a couple otha rappers, maybe jus Jay-Z has that type of power to not move ppl in the way Malcolm did in that scene of the movie, but in other infulential ways. After Jay said all black everything, what artist didn’t switch their style 2 all black everything. Sure, it was wack, and prolly the biggest dick ride in hip hop history, but that shows niggaz have power 2 change ppl’s perceptions, actions, and reactions. After Kanye said Taylor Swift didn’t deserve that award, white ppl said fuck that nigga, he’s an asshole, and all the black ppl said, fuck that white bitch, we don’t even know who she is, etc…George Bush doesn’t care about black ppl, all that shit Kanye speaks on, ppl listen. Nobody has the same power Pac had because u know why? We’re too scared 2 even posses that power. We’re afraid we might get popped by tha government or whiped off the face of the earth by the illuminati. It’s too much shit. U saw what happened 2 Pac when he had 2 much “Revolutionary” power, right? It wasnt jus thru music, it was thru rallyies and shit. The white man wasn’t ready 4 it then, and they damn sure hate it now because there are a gazillion white ppl that love rap, and one thing whites hate worse than black ppl havin’ too much power is, black ppl havin too much power with white ppl behind them, supporting them…I’m jus sayin’…Lol.
@Nathaniel, your correct and that goes for any human being. It should’nt be just 1 Malcolm X but 2million Malcolm’s, 2million Martin’s, 2million Tupac’s, regardless on how peepo feel about Tupac. Pac’s life was cut short at 25 but if he was alive he would be going on 39 and the last thing Tupac said he would be doing “godwilling im alive, i promise you that you will be seeing me sitting in congress”
If we had those type of followers and not followers of sex, drugs, violent gangs and fads, we all will feel ten times safer in this world and not living in constant paranoia.
@ acapella, thats true about Jay and YE and having the heart of a Tupac, Malcolm or Jesus will make people scared, regardless of race. Farrakahn speaks the truth but ppl call him a hate monger. So peepo gotta get heart, including myself, to stand up against BS that is oppressing us. Dont just say it cuz you on tv, go to the trenches and show the peepo ” DAMN THIS MAN IS FOREAL!”
@Ac@pella!,
I was with you until you mentioned the Illuminati
yeah i thought of the same exact seen as soon as I heard the hook, loved that scene in the movie, denzel played it so well
YOU TALK REAL ISSUES ON THIS TYPE OF POST AND GET A FEW COMMENTS BUT LET IT BE A PHOTO OF EMINEM TAKING A DUMP WITH NO TISSUE AND YOU’LL GET 1000 COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT BRAND HE USE AND HOW WILL HE GET THE TISSUE WITH DOO DOO IN HIS BUTT…LMBO
^
LMAO!!!!!! SO TRUE!
I love how niccas that don’t know any of these people….think they know these people.
Kanye is a big fat dick!Real Talk!Ego maniac and the song is not even that good………It’s not.
@Nicky
The true fact of the matter is, people need to stop comparing modern day artists to people like Pac. The first and foremost reason Ye is not like Pac is because Pac didn’t have the modern day technology that Ye does. Kanye can reach way more people than Pac ever could. About his message being different, he’s a different person. If we assume that what this post is insinuating is true and that Ye is attempting to draw parallels between the power he holds as a celebrity and that of Malcom X, then it is likely to discuss how he could make a crowd move, like in this scene.
@KEVIN, thats very true, i just have the tendacy of going deep with topics and if they are talking about Kanye moving the crowd rhythmatically then i was wrong but based on Kanye saying “……..prison’s open” i 4get the full quote but im taking it to a more educated level. Moreless edutainment…lol
RapRadar is a contender in the VH1 Hip Hop Honors: The Dirty South Rally Machine for ‘Best Hip Hop Site or Blog.” – Share your voice! http://www.vh1.com/shows/events/hip_hop_honors/_2010/rally/
@nate
U must be at a loss 4 words or somethin’, so u decided to hate on everyone else’s comments. Lol. U don’t have to personally know a celebrity to make an analysis or perception about their work. I think we all have enuff common sense to decipher who has the heart 2 spark minds and actually go thru with starting a possible revolution and who doesn’t. We jus gotta fish thru the industry bullshit to get to that point. Ppl are HEARING “Power” 4 the wrong reasons and NOT LISTENING 4 the right ones. Ppl are quick to say its wack because they either don’t like him or don’t see the points he’s making. Sure, he’s an egomaniac, but I would be too if I made great thought provoking shit 4 ppl and all they did was look at the material shit and roll their eyes at my views. Ppl are scared. Point blank. Niggaz r sheep. They don’t have the balls to speak up on how they feel because they KNOW ppl will look at em crazy. The world is so fucked up right now that the abnormal IS the norm now. I think w/ “Power” he was sayin nobody should have all this power because they’ll abuse it, and he owned up 2 that, but at the same time said fuck ya’ll, I’m not apologizing anymore. If niggaz can’t handle it, then too bad. Do u have the power to let power go? U can take that 2 different ways and run w/ it. All I know is “Power” inspires me and Ye inspires me more.
As Soon As I Heard the Record, I TOO thought about Malcolm X’s scene here……………….wonderful job guys!
“Black vs white my nigga we off that”
I dont care about Kanye or his music but that clip up top reminded me how great that Malcolm X movie was, how the hell Denzel didnt win an oscar for that but he wins for being a corrupt cop in Training day??………Spike Lee = Greatness, The Black Martin Scorsesse
@ Drucifer1983
I’M SURE DENZEL FELT THE SAME WAY TOO!!!! THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL PERFORMANCES I HAVE EVER WITNESSED!!!! IT WAS TOO BLACK AND TOO REAL FOR HIM TO WIN AN OSCAR!!!! AWARDS SHOWS ARE SHIT ANYWAY!!!!
DON’T HATE ON MY OPINION!!!!
“Power” is the perfect single in my opinion, Kanye is comming back into the limelight after the whole taylor swift fiasco that had white people all over the US offended. He had Obama call him an asshole when truthfully I bet Obama wanted to laugh. Kanye is my favorite rapper not because he can rhyme like he’s the greatest of all time but because he speak from his soul, the guy doesnt give a fuck half the time. I look up to someone who doesnt take shit from critics, and is confident in his artwork. No one man should have all this power, “Im trippin off this powder” cocain one hell of a drug an Kanye realizes he can get away with shit because the media on his dick, country music fans probably hate him but he has millions of fans that love his music.
@ Mac Diesel
Co Sign, alot of it has to do with Spike Lee himself making it, alot of people just dont like that guy in hollywood, his strong Political opinions bother alot of cats, Even these days the Italian government was complaining about how they were portrayed in “Miracle at St Anna”(Great Movie by the way)
^^^i understand that you meant it as a compliment, but spike lee isn’t the “black scorcese.”
he’s the ONE AND ONLY spike lee! he need not be compared to anyone else. legendary in his own right. its actually more of an insult to say he’s the “black” someone else.
I actually think Kanye, DOES have Malcolm X LEVEL power. It’s just in a completely different arena. As far as music, art, entertainment, and creative inspiration are concerned, Kanye West is the Malcolm X of this s**t.
i’m glad kanye is back to talking consciously about everything….
i missed those “college dropout…. drug dealin’ just to get by.. stack yo money ’til it get sky highhhhhh” days.
@ Midnight….Ur a fuckn hater, get a life…. the track is fire real talk!!!
Kanye is on fire right now, NOBODY can touch him. 🙂
True Power move quiet. pure POWer don’t pOWer trip. Lordamercy. dollarday is a classic…For me myself personally Kanye’s music been boring no dis but FTB…maybe i should give the brother a nother chance but y it feel like if it were 1859 and Kanye was one of the so-called free slaves… n t way much love to all yall, mo stef. 1!
glad u brought up DenZel n Malcolm X directed by Spike Lee but Kanye’s “power” did not remind me of this scene at all…not close…it reminded me of gross greed but catchy beats with disgusting ending nawmeen? hehe. 1love.
It’s true, that’s what I thought the minute I heard that song. To confirm that it was indeed that scene that inspired Kanye, on another song, ‘Gorgeous’, Kanye said something like ‘Malcolm West had the whole nation standing at attention’, which is also a reference to the very same scene. Coincidence? Highly unlikely. Hope I could help.
Actually, the line is “No one man should have that much power” and Kanye West may have gotten it from the movie that got the line from Malcolm X’s actual autobiography, and it definitely wasn’t said in a hospital.