The Übermensch (or Superman) was a creation of Friedrich Nietzsche. The Übermensch is “the person who has conquered himself. The more-human-than-human person who will freely define himself by inventing his own values and so is beyond good and evil” (Flew & Priest). “What does not kill me, makes me stronger” is a famous quote from Nietzsche’s Twilight of the Idols. The opening lyric from Kanye West’s song Stronger is “that that that that that don’t kill me can only make me stronger”.
Some might say he can’t be an Übermensch because of his race, but the more I think about the way that Kanye portrays himself, I think he is deliberately trying to claim some type of Übermenschiness. Nietzsche had delusions such that he identitfied himself with Jesus Christ (ironic considering he’d claimed ‘God is Dead‘), and the January 2006 Rolling Stone reminds us that Kanye likewise identifies himself with Jesus. What do you think… Übermensch? Or just Über-annoying?
What makes for the Good life for Kanye West? Check this video:
What makes for the Good life for Friedrich Nietzsche? Stay tuned…
you’ll always be my Übermensch Dave
look out…
Saw this quote:
“I have sacrificed real life to be a celebrity and to give this art to people. It is great I was able to do that, I’m not trying to shun that in any way, but it’s definitely a Catch-22, and it’s bittersweet.”
http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/music/more-modesty-from-west/2008/11/17/1226770308475.html
…he may not have embraced eternal recurrence…?he certainly has ubermenchiness though!
thanks for the link.
maybe next album he might embrace eternal recurrence!
he’s obviously very into himself… but i do like his tunes.