US GQ May 2020 : Kanye West by Tyler Mitchell

[YohjiAddict]

The postmodern icon we deserve, j'adore.

 

[WilliamsLe010919]

as if everyday wasn't hard enough

 

[Phuel]

His body-type would really benefit with some structured tailoring in styling (but since he insists on “styling” himself, this is what he ends up looking…). The shoot looks like tourists pics of some random ex-thug flexing his new toys. And despite the tepid shots, it’s still the only worthwhile offering American GQ has churned out in a long long long time.

I may not agree with his ramblings and his ego is beyond insufferable, but at least he’s possessed of genuine artistic talent and integrity, and doesn’t just regurgitate carefully scripted visuals and taglines like manufactured American sweetheart Bey for the sheeple to eat up. And nor has he ever been blatantly homophobic like so many rappers, that so many “open-minded” types give a pass to. Very revealing how so-called open-minded/progressive/liberals bash Kanye for speaking his mind— and BTW, a mind that clearly seems to be not quite there due to some degree of instability, and even cancelling him (so empathetic!) cuz he’s not toeing the socialist line of a typical scripted celebrity-Liberal. Some Libs are so “tolerant" LOL

 

[MulletProof]

that so many “open-minded” types give a pass to. Very revealing how so-called open-minded/progressive/liberals bash Kanye for speaking his mind— and BTW, a mind that clearly seems to be not quite there due to some degree of instability, and even cancelling him (so empathetic!) cuz he’s not toeing the socialist line of a typical scripted celebrity-Liberal. Some Libs are so “tolerant" LOL

Who? now you got me curious.

It's not one or the other as you said in the Holiday magazine thread (hates Kanye, therefore he/she is a sheep that loves Beyonce).. he is insufferable but also possess the barely remarkable and highly marketable "talent" abundant in his industry (I do not care how many times he's said he's a genius and how the sheep nod and repeat), only differentiated by the importance he's assigned to cultural capital, the disadvantages (cemented by himself) to reach the top of that nearly impossible pyramid and how tormenting reaching just the bottom that has been with fragile mental health plus the number opioid consumption has done on him.

I guess integrity is a grey area these days, but let's see if we're on the same page and correct me if I'm wrong: your celebrity skyrockets by being openly critical towards a government during the crisis caused by a natural disaster and on behalf of people you claim to represent. Years later, the opportunity for bigger celebrity and grandeur comes knocking in the shape of antagonism, so you decide to openly support the type of government (same principles) you criticised 10 years prior and claim the conditions that exacerbated the crisis then and ANY crisis really (psst, Covid) are actually founded on a matter of choice. Later on, when this produces your lowest selling album of your career, you do a 180 and claim you have been used to spread a message that is not yours. Would this be one of those 'loyal to nobody but myself' interpretation of integrity?

I don't know how he became the poster person for extremes ('you don't like him? but you call yourself tolerant!?!' 'say what you want, but he's right, he's a GENIUS' 'MAGA! go Kanye!'), he's a freakin' celebrity, an entertainment clown, a show-business joke, a sneaker and spandex designer who reads the news, there isn't a lot of science behind him. Tom Cruise is probably more complex. So, let's judge the celebrity lol: there's no styling that will ever help him, only working out, but he believes in liposuction and that didn't work out well, so go volumes.

(can't believe I wrote this much on f*cking Kanye West haha, this quarantine .....)

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Quavo, Travis Scott, J.Cole, and Eminem still seems to flaunt his no homo creds. And frankly, I’d rather people show their true colors rather than smile and say all the PC-taglines in public but believe none of it personally. Maybe that’s why Bey never gives interviews. And everyone knows it’s not because she’s some Greta Garbo recluse (don't want to let any politically-incorrect thoughts slip out to incur the wrath of the cancel-gen...).

There’s such an arrogant entitlement from some in 2020 that wasn’t prevalent in 2005 when he protested George Bush. Whether Kanye has become this complete MAGA individual you can’t stand and in the process dismiss him entirely now is wholly your prerogative and perspective. I just don’t feel the same although I don’t agree with his political outbursts nor find him ever a musical genius. At his best, and yeah— that was nearly a decade ago with Watch The Throne, he was visionary and possessed that brand of artistic fluidity from his musical production to his visual presentation. Not so much now.

(And his Yeezy is still stronger than anything Virgil has churned out.)

 

[Benn98]

Yeah, but how about we keep Tom Cruise out of this? LOL. I don't know why he put his nose into Brooke Shields' pill cabinet, I don't know why the Canadian toddler challenged him to a fight last year, and I don't know why he keeps on making Mission Impossible movies that nobody asked for. But the guy mostly minds his own business. Kanye, however, is the epitome of a troll. The type who thrives off saying and doing things in order for people to dislike him. Irreverent for the sake of being irreverent. Very much the vogue right now.

 

[MulletProof]

Yeah, but how about we keep Tom Cruise out of this? LOL.

SORRY haha I was trying to brainstorm a celebrity that has played with his cognitive abilities and got a flashback of this man jumping on a couch (no judging, I jump on them too in hotels, just.. something about the chin).

Phuel, I think we just didn’t have as many outlets in the early 00s so you could easily escape the thoughts of a dumb celebrity, but they were pretty much there.. hello, VMAs circa Gore vs. Bush.

Don’t know that much about Beyonce (or Virgil for that matter) but lol at the Greta Garbo part.

I gain nothing to dismiss him entirely based on a political phase.. I enjoy the work of Bruce Weber and am aware he's had more than a phase of potentially criminal behavior (I will leave that for another thread and yes, it's an ongoing internal debate) so it's not about condemning a lack of consistency but merely observing everything he's put his brand on, and there's plenty of it and it's so mainstream you cannot escape it. So with that voluntary or involuntary exposure, I've seen no genius or visionary in his work... but frankly the idea of a genius or visionary in entertainment in general is just too funny, aren't they more, if not exclusively, in science?. I would associate an extraordinary presence in his field with virtuosity, demonstrating some above average curiosity to explore lyricism and sensibility towards a sociopolitical context, as seen with Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, none of them ever in need of gimmicks, scandals, tantrums, or reality show magic. Raising the bar is a far more intellectual endeavor than lowering it.

 

[Royal-Galliano]

what a nice outfit choice for taking a cr** on the prairie!

 

[Urban Stylin]

Lol what a suitable cover for someone like him. Not looking forward to reading it either.

 

[Benn98]

US GQ May 2020

The Double Life of Damian Lewis

Photographer: Elizaveta Porodina
Stylist: Jon Tietz
Grooming: Ciona Johnson-King
Cast: Damian Lewis




US GQ Digital Edition

 

[Benn98]

US GQ May 2020

The Redemption Songs of Jason Isbell

Photographer: Michael Schmelling
Stylist: Jon Tietz
Grooming: Jess Berrios
Cast: Jason Isbell



US GQ Digital Edition

 

[phungnam96]

That distorted typo is really irritating... Like the designer recently knows out how to use warp in photoshop.