Kanye West: 'Musicians are not Illuminati'

Rapper Kanye West has denied long-running rumours he is a member of the fabled Illuminati.

The Stronger hitmaker is among an elite group of powerful public figures who conspiracy theorists believe are in cahoots with a shadowy secret society pushing a 'New World Order'.

However, West is adamant his fellow stars such as Jay Z, Beyonce, and Rihanna, who are often cited in the theory, have nothing to do with any sinister alternative reality.

In a self-penned article for Paper magazine, he writes, "If there was actually an Illuminati, it would be more like the energy companies. Not celebrities that gave their life to music and who are pinpointed as decoys for people who really run the world.

"I'm tired of people pinpointing musicians as the Illuminati. That's ridiculous. We don't run anything; we're celebrities. We're the face of brands. We have to compromise what we say in lyrics so we don't lose money on a contract. Madonna is in her 50s and gave everything she had to go up on an award show and get choked by her cape. She's judged for who she adopts. F**k all of this sensationalism. We gave you our lives. We gave you our hearts. We gave you our opinions!"