Kanye West: 'Phife Dawg made it ok for me to be me'
Kanye West thanked late rapper Phife Dawg for "raising" him at a memorial service for the A Tribe Called Quest star on Tuesday night (05Apr16).
The star died last month (Mar16) after a series of health issues. Hundreds of friends, family members and fans joined together to remember the musician at New York's Apollo Theater, with familiar faces at the four-hour service including Kanye, Busta Rhymes and Andre 3000.
As well as including incredibly moving eulogies from some of
Phife's closest friends, the event also served as a tribute
concert, with performances from stars including D'Angelo, backed by
The Roots, Kelly Price, The Roots frontman Black Thought and
KRS-One, joined by hip-hop legends Kid Capri, Grandmaster Flash,
Teddy Ted and Special K.
Among the eulogies was a speech from Kanye, who has been a long
time fan of A Tribe Called Quest and asked the group to open for
his 2013 Yeezus tour.
"I might say something wrong as always, but I thought it'd be more
wrong not to say nothing," he began, before revealing that the
group's record The Low End Theory was the first album he had ever
purchased.
"I was sitting here thinking about how much these people inspire me
and how powerful the influence of the music was," he told the
crowd. "How it meant everything. It is everything. Music was stolen
from us and corporatised and anybody that spoke up was demonised.
Anything I ever did wrong, blame Tip and Phife 'cause y'all raised
me."
Earlier in the evening, radio DJ Peter Rosenberg had likened the
music of A Tribe Called Quest and Led Zeppelin. But Kanye insisted
he wanted Phife to be remembered in his own right, and not compared
to another musical legend. He added that he wouldn't be who he is
today if it wasn't for Phife and A Tribe Called Quest.
"Y'all made it okay in a city of Al Capone - number one murder
capital city - for me to be me," he said. "Tribe made Kanye West.
Made the kid with the pink Polo. Made it so I could dress funny.
I'm not sorry if I said something wrong."
Kanye concluded by telling the crowd he was hopeful that Phife
would be remembered with a fitting tribute at next year's Grammy
Awards, but doesn't think this will actually happen.
"I'm picturing the Grammys right now, it's going to be a real quick
(tribute)," he said. "Short, like when the Michael Jackson joint
was short. Or when you get to Michael Jackson status, somebody say,
"Aw, you crazy 'cause you said the truth out loud." You get in
trouble for the truth.
"Honour, man. They gotta honour us; honour what hip-hop is. I love
y'all and I'm not sorry. Rest in Peace to Phife Dawg."