Kanye portrait

Kanye West, unknowing professor

The following reflections come from Base’s NYC-based partner Geoff Cook on working with Kanye West over the past year.

Over the last decade, I’ve been lucky enough to work with talented entrepreneurs, savvy business folk, and creative visionaries. Yet as another project with Kanye West (his high-end book being published by Rizzoli) approaches completion, I find myself referring consistently to things he’s done and said, many of which can serve as metaphors to live by.

Listen to the CD
Before working with Kanye, I’d basically written him off before ever listening to a single song. Because of our various projects together I went to a couple Glow in the Dark shows and bought his albums, listening repeatedly to each. And you know what? Today I really dig his music. Lesson #1: Always stay curious; assume nothing.

Wear good sneakers
Thomas Edison constantly reminds us that “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” As Kanye never stops working, it’s an understatement to say that he’s full-on subscribed to the perspiration part. It’s no wonder therefore, moving as much and as fast as he does, that he’s such a sneaker addict. Lesson #2: Work harder than everybody else.

Rap a cappella
One day in our studio at the behest of no one, Kanye broke into an a cappella rap. As I listened, I asked myself, “Why does a guy who spends half his life in a studio and the other half on stage want to rhyme in his downtime?” One could argue that it’s due to a constant need for attention. But in looking into his eyes, you see that he just really enjoys singing. It’s that simple. Lesson #3: Do what you love and love what you do.

Act, react, don’t look back
A few days after “808′s & Heartbreak” was released, people wrote in (primarily via his increasingly popular blog), asking why he had chosen a certain version of “Love Lockdown” for the album. The next day Kanye posted a new version of the song and instructed DJ’s and fans to play that version exclusively. Wait… He did what? Aren’t people going to get confused? Shouldn’t he stop and think about this for a second? Lesson #4: Embrace the speed of the digital age.

Speak to the world like a best friend
For those who have read Kanye’s blog, it’s apparent that he’s doing the writing with no outside/self-editing (he might say for better or worse). But in my mind it’s all for the best. It’s as if he’s speaking personally to each and every one of us. In an era when all communication is guarded and calculated, his honesty is refreshing. Lesson #5: Speak the truth.

Do that hand grab, body bump, slap-on-the-back thing
Every time we see each other, Kanye gives me a “guy embrace,” and is genuinely interested in how I’ve been and what’s going on. At the same time, for our work together he requires top quality design and doesn’t mince words when he doesn’t like something. Lesson #6: Be demanding but be pleasant.

Branding ≠ music engineering
For the cover design of the “Love Lockdown” single, Kanye enlisted the help of several designers for a collaborative effort. When I asked why, he compared the design process to making music. For example, instead of using one sound engineer, he’ll often bring in “the best bass guy, the best drums guy” to arrive at the best finished product. Though I understood his point of reference, this approach works because it is his vision that guides his songwriting. However, this procedure does not translate to design where we, the creative directors, guide the process. Lesson #7: Be equally demanding of your clients and insist on purity of vision.

Scream from the mountain tops (or at the very least speak loudly from the hills)
OK, not everybody has the gumption to say they are “The Brightest Star in the Universe.” However, in an increasingly competitive world (and certainly in a recessionary economy) it doesn’t hurt to alert people when you feel you’ve done good work. Lesson #8: Don’t be afraid to publicize your work.

Perhaps as we continue to work with Kanye, he’ll unknowingly bestow more wisdom upon me. Until then, if I can keep these eight lessons in mind, Base will be the better for it.