Kanye West Has Stopped Watching the News & He's Writing a Philosophy Book

Photo: Rex/Shutterstock

"I don't wish to be number one anymore, I wish to be water."

Those are the words of Kanye West in the year of our Lord 2018, speaking with his own interior designer Axel Vervoordt in a conversation for The Hollywood Reporter, in which he discussed a variety of topics, including his plans to write a philosophy book.

"I've got this new concept that I've been diggin' into," West said. "I'm writing a philosophy book right now called Break the Simulation. And I've got this philosophy—or let's say it's just a concept, because sometimes philosophy sounds too heavy-handed. I've got a concept about photographs, and I'm on the fence about photographs—about human beings being obsessed with photographs—because it takes you out of the now and transports you into the past or transports you into the future."

He adds: "It can be used to document, but a lot of times it overtakes [people]. People dwell too much in the memories. People always wanna hear the history of something, which is important, but I think it there's too much of an importance put on history."

When Vervoordt reveals he doesn't have enough time to keep up with films and the news, Ye concurs.

"I do think that there's not a balance in the news," he confesses. "Like you said, we don't want to be influenced, just informed. That's a big term that people use right now: influencers. I don't want anyone to influence ... I don't usually watch normal TV. I liked watching the Olympics. (Laughs.) I do try to watch documentaries. And there's a Wes Anderson movie [Isle of Dogs] that's out right now that I'm definitely going to try to catch."

West also explains his apparent desire to strive for something bigger than market share or branding with his future endeavors.

"This is very spiritual, what you're saying. At Adidas, I have Yeezy, but it's a namesake brand," he says. "It's my nickname. We do these sneakers that sell out and we get, 'Oh, this is the number one brand on Women's Wear Daily.' And I don't wish to be number one anymore, I wish to be water. I wish to be closer to UNICEF or something where I can take the information that I have and help as many people as possible, not to just shove it into a brand."

Ye's conversation with Vervoordt comes as he's reportedly been in Wyoming working on a new album.