Kanye West’s infamous interruption of Taylor Swift’s speech at the 2009 VMAs has been etched as one of the defining pop-culture moments of the 21st century.
Before becoming two of the most famous musicians on the planet, the controversial VMAs moment served as Ye’s pivot from hero to most hated as he was shunned into exile for the better part of a year.
Rolling Stone put together a list and dubbed Kanye’s polarizing intrusion the sixth worst decision in music history.
“Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you,” he said before being thrown out of the venue. “I’ma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!”
Swift was accepting her award for Best Video by a Female Artist for “You Belong to Me,” but Kanye had other plans as he believed Beyoncé had been robbed for her “Single Ladies” visual.
Per Billboard, Kanye was seen swigging from and passing around a bottle of Hennessy throughout the August 2009 night as he attended the award show with his girlfriend at the time, Amber Rose.
Following the public excoriation, West fled the continental U.S. for the serenity of Hawaii, which led to him crafting his magnum opus My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010.
“After the infamous Taylor Swift moment, I sort of did a little self-exile, just to get away from paparazzi and to have people not, you know, just f—ing with me constantly. I went to Hawaii and took all the creative energy that I wanted to express and we put it into an album called My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” he recalled at a footwear event in 2020.
“We’d visit Stockholm on the weekends. That was in my single days. It was fun. It wasn’t too bad. It wasn’t as miserable experience as some might think. My exile was pretty fun and stuff: ‘What does Kanye do when he pissed every person off on the planet?’ He goes Stockholm and dances.”
Other Hip Hop moments making RS‘s list include Ja Rule investing in the disastrous Fyre Festival (No. 8), Suge Knight addressing the crowd at the 1995 Source Awards (No. 20) and MC Hammer’s gangsta pivot in the mid-90s (No. 23).
It was actually one of the best. That transfixed look of shock on Taylor face is irreplaceable. To this day I thank West for telling it like it was.
Man. I know Ye effed up but y’all gunning to kick a dude when he’s down. The worst music industry mistake was Kendrick losing to Macklemore. Y’all trying to twist narratives and misconstrue history. This makes me believe Ye to some extent now.
Nothing new. Me Against The World is better than Poverty’s Paradise. Blueprint is better than Stankonia. Get Rich Or Die Tryin is better than Speakerboxxx/Love Below. Food & Liquor is better than Release Therapy. All of those that lost are timeless classics. The winners are not even the best albums of those artists’ catalogs.
Ye became a billionaire after this.
It did no damage to the man if anything it made him bigger.
Ye became a billionaire after this.
It did no damage to the man if anything it made him bigger.
This was and still is one of the most memorable vma moments ever. It was unexpected, hilarious, and embarrassed taylor. All the makings of a Grade A prank. Name any other vma moment ever, ill wait..
Kanye explained to yall a month ago what he felt back then if yall just listen!
Yall call it no taste and i call it Divine timing!
Notice how he put the world in shock everytime!?
The same way a Tsunami come in a surprise, so does Kanye so now you know leave Gods son alone because he will surprise you!
He said hes the moses of today for Hes African family and hes showing you.
I SUPPORT Kanye💯
Kanye explained to yall a month ago what he felt back then if yall just listen!
Yall call it no taste and i call it Divine timing!
Notice how he put the world in shock everytime!?
The same way a Tsunami come in a surprise, so does Kanye so now you know leave Gods son alone because he will surprise you!
He said hes the moses of today for Hes African family and hes showing you.
I SUPPORT Kanye.