And of course, he’s married into a family who has turned distorting their lives into an immensely profitable business. Kanye has been so opened about his love and admiration for his mother, but what is the truth behind the rest of his family? His family and friends may very well only pretend to care about him, so they can be close to his fame and money, but he’s distorted them too. Did that mean he didn’t have a cousin locked up? What about Uncle Ray and Aunt Sheila? The revelation brings new meaning to the sample that plays in the intro, “All that glitters is not gold and all gold is not reality.”Īnd so what about “Real Friends”? These feel like such personal stories it’s easy to believe that they’re autobiographical, but I also spent the last decade believing that “Family Business” was purely autobiographical. It made me question what I knew about Kanye and his family. Even the end, when Kanye says “Let’s get Stevie out of jail,” is a reference to her godbrother, not his. The entire second verse is based on her life. He said he needed more material about what “real” family life is like and so she told him about sleeping six to a bed with her cousins, about an aunt that can no longer remember her name. While researching this article, I was surprised to learn that Tarrey Torae, a singer that performed at the end of “Family Business,” assisted Kanye with the story. Ego and money turned kin to strangers, cousin to thieves, and this song won’t help with mending any burnt bridges. He’s demoted his family to friend status, he isn’t a real friend himself and so he doesn’t deserve any real love in return.
He takes a good, hard look in the mirror and realizes that in this blame game he is also at fault. He once kept up with basketball tryouts, but now he can’t be bothered to face a niece or even remember the age of his nephew, blaming his busy schedule for why he doesn’t make time. It’s the unflinching honesty that grabbed me, admitting to changing his number so not to be bothered, forgetting birthdays, loathing holiday parties and drunkenly ruining communions. There’s no guilt or remorse in Kanye’s tone as he raps, “I’m a deadbeat cousin I hate family reunions,” and it’s only the beginning of his heart-wrenching review of himself and family members strained relationships. It wasn’t until last Friday, 12 years since his debut album, that Kanye broke the promise he made to not let the world into their family’s business with the release of “Real Friends,” dropping the veil that separated his artistry and his relationship with immediate and extended family members. It’s interesting how much and how little he reveals. Kanye has never had an issue revealing his personal issues and flaws but you never know what was happening with those around him. It’s as if the man depicted in “Welcome To Heartbreak” has replaced the Kanye from “Family Business.” Cold and reclusive, entrapped in his own world that most people simply orbit around, but only a chosen few are able to land and inhabit planet Yeezy. Last year, he confessed during an interview that he blames himself for her untimely death. His close connection and relationship with his mom largely affected Kanye in every possible way when she passed in 2007. The final version didn’t make College Dropout because Kanye wanted to premiere the song on Oprah, which he did. “ Hey Mama” was written in 2000 and appeared on his Freshmen Adjustment mixtape. The other tribute is to his mother, Donda West, a woman who needs no introduction. His cousin Kim and team of aunties are acknowledged, a nod toward their presence during a time where the comfort of family is needed. His grandmother is immortalized on “ Roses,” he captures the powerless anxiety of being in the hospital with a loved one who is slipping away. If the family foundation were beginning to crumble, Kanye didn’t acknowledge it anywhere on Late Registration. From the moment he was allowed entrance into the industry he was bound to be a star. Celebrity status doesn’t come without growing pains, especially for someone like Kanye whose outspoken attitude kept him in the press. It’s easy to believe in the sacredness of a family bond before the storm, before the accolades and plaques, before the television and magazines, and before the money.
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