Earlier this week, Kanye West premiered the video for his controversial track 'Famous' and, guess what... it was even more outrageous than the lyrics.
If you haven't seen it already, Yeezy appears in bed alongside 10 naked, sleeping celebrities, including his wife Kim Kardashian, Ray J and Taylor Swift. It's pretty bizarre to say the least.
However, the idea was inspired by American painter Vincent Desiderio and he's now spoken out about the homage.
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Credit: Tidal
In an essay penned for W Magazine, Desiderio wrote: "It began with a random phone call: 'Kanye West is trying to get in touch with Vincent Desiderio. It is extremely important that he return our call.' After a series of missed calls and frantic text messaging I came to learn that I was being invited to fly out to Los Angeles the next morning to meet the acclaimed artist, and that Kanye, 'being a tremendous fan' of my work - I'm using quotes, because one hears that phrase so often in the art world that it might as well mean, 'I have no idea who you are and please don't call me out on this' - wanted me to be present at an event at the Forum in L.A. No other information was given."
The artist continued: "When I arrived the next day, I was told not to go to the hotel but instead directly to the Forum. The mystery redoubled as I was lead through a system of corridors and security checks to a room whose door was streaked with wild Abstract Expressionist marks. Inside was a small gathering of men and women seated around a laptop.
"Kanye stood up and greeted me warmly. We spoke about his new album, 'The Life of Pablo,' and about a particular quote by Edgar Degas, about how a painting should be constructed 'like the perfect crime.' I ventured that the Pablo referred to in the title was a dual reference to Pablo Picasso and Pablo Escobar. Kanye smiled and said, 'St. Paul, too.' His eyes glistened. We were on the same page."
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On the same page as Kanye West? Not sure I'd want to admit to that.
Words by Sian Broderick
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