Back when I was at the University of Maryland (2004), Kanye West had just dropped his first album, College Dropout, and he wuz hot and bout to ‘blow’ fo’ real (blow up). I ain’t gonna front, a Kanye West show even at that early point in time in a 500-600 capacity room (ballroom), was pretty hot to def. He asked for folks if anyone had his new cd on em, he’ll sign it for em, but also that he needs the actual cd, so he can put on a joint he didn’t have handy. (This was the pre-wack glasses KanYe). He was rockin a collared shirt, and a lil LouisVitton backpack… n he made sure the crowd was into it, stopping a couple times at the begining to make sure the crowd was makin’ the proper ample noise, and had their hands up. N I ain’t gonna front he put it down and it was rockin. This was the pre-jump the shark Kanye if you ask me.

In between songs he even related to the DC area peeps too, saying how he has a cousin or family up in this area (he pronounced Rockville, MD, Rock-Ville, and mentioned he stayed a summer down here in Wheaton in his past). So I mean he kept it real. He even brought on his lil cousin on the stage and let her say hi. He wasn’t blinged up or anything. Anyways, to get to the most interesting part of his in between song, banter was how close he and his mother were. He was quite candid, saying how his mom told him, “you best strap up –wear two rubbers if you have too, –’that money is ours.” Referring to –KanYe best not be knockin no broads up and losing half his dough type of shit. So his Mom was def. not playing, and being he’s a mommas boy -she had a straight line into Hollywood-dom, which of course led to her getting plastic surgery and her ultimate death. I just found all of that interesting. The point being was that’s the Kanye I liked. The one willing to do a show of 500 college students, willing to talk about his personal shit, about his convos with his Mother about chicks, signing a cd or two right there on the spot, and keeping it real. He even did a slick move, I have to give him props, he pulled out a cd from his LV backpack (he made it a point that it wasn’t just for show that he actually was carrying shit in it). So anyways, he pulls out a cd from his backpack, puts it on (an instrumental), and starts flowin a lil over it, claiming “eh ya’ll this is the next hit -you’ll be hearing this shit next SUMMER.” Gully stuff true true. Since then though, this is what has happened. He’s taking pictures with Mohammad Ali, making Ali wear those goofy f-ing glasses. What the f…

You don’t see me taking pics with Ron Jeremy making him wear goofy condoms. No homo.

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pic hat tip: bol