How does hip-hop influence the youth negatively and positively?
WEST: Hip-hop is a reflection of what’s going on. It’s a form of entertainment and it’s not steering people any differently than a [violent] movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. As a brand, I’m not defined by hip-hop. It’s just a tool that I choose to use. I could have been a poet but I chose the tool of hip-hop to get my message across because it was the loudest. ESSENCE.COM: Congrats on your upcoming book, “Thank You and You’re Welcome,” which is a tome of your personal philosophies. What is one Kanye-ism that you live and die by? WEST: “It’s not about dying but about living with optimism” and “Get used to getting used, because if you can’t be used then you’re useless” are two of my favorites. Again, it’s just my ideas on life and it’s not presented in a traditional format but with graphics. We were working with an author but that person couldn’t let go of his traditional training to present it as we saw fit to the point that we could no longer work together. When people can’t under