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Kanye West Opens Up About His Saint Pablo Tour and How He's Taking the "Concert Experience to Another Level"

"Ultralight Beam" rapper dishes on that unique stage design

By Francesca Bacardi Aug 26, 2016 3:04 PMTags
Watch: Exclusive: Kanye West Spills Deets on "Saint Pablo" Tour

Kanye West is officially on the road.

Yeezy kicked off his 39-date Saint Pablo Tour in Indiana Thursday, where he debuted an entirely new set design that involved floating above the crowd. E! News caught up with Kanye after the show, and the "Famous" rapper exclusively dished all about the audience-centered style of his concert.

But his tour setup, in which Kanye stands on a small platform and rise above everyone instead of performing on a static stage, didn't just happen over night—it took about 10 years start to finish, according to Kanye, but less time to see it to fruition. "At least eight months of planning for this," he told E! News' Ken Baker. "Traveling around the world and meeting with the best stage designers on the globe and having the best stage designers."

But it was all worth it because he had a very specific idea in mind for his fans.

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Musicians Performing Live on Stage
The Photographer Group/Splash News

"I just wanted people to get into it and have a fun time. Make it not be just about watching the artist but people watching their friends and singing along with the lyrics and just being able to see themselves and their outfits," Kanye explained. "Take the concert experience to another level. It's not just about what you're seeing on the screen or what you're seeing me doing up on the stage, but what you and your friends are doing."

Although Kanye wants to give all that he can during his performances, he also wants to make sure those who are turning out are really enjoying themselves. "I want people to come to the Pablo shows and know it's just going to be the best time they've had in their life," he added. 

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With a unique plan in place, Kanye added that there might be some changes along the way, but the "basic idea" of his shows was already there. "It was really just about creating a new idea and touring," he dished.

The "Ultralight Beam" rapper also revealed he turned to other artists for inspiration when it came to designing his concerts. To find out who he turned to, watch the exclusive interview above!

And to hear more from Kanye about his tour, life with Kim Kardashian and more, tune-in to E! News tonight at 7 and 11 p.m.

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