Kanye West considers himself a privileged man.
Musical success aside, the 21-time Grammy-winning rapper is counting his blessings when it comes to living with what he has called a mental condition. In a recent interview with Big Boy TV, the star explained how making his eighth studio album offered him an outlet and opportunity others do not have.
"Think about people that have mental issues that are not Kanye West, that can't go and make that and make it feel like it's all good," he said. "Think about somebody that does exactly what I did at TMZ and they just do that at work, but then Tuesday morning they come in, they lost their job and they can't go back and make that. That's why God put that on me at age 40."
West continued, "I had never been diagnosed 'til I was like 39 years old." When asked by the interview what he meant by diagnosed, the star clarified, "diagnosed with a mental condition."
"I think everybody got something," West continued candidly. "But, like I said on the album, it's not a disability, it's a superpower." On his track "Yikes," West rapped, "That's my bipolar shit, n---a what/That's my superpower, n---a ain't no disability/I'm a superhero! I'm a superhero!"
In addition to addressing his mental health, the rapper also revealed that he completely redid the album after his headline-making interview on TMZ and honed in on the words. As fans now know, he referenced his controversial comment about slavery on his track, "Wouldn't Leave," rapping, "I said, 'Slavery a choice.' They say, 'How, Ye?'/Just imagine if they caught me on a wild day."
While that bar made headlines, there was another that West didn't ultimately want to include. As he also revealed in his interview with Big Boy TV, "I took a bar off the album. It was just too sensitive. It was about that topic."
Though West has incited debate and criticism with his comments in recent months, at the end of the day, he considers himself a part of the universal family—public disagreements and all.
"I feel like as a son and as a family member of the world and that's the reason why the world won't let me go because I'm just a family member," he said. "They might disagree with me on certain shit, but I'm they family. I've been here for 15 years, 18 years and I feel like the best thing I can do is sit there and go in that studio and keep chopping that thing that only I know how to do and only me and my crew know how to do."
Meanwhile, his latest album drop Ye has been met with plenty of success as it landed in the No. 1 spot on iTunes in 63 countries and was No. 1 on Apple Music in 83 countries.