Kanye West Compares Himself To Kobe Bryant: 'I Was The Rap Version Of Him!'
Rapper Kanye West paid a heartwarming tribute as he opened up about his relationship to "one of his best friends," NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
West and Bryant are two icons in different fields of interest who share the same passion and dedication to their craft.
In the recent cover story of GQ Magazine for their May issue, the two-time Grammy winner explained why the Los Angeles Lakers superstar served as an inspiration and how his memories keep him going.
"There's one street that I drive to go from either my office or my home to the property where the domes were built," the Yeezy creator mentioned while referring to the Las Virgenes Road -- the crash site where Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna perished.
"So now there's no way for me not to be as determined as Kobe every time I drive down that street. It's game time," he added.
The 42-year-old rapper-turned-producer also shared the impact of Black Mamba's legacy, not just to him but to the whole world.
"Everyone in our life is now a member of the Lakers on one of Kobe's championship teams," he said. "The way that Kobe would say that we all have to come together and win this championship is the way I look at life now. To an infinite, other level."
Two Legends, One Goal
The father-of-four also shared their similarities in life's perspective despite having two different careers.
"He was the basketball version of me, and I was the rap version of him, and that's facts!" Kanye said.
On January 26, the world was shocked when it was reported that the basketball legend along with eight other passengers died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
The group was said to be heading to Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California for a youth basketball event.
The former Lakers superstar is survived by his 37-year-old wife Vanessa, and their three daughters: Natalia (17), Bianka (3), and Capri (9).
Kanye West Rapping For God
Moreover, West also confessed that he considered leaving the rap scene because "it's the devil's music."
"I was thinking of not rapping again because I rapped for the devil so long that I didn't even know how to rap for God," West added.
But then again, he opted to use his God-given talent and his platform to a benefit. Thus, his "Jesus is the King" album was born.
The Christian-themed album is West's ninth studio album which was released in October 2019.
He described it as "an expression of the gospel," with which he received massive support from several gospel artists who were quick to embrace his new album.
The 42-year-old music icon/entrepreneur has attracted several celebrities to his Sunday service, including fellow artist Justin Beiber.
A few weeks ago, Beiber made a surprise appearance where he performed a heartfelt version of Marvin Sapp's gospel hit "Never Would Have Made It."
