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Kanye West Was Peak Kanye In His Rambling VMAs Speech

Kanye West Was Peak Kanye In His Rambling VMAs Speech
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Kanye West performs onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/MTV1617/Getty Images for MTV)
Neilson Barnard/MTV1617 via Getty Images
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Kanye West performs onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/MTV1617/Getty Images for MTV)

Raise your hand if you don’t know how to react to Kanye West’s speech at MTV Video Music Awards:

This year, MTV allotted four minutes of the ceremony to Kanye, as if that would’ve stopped him from taking over the VMAs however he saw fit. West didn’t provide updates on his presidential plans (pls save us), but his speech did check most of the Kanye’s public speaking boxes: Taylor Swift, a shoutout to Kim, musing on his own importance, bros galore, a Beyoncé compliment and a reminder of how “blessed” we all are.

After explaining the concept behind his controversial “Famous” video, West used some startling statistics about Chicago’s homicide victims to put his whole feud with Taylor Swift in perspective.

“Last week there was 22 people murdered in Chicago,” he told the audience. “You know, like, people come up to me like, ‘Man, that’s right… Take Taylor? I love all y’all. That’s why I called her!”

But before he outstayed his welcome, he introduced his new music video for “Fade,” featuring a sweaty workout session, apparently a theme for this year’s ceremony.

“Tonight, we’re here to have fun. I’m standing in front of my idol Puff Daddy. I’m standing in front of my wife Kim Kardashian West. I’m standing in front of the future, Chance the Rapper. 2 Chainz. Jayden Smith. Bro. We are undeniably the influence, the thought leaders. I’m gonna play y’all a piece of my art. And I just hope you all have a good time.”

The video is now exclusively on TIDAL.