The Set List

Kanye hits back at Bonnaroo

Story by Matt Kivel

It was only a matter of time before the world "woke up" the immensely popular Mr. West with a dose of gold old fashioned backlash. After stepping onto the stage at an unseemly 4:30 AM (almost two hours after his announced set time) this past Sunday, the Bonnaroo faithful announced their displeasure with West via a series of boos and derisive chants. Port-o-potties and other surfaces in the Bonnaroo camps were vandilized with West-bashing insults and other derogatory remarks. A nice set of pictures chronicling the fan tirade can be found courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan.

Now Kanye - surprise surprise - is expressing his displeasure with the whole situation through a fiery blog post.

It's definitely worth a read -- he explains some of the reasons behind the performance delays with characteristic verve and tons of capital letters and exclamation points. A few highlights are excerpted below as well as Kanye's forthcoming tour dates.

The man has a way with words:

"I understand if people don't like me because I like me or if people think tight clothes look gay or people say I run my mouth to much,  But this Bonnaroo thing is the worst insult I've ever had in my life. This is the most offended I've ever been... this is the maddest I ever will be.  I'm typing so f&^*king hard I might break my f^&ing Mac book Air!!!!!!!!"

"Call me any name you want.... arrogant, conceited, narcissistic, racist, metro, fag whatever you can think of....  BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN'T GIVE MY ALL!   NEVER SAY I DIDN'T GIVE MY ALL!  THIS SHOWS NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY  TO BE GOOD AT SOMETHING THERE WILL BE PEOPLE THERE TO LIE ABOUT YOU AND BRING YOU DOWN!  LIKE WAYNE SAYS PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME DOWN CAUSE I'M FLYING!"

"BONNAROO SHOULD HAVE RELEASED A STATEMENT IN MY DEFENSE BUT SINCE THEY HAVEN'T LET'S BREAK DOWN THE WALLS ON THIS TRUMAN SHOW AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY OCCURRED!!!"

Kanye West Remaining 2008 Tour Dates

06/08/2008 Jobing.com Arena Phoenix AZ

07/04/2008 Superdome New Orleans LA

07/25/2008 Global Gathering Festival Stratford Upon Avon

08/01/2008 US Bank Arena 100 Broadway Cincinnati OH

08/03/2008 Grant Park, Hutchinson Field-Outdoors Chicago IL

08/05/2008 Madison Square Garden 2 Penn Plz Fl 14 New York NY

08/06/2008 Madison Square Garden 2 Penn Plz Fl 14 New York NY

08/10/2008 Pimlico Race Track 5201 Park Heights Ave Baltimore MD

Kanye West, Evel Knievel Put Their Differences Under the Ramp

No need for snarky commentary here. Evel Kneivel was as tough a guy as there was was in the land of invented sports in the 1960s and '70s, something thaty Kanye West must have not understood when he appropriated the name Evel Kanyevel in the video for "Touych the Sky."
The two have amicably resolved Knievel's suit against  West and  Roc-A-Fella Records regarding the "Touch the Sky" video. West even got to visit Knievel at his Tampa, Fla., home where they flashed some sort of motorcycle gang signs.

Universal Music Uncorks the Champagne

Universal Music Group is a mighty proud parent today, celebrating the sales successes of Kanye West and 50 Cent.
The company proudly touts:
that it is the first music company ever to have a current market share of more than 50% (50.94%) and and the highest ever overall market share of 43.17%. (That one broke UMG's old record of 37.78% from Nov. 14, 2004);
its highest current digital album market share (49.67%);
the highest No. 1 and No. 2 debut combination ever in the SoundScan era (since 1991);
seven titles in the top 10, counting its distribution deal with Disney.
The number that isn't making into the headlines though is the number 9, as in overall sales this week were 9% less than the same week last year: 9.2 million vs. 10.1 million in 2006.
The major sellers making top 10 debuts last year? Beyonce, Audioslave and, believe it or not, Iron Maiden.

Early score: West 600, 50 430; Jets Just Getting Started

From the land of "as expected,"  Kanye West  is ahead of  50 Cent as sales of their new albums are being tallied.  West is on target with projections; 50 is behind. And Kenny Chesney is proving to be not much of a threat.

'SNL's' Slam Dunk: Lebron and Kanye

Figuring 50 Cent will retire from music on or about Wednesday, Kanye West has been booked as the musical guest of this season's (the 33rd) premiere of "Saturday Night Live" on Sept. 29.
The only guy in the NBA who can get people to cross the street to see him play, Lebron James, will be the host.

After the VMAs:What Happens in Vegas...

The unspectacular Video Music Awards drove the point that so much of modern music is disposable.
Highlighting songs with the shelf life of bread crumbs, Britney Spears' ill-prepared, lip-synch performance provided the perfect distraction. While Kanye West, Justin Timberlake and Foo Fighters will have long careers and make some of pop's most memorable  songs, there's little sense that these will be remembered as classics a decade from now.  Good as Kanye was, there's only one "Jesus Walks"; Timberlake  could get away with remaking "Sexy Back" for his next four albums and fans would probably not notice.
Meanwhile...
While West's performance was one of the better ones on the show, he says he will not appear on the network again. Ever. 
Roger Friedman says Britney Spears' horrid performance kills off hopes for significant sales of her Nov. 13 release - and he blames her manager.
Mark Caro come up with advice for other pop tartlets who see the VMAs as a comeback arena.
Time magazine's blogger had a good take on the deterioration of MTV.
Like an episode of "Cops," one scraggly tattooed longhair dude is charged with beating on another scraggly tattooed longhair. Rather than fighting over some crack addict, this gal was pretty.