Late last year, footage began to surface of Kanye West auditioning for US reality talent show American Idol. The footage had emerged as part of the promotion for their current season, and a brief snippet of his appearance was used in a promotional ad ahead of the show’s launch date. Now, the good folks at E! News have now released the full clip for your own personal enjoyment.
The audition features ‘Ye introducing himself as a producer-turned-rapper from Chicago, performing his 2005 classic Gold Digger, pulling the verse that references one of the show’s judges, Jennifer Lopez. On top of the actual performance, there’s a backstage interview from a supportive (and heavily pregnant) Kim Kardashian, an apparently bewildered Keith Urban and a swooning J-Lo, unable to contain her excitement about being name-dropped in the smash hit.
Watch the full video below. We expect great things from this newly discovered, rising star in the burgeoning hip-hop community 😉
Although we haven’t passed the first week of the new year yet, this isn’t even the first Kanye news of 2016. He ended a huge 2015 and brought in the new year with an immense banger of a (thoroughly disputed) diss track, Facts. Listen here.