Kanye West Didn’t Write Down His Rhymes Until My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Video]

In an outtake from Ice-T's documentary The Art of Rap, Kanye West admits that he didn't begin writing down his lyrics until his last solo album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. That means he dropped four albums without physically writing down the lyrics. He references that fifth album's lead single, "Power," as a turning point. Check out what he said as well as the video below:

"I didn't write my raps down for my first four albums—like all, I did it from the head straight to the booth. But on this last album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I wrote it. I really put myself in the zone that my life was dependent on the success of this album. With that being the case, I said, 'You know what? No matter what anybody says about me, they won't—I can write something that can make someone that hates me the most have to really respect or love the song.' So even a song like 'Power,' I spent 5,000 hours writing it, and it's really the psychology behind the lyrics; it's not just blatantly, 'I've got all the power'—[it's] 'No one man should have all that power.' It's word[ed] it in a really sensitive way that opens it up for everyone. Even if I use first person and say 'I, I, I,' it's always for everyone. For things that people are going through. Uplifting songs like 'Stronger,' 'Good Life.' The majority of my music is made to be inspirational. To say: 'I've been in that situation, I've worked a job where I couldn't even afford the clothes of the spot I was working at.'"