XXL Rewind: Behind-The-Scene From Kanye West’s 2007 XXL Cover Shoot

Let's take it back, way back to 2007 when Kanye West appeared on the cover of XXL's October issue. Fresh off the release of Graduation, 'Ye spoke to XXL about taking his career to new heights and his impeccable grind, all the while taking photos around the busy streets of Manhattan, NY.

"I've been putting it down for a minute," says Kanye. "I'm a vet in the game. I'm one of the legends, the top MCs. I've still got to rise in my position a little bit, but you know, that's why I'm in the studio. [I] just keep on spittin', keep on brining fly in and making songs that actually mean something to somebody. That's how we made it on the cover of XXL. It feels good," Kanye gushes to the camera.

Around the time that this cover was shot, Kanye had just went head-to-head with 50 Cent in what many deem one of the biggest hip-hop face-offs of all time. In the cover story, he speaks on  50 Cent, which rappers are better than him, being called gay, the past engagement to his longtime girlfriend, Alexis Phifer, and why he thinks he has the hardest job in hip-hop.

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