Musical visionary and experimental baby-namer Kanye West gave an intimate lecture at the Oxford Guild Society back in March of this year, and today, a video of the event was posted online. Be warned that the audio is pretty bad, ranging from very quiet when Kanye’s speaking (since he rejected offers of a microphone for aesthetic reasons) to earbud-crushingly loud when the audience erupts in nervous laughter.
The lecture begins about three minutes in, after Kanye has the front of the hall rearranged to his liking with a few silent flicks of the wrist. Before beginning, Kanye asks that everyone “please be completely quiet,” lest a whisper interrupt his thought process, because, as he says, “When I can get stream of consciousness going, I get the best, illest quotes.”
As previously reported by Pitchfork, Kanye’s speech covers a lot of topics, including Nicki Minaj, The Matrix, the cost of clothing, and his former goal of becoming a fine artist greater than Picasso. Watch the whole speech below.
