Kanye West says he's a 'great leader'

MUMBAI: Rapper Kanye West believes in world peace, and says he is a great leader.

In an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Kanye said: "There couldn't be a better time to put a visionary in the captain's chair. I'm not here to down (President Donald) Trump or down (Democratic nominee Joe) Biden, I'm just here to express why God has called me to take this position. I'm a great leader because I listen and I'm empathetic. I do believe in world peace."

Regarding the music business, he said: "I'm not at war with the music industry. I'm just saying we need to innovate. When I posted my contracts, I had 10 contracts that kept putting me inside a labyrinth and things we don't need.

"Prince would say we don't need the distribution part.

"I'm the kind of person where I'm not trying to eliminate anyone's job. There's a way both parties can be happy. These deals can be flipped in a way that they're just more fair."

He said his father had told him the music industry was a bad business, and found that perspective to be true, reports variety.com.

"Everyone's a part of it, everyone's responsible, everyone's a part of the problem," he said.

"The contracts are made to rape the artistes. This is a negative thought I'm putting into the universe - but I thought about Bruce and Brandon Lee. This is Sony and Universal and I'm willing to put the blue paint on my face and go out and do this because it's the right thing to do.

"Michael Jackson, Prince, all of these things have crossed my mind as I'm saying I need to innovate what these contracts are, it's not about me getting my masters back, it's about freedom.

"At this point music loses me money. Of my $5 billion net worth, music is negative $4 million," he added

He also spoke about his work in religious music.

"I stepped away from my music career for a year to serve God.

"When I made (his Sunday Service sessions), I completely stooped rapping because I didn't know how to rap before God," Kanye added.

The interview comes a few days after he released a campaign video for his 2020 presidential run.