Keeping his name in the news, rapper producer Kanye West has named his biggest competition in game—Justin Timberlake.According to Kanye, the pop star which has yet to do a collabo with the Chicago MC is his biggest inspiration as well as his biggest competition.
“My biggest inspiration and biggest competition is Justin Timberlake. He’s the only other person that gets an across-the-board response and respect level – black radio, white radio.” Kanye says in the October issue of XXL Magazine.
“If Justin hadn’t come out and killed the game, I can’t say that my album, singles and videos would be on the same level that they’re on.
“We push each other. I look at me and Justin like Prince and Michael Jackson in their day.”
Kanye, who will be going up against 50 Cent on September 11th also told MTV how he felt about the so-called “rivalry.”
“I think we push each other,” Kanye told MTV backstage at the V Festival in Stafford, England, on Saturday. “I feel I wouldn’t have some of the tracks on my album if it wasn’t for 50, and he wouldn’t have some of the things he had if he wasn’t up against me.
In the last couple of years, people have been putting out albums aimlessly. Nas used to talk about Biggie and Jay and Wu-Tang going up against each other, but now it’s like there hasn’t been that competition in rap.
In New York, [West’s] �?Can’t Tell Me Nothing’ is the #2 song [on the radio], and [50’s] �?I Get Money’ is the #1 song. They’re neck-and-neck, so it’s exciting to people.”
Both “Graduation” and “Curtis” will be dropping on September 11th, 2007.
Kanye is one of the most respected rappers in the game right now, it’s looking really good for him at this moment.
