"The concept of commercialism in the fashion and art world is looked down upon. You know, just to think, 'What amount of creativity does it take to make something that masses of people like?' And, 'How does creativity apply across the board?'"
About this Quote
The subtext is classic Kanye: a demand to be judged by impact, not by gatekeepers. He’s arguing for a continuum between “art” and “product” and, by extension, between the museum and the mall. That “across the board” line isn’t neutral; it’s a bid for permission to move between mediums without being treated like an interloper. In an industry that loves to praise originality while enforcing old hierarchies, he’s insisting that distribution and desire are not embarrassments to creativity but part of its job.
The context matters: West emerged as a rapper obsessed with luxury brands, then tried to enter fashion as a serious designer, repeatedly encountering skepticism that read less like aesthetic critique and more like class policing. This quote is him insisting that popularity is not the opposite of artistry; it’s the arena where artistry gets stress-tested.
Quote Details
| Topic | Art |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
West, Kanye. (2026, January 16). The concept of commercialism in the fashion and art world is looked down upon. You know, just to think, 'What amount of creativity does it take to make something that masses of people like?' And, 'How does creativity apply across the board?'. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-concept-of-commercialism-in-the-fashion-and-103735/
Chicago Style
West, Kanye. "The concept of commercialism in the fashion and art world is looked down upon. You know, just to think, 'What amount of creativity does it take to make something that masses of people like?' And, 'How does creativity apply across the board?'." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-concept-of-commercialism-in-the-fashion-and-103735/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The concept of commercialism in the fashion and art world is looked down upon. You know, just to think, 'What amount of creativity does it take to make something that masses of people like?' And, 'How does creativity apply across the board?'." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-concept-of-commercialism-in-the-fashion-and-103735/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
